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Text File | 1994-10-29 | 21.8 KB | 465 lines

┌───┐ JIM TUCKER ■ SOFTWARE ┌─┴─┐ ├──┐ 4/635 Brighton Road │ ┌┴─┴┐ │ Seacliff └──┤ ├─┘ South AUSTRALIA 5051 └───┘ ═════════════════════════════════════════════════ Phone 61 8 377 1175 jtucker@adam.com.au JIM TUCKER 3:800/805 29 October 1994 ■ Copyright (c) 1994 JIM TUCKER. All rights reserved THIS IS a complete unrestricted version of COLOR BOOT. You may use it and distribute it freely without restriction provided no charge is made and no changes are made to the program or this documentation. You may distribute disks with COLOR BOOT screens. You may also bundle this program with any software you sell provided you supply all files unchanged (including the source code). You must also mention that it is supplied as a separate program and requires separate (optional) registration. | By default COLRBOOT displays an "UNREGISTERED" message. This | can be DISABLED WITHOUT REGISTRATION. See the end of this | document for information and incentives. The manifest of files supplied is included in the README file. The usual disclaimers apply. ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- ABOUT THIS PROGRAM ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- COLRBOOT.COM is a DOS utility which lets you to write a color message on a non-system diskette. Your message will display when a user tries to boot from the disk. Disks can be distributed with the simple message: "Boot Me" and explicit directions can be displayed on the screen or a complete ASCII color screen can be displayed. Optionally, the target disk can be set to boot directly from a hard disk with no display. For a quick demonstration: ■ COPY the files on this disk to your hard disk ■ Insert a *blank formatted* Non-System disk in Drive A ■ Enter COLRBOOT COLRDEMO.BIN A: ■ Now "boot" from the Drive A disk | IMPORTANT NOTE: COLRBOOT WILL TARGET ONLY DRIVES A OR B. IT WILL | NOT WRITE TO A HARD DISK OR A DISKETTE WHICH CONTAINS THE DOS | SYSTEM FILES IBMBIO.COM or IO.SYS. For a quick preview of the COLOR BOOT screens run the batch file V.BAT. If you want to see the filenames displayed enter V /F. This manual is in FOUR sections. Section One: How to copy a color screen on to a target disk. Section Two: How to include your text in the boot display. Section Three: Describes several switch options. Section Four: Miscellaneous and incentives. ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- SECTION ONE: MAKING A SIMPLE COLOR BOOT DISK ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- The full syntax for COLOR BOOT is: COLRBOOT [filename|nofile|autoboot|blank] [textfile|grid] [d:] [/pnn] [/cnn] [/tnn] [/r] [/f] If you are not familiar with this sort of thing do not fret, this manual will take you through all the steps and options. We will start with three simple options which is all you need to know to make your first COLRBOOT disk. ■ OPTION 1: COLRBOOT ~~~~~~~~ If no filename is specified COLRBOOT will display a help screen. Simple. ■ OPTION 2: COLRBOOT FILENAME.BIN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If no target drive is specified COLRBOOT will simply display the file and the following prompt: Boot from hard disk (Y/N)? Non-System disk. Replace and press any key when ready The three-line prompt you see is internal to the boot sector and NOT part of the file. What you see is what will display when the disk is "booted." This option provides a convenient way to view the screen files supplied with COLRBOOT. (Hint: Use V.BAT to cycle through the screens provided). ■ OPTION 3: COLRBOOT FILENAME.BIN A: (or B:) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Specifying a "target drive" creates a COLOR BOOT disk. COLOR BOOT will write the file to the target disk and create a new boot sector. When the disk is "booted" it will display the file and the prompt "Boot from hard disk (Y/N)?". Drive B is also a valid target drive. This means that if you have two floppy drives, you can make COLOR BOOT disks of different sizes. The target diskette may be any standard DOS size: 5¼- inch 360K or 1.2M or 3½-inch 720K or 1.44M. And that's all you need to know to begin making disks which display a colorful messages when trying to boot off a non-system disk. V.BAT is a simple batch file which displays all of the ".BIN" files in the current directory. Remember, if you do not specify a target drive the output goes to the screen. As soon as you specify a drive (A: or B:) you make a COLOR BOOT disk. TWO MORE SIMPLE OPTIONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ■ COLRBOOT NOFILE A: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You enter the word "NOFILE" instead of a filename. The boot sector on the target disk is modified but no data is written to the disk. Only the prompt(s) will display. You can use this safely on Non-System disks which contain data as only the boot sector is modified. ■ COLRBOOT AUTOBOOT A: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You enter the word "AUTOBOOT" instead of a filename. The boot sector is modified but no data is written to the disk. You can use this safely on disks which contain data as only the boot sector is modified. The target disk will automatically boot from the hard disk with no prompt if a hard disk is detected. If there is no hard disk the user will be prompted to replace the disk. This is similar to other BOOT2C utilities. In summary: COLRBOOT NOFILE will display the "Boot from hard disk?" question. COLRBOOT AUTOBOOT will skip the question if the user has a hard disk. THE COLOR FILE The color file must be a screen binary file, exactly 4000 bytes. It may be named anything. I use ".BIN" here for clarity. The file may be created with an ANSI editor and saved using a screen save utility. COLOR BOOT will not load the file unless it is precisely 4000 bytes. (See LAUGHING DOG below for more information). The actual color message should occupy lines 1-21 only. The boot prompt, internal to COLRBOOT, defaults to LINE 22 and is 30 characters wide. This can be changed (see below). FORMAT INFORMATION The color screen is written to the last eight sectors (4K) of the target disk. On a disk with 4K available space these sectors are usually free, however if the disk has been filled and files have been deleted a current file may still occupy this space. When DOS formats a disk it writes bytes F6 hex to the data sectors. COLORBOOT checks for this and will warn you if the target sector is not F6F6. The following message will be displayed: "WARNING! Message sector may contain data. Continue (Y/N)?" Since the DOS "delete" or "erase" commands simply mark files as being available for reuse (and do not wipe out the contents of files), it is possible that the boot sector contains old or invalid data. COLORBOOT displays a warning message just in case you want to reinspect the disk's contents. If the disk contains no files you can continue safely. You will also get this message from a diskette which has no files but contains a COLRBOOT message. WRITING TO COLRBOOT DISKS Your boot message will remain on the disk until DOS subsequently writes over it. As the message is at the "very end" of the disk this will happen only if the disk is entirely filled. In this case nothing except the prompts will display. COLRBOOT will not display the "binary color file" IMPORTANT NOTE: The DOS FORMAT command with no parameters (such as /U) does not write F6 hex bytes to a disk. It simply clears the File Allocation Table (FAT) and directory and leaves the data on the disk so that UNFORMAT can restore it. If you see a warning that the sector may contain data but you have no files you may safely ignore the warning. Do not use a so-called "pre-formatted" disk without first formatting them using DOS. Pre-formatted disks contain nothing useful in the boot sector. If you try to boot from some I have examined you do not get a message... just a locked up computer. This may make no difference when the disk is used for data but if the disk is accidently left in Drive A the PC will halt at the next boot. This can be disconcerting. Whether you use COLOR BOOT or not, for safety's sake never use a pre-formatted disk without doing an unconditional format using the /U option. For example: FORMAT A: /U You cannot use the DOS "sys" command to copy DOS system files and COMMAND.COM onto a COLRBOOT disk. This is because the boot sector which searches for IO.SYS or IBMBIO.COM file is modified. Finally, do NOT use a public domain or shareware FORMAT program. Most of them get it wrong. Not all PCs look for a disk in drive A when booted. Some BIOS ROMs can be set to boot from Drive C. ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- SECTION TWO: ADDING TEXT TO A COLOR SCREEN ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- In the following examples I have not specified a target drive. Simply include it to write to the disk or leave it out to preview what you are doing. All filenames may be preceded by a path. If a text filename is specified on the command line the text will OVERLAY the color image. This important option lets you add your own message to any of the color screens supplied. The "boot" screen can consist of any of the screens supplied plus your text, or you can use the whole screen for your text. You may also substitute the COLOR BOOT prompt for your own. To include text the name of the color image file must be specified first, followed by the name of the text file, Thus: COLRBOOT COLRFILE.BIN YOURFILE.TXT creates a boot disk containing both the color ".BIN" file and your text overlayed on the image. The text file can be any ASCII file written with a vanilla word processor. The text is written OVER the image. All characters on a line, including spaces, will overwrite the underlying image. It helps here if you use a text editor which will display end of line codes (return). All spaces before the return write over the screen. The underscore character (ASCII 95) can be used in the text file to indicate a blank in a line but leave the underlying image undisturbed. You can therefore use the underscore to position text across the screen and still keep the underlying color screen intact. Example: _____________________________ This is my text over here The color screen remains here The text file must not exceed 2000 bytes. Lines after 25 will be ignored and may be used for comment. Note that lines 22, 23 and 24 are the default for the boot prompt. Do not write to these lines left of Column 30. Your message will be bombed by the prompt unless you use the /P switch. WRITING TEXT ONLY If you would like a message displayed but no color file specify BLANK as the color filename. Thus: COLRBOOT BLANK MYFILE.TXT places your text file on a blank background. (You may choose the color for your text, see below). BLANK is an option recognized by COLRBOOT; it is not a filename. The word simply tells COLRBOOT to use a blank screen. This is NOT the same as NOFILE which writes nothing to the disk except the boot sector. If you want nothing use NOFILE. If you want nothing with text use BLANK then the name of your text file. WHERE TO PUT TEXT You may calculate where to put your text over a color screen using the built in grid. It is easier to see it than describe it. Use "GRID" as the dummy filename: COLRBOOT COLRFILE.BIN GRID (with no drive specified). This will show you where to position your characters in the text file so they do not overwrite portions of the color screen. You may use the Print Screen key to print the image and the grid before writing your text file. ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- SECTION THREE: COMMAND LINE SWITCHES ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- COLRBOOT has several switches which you may key on the command line when making a COLOR BOOT disk. Here is a summary: /Pnn Postions the prompt on the screen /Cnn Specifies color for text messages /M[ono] Displays color file in mono /Tnn Specifies delay for message display /R See registration incentives below THE PROMPT POSITION /Pnn When you display a screen file the internal prompt message is located on Line 22. This is part of the boot sector, not your screen image. You can change the position in the boot sector with the switch /Pnn where nn is the line number you want the prompt to appear. For example, if you have a small display you may not want the prompt at the bottom of the screen. Valid lines are 1 to 25. If you specify any other line number (0 or 26 for instance) the prompt will be off the screen and will not display. You must therefore supply your own in the ".BIN" file or ".TXT" file. An example: "COLRBOOT COLRFILE.BIN /P10" will display the prompt on the 10th line. COLORFUL TEXT /Cnn You may specify a color for your text. The switch is /Cnn where nn is the color's HEX number. Valid colors are 1-FF. If you cannot remember (who does) or do not know the color numbers simply enter COLRBOOT /C? (or simply /C). Your screen will display the numbers. You may also display the grid with a color attribute. For example: "COLRBOOT COLRFILE.BIN TEXTFILE /C=1E" will display text in yellow on a blue background. MONO DISPLAY /M or /MONO If you are distributing COLOR BOOT disks check how your display shows in mono (on some notebooks for instance). There is a switch for this: /MONO. This will display your screen as it would appear to a mono user. The /MONO switch may be abbreviated to /M. Enter COLRBOOT /C/M to display the color chart in mono. The /MONO switch does NOT store your screen on the target disk in mono mode. It is stored as color but will display mono on a mono PC. If you specify BLANK for the color file and a color option for text the whole screen will be changed to the text color. For example: COLRBOOT BLANK FILE.TXT /C1E /P0. This example positions the prompt off the screen (/P0) so you may supply your own prompt in FILE.TXT to display in the chosen color. THE TIME DELAY /Tnn You may specify a time that the color image will display before the boot prompt appears and the user has the option of pressing a key. The switch is /Tnn where nn is the number of seconds. The default is zero. The maximum is 60 seconds (one minute). If this is exceeded you will be told. An example: COLRBOOT FILE.BIN A: /T10 will cause the display to freeze for 10 seconds before the prompt appears on the screen. MORE ABOUT THE COMMAND LINE The COLOR BOOT command line accepts filenames, switches and the target drive in any order. Just so long as the color file is specified before the text file. This works: COLRBOOT COLRFILE /P10 TEXTFILE /C0E A: So does this: COLRBOOT A: /P10/C0E COLRFILE TEXTFILE For a finale we provide these. Do not specify a drive and the result will display on the screen. COLRBOOT STARCITY.BIN VIRUSES.TXT COLRBOOT ADELAIDE.BIN ADELAIDE.TXT /P19/C1E ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- SECTION FOUR: THE LAUGHING DOG - AN EXCELLENT COLOR SCREEN EDITOR ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- The standard PC screen is composed of 25x80 characters (2000). Each character has a color "attribute" which is stored in memory with the character. The attribute sets the foreground and background colors as well as foreground brightness and a blinking attribute. This means there are exactly 4000 bytes. COLRBOOT simply writes the 4000 bytes to memory. It does no conversion such as ANSI.SYS which translates ESC "commands" into colors and cursor positions. The public domain is littered with ANSI graphic displays which you can convert into prompts. However, COLRBOOT does not recognize an ANSI file and you must edit it and convert it to binary. One of the best editors we have seen is the curiously named LAUGHING DOG available as LDOG*.ZIP from many shareware distributors and bulletin boards. (Currently LDOG114.ZIP). This is the BEST program for using with COLOR BOOT and all round screen editing. It allows you to capture screens and turn them into ".BIN" files, ANSI files and even self-displaying ".COM" files. As well, it can provide a screen as source code in several programming languages including BASIC, ASM, C, and PASCAL. Truly excellent. COLOR BOOT users may request an UNREGISTERED copy of LDOG along with ANSI graphics in LDOG format and tips on how to use LDOG with COLOR BOOT. ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- REGISTRATION * IMPORTANT INFORMATION * INCENTIVES ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────- ** | Whether you register COLRBOOT or not is entirely up to you. By ** | default the boot sector you make displays an UNREGISTERED ** | message. However, you may disable this at any time by simply ** | keying an /R switch on the command line when you create a ** | COLRBOOT disk. ** | COLRBOOT FILE.BIN A: /R The /R switch disables the ** | "UNREGISTERED" display For registration please send US$10 currency (the address is at the top of this file). The price includes world wide air mail. All questions are welcomed. Use smail, phone or Internet. You do not have to be a registered user. WHEN YOU register COLOR BOOT you will receive the latest version and extra color screens. You will also receive for evaluation several other unique programs I have developed over the past few years. ■ FLASHPRINT is possibly the best DOS printer driver in the world (I can honestly say I haven't seen anything that comes close). It lets you COMPLETELY control any printer from ANY program. It includes downloadable fonts for LQ printers which you can change from within a document using any word processor. You can have thousands of printer commands to do virtually anything your printer can do. You can customise it very easily (the driver table is an incredibly easy-to-understand text file). Truly comprehensive and easy printer control. ■ KWIKPRINT is an easy-to-use command line replacement similar to COPY FILENAME PRN -- but with all the things COPY won't do. Multiple filenames, number of copies, formfeeds, screen bar showing print in progress. And a hot switch for immediate abort which stops the printer dead! Included are a couple of other useful printer utitilies (a hotkey which does a form feed, for example). ■ KWIKPOPS uses some of the same code as COLRBOOT to make instant popup TSR screens. You can make a popup from a plain text file in less than 30 seconds. Or use color ".BIN" screens. The package includes a simple but excellent screen grabber and viewer. The screen grabber allows you to capture any ASCII screen to use as a COLRBOOT display. ■ As well there's a grab bag of useful hotkey utilities, an easy- to-use PRN2DISK program, programs to convert screen image files to ASM, C or PASCAL data source code and more... Please ask if you would like the latest "shareware" version of LDOG. This is supplied as a courtesy and requires separate payment to the author. *** END OF FILE ***