Garbo/Garbo.cdr/pc/sysutil/pccdoc.inf

Text File | 1992-03-09 | 9.7 KB | 249 lines

Instructions for using PC-Choices

(Version 0.5, ftp distribution, 2 Mar 92)

This document explains how to install and run PC-Choices.  If you
encounter any problems, please contact Lup at [e-mail].

What is PC-Choices

    PC-Choices is a version of Choices for 386/486 PCs.  Choices is a
    portable object-oriented operating system developed by the University
    of Illinois' Systems Research Group, headed by Prof. Roy Campbell.
    The PC-Choices kernel runs in 32-bit protected mode and calls
    DOS/BIOS in 16-bit virtual-8086 mode for input/output operations.
    Because it uses DOS/BIOS instead of working with I/O hardware
    directly, PC-Choices will run on many PCs.  PC-Choices is written
    mainly in C++ and the source code will be distributed.

System requirements

    A 386/486 PC running DOS version 3.0 or higher; EGA or VGA display;
    at least 3 Meg extended memory.  PC-Choices does not swap out memory
    so it may not run properly without lots of extended memory (say 5 Meg).
    3 Meg of disk space is required for storing the Choices kernel and
    application files.

What does it do

    PC-Choices runs 32-bit Choices applications and supports multitasking.
    The PC-Choices package has a command shell, some file utilities,
    a kernel browsing tool, a kernel visualization monitor and some
    simple applications.  Users can compile PC-Choices applications
    with DJGPP, the DOS port of g++.  Applications are written using
    the Choices object-oriented application programming interface.

Who should use PC-Choices

    People interested in object-oriented operating systems; people
    who want to build 32-bit applications and run them in a multitasking
    PC environment; people who want to learn how protected-mode PC
    operating systems can be implemented in C++.  PC-Choices is
    currently available for beta-testing.  PC-Choices has been tested
    on the IBM PS/2 Model 80, IBM PS/2 Model L40SX, IBM PS/55 Note,
    ALR Business VEISA 486-33, AT&T 6386WGS and other 386 PCs, with
    DOS 3.3, 4.0 and 5.0.

_____________________________________________________________________________
PC-Choices Incompatibilities

(1) All extended memory must be usable by PC-Choices.  PC-Choices will
    not work if there are programs or data in extended memory.  Some
    DOSs make use of extended memory and are therefore incompatible
    with PC-Choices.  Change your system configuration before running
    PC-Choices so that nothing is loaded into extended memory.
    Here are some tips for DOS 5.0 users: don't use "DOS=HIGH",
    DEVICEHIGH, HIMEM.SYS or SMARTDRV.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS and
    AUTOEXEC.BAT files.

(2) The machine should not be in virtual-8086 mode when starting
    PC-Choices.  Some memory managers such as EMM386.SYS put the
    machine into virtual-8086 mode while running.  Remove these
    memory managers from your system configuration.

(3) PC-Choices assumes that there is 640K of base memory, and uses
    300K of low memory by default.  The amount of memory to be used
    may be adjusted by changing the configuration file pcc/bin/config.

(4) PC-Choices always uses the first text-mode display page for console
    output.

Warning: It is possible that PC-Choices will damage the data on your
         diskette or hard disk (although this has never happened
     before).  Make sure you have backups of your disks before
     running PC-Choices.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Setting up PC-Choices

    To fetch the PC-Choices package, ftp anonymously to choices.cs.uiuc.edu.
    Get the file Choices/PC-Choices/pcc.zip in binary mode.  (This document
    you're reading is in the file Choices/PC-Choices/pccdoc.)  Copy pcc.zip
    to the PC, say to the root directory on the C drive (c:\).  You should
    have an UNZIP utility that unpacks ZIP archives.  (Contact
    [e-mail] if you don't.)  Unpack pcc.zip with your UNZIP utility
    like this:

        unzip -d pcc.zip

    The directories pcc, pcc\bin and pcc\cbin and their files will be
    unpacked in the current directory.  Delete pcc.zip.  (If a previous
    version of PC-Choices is already installed on your machine, UNZIP
    will ask you whether it should overwrite the files; just say "yes".)

    We now have to edit pcc\bin\profile to tell the command shell
    (Chocs) where to look for the Choices application binaries.  Edit
    pcc\bin\profile and you will see this:

        PATH=d:/pcc/cbin

    Change it so that it references the correct directory.  For example,
    if you unpacked the PC-Choices package in c:\, you should change
    the line above to:

        PATH=c:/pcc/cbin

    If your PC is an IBM PS/2, PS/55 or something similar, edit
    c:\pcc\bin\config, change "PS2Keyboard = no" to "PS2Keyboard = yes",
    and change "PS2Timer = no" to "PS2Timer = yes".

    PC-Choices is now ready to be used.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Booting PC-Choices

    Go to the pcc\bin directory and type "pcc".  After a while, you
    should see

    Choices Command Shell (Chocs 0.0)
    For help contact [e-mail]

    Choices>

    If the system does not respond to any keypresses, you cannot continue
    using PC-Choices.  You should reboot the PC, change the system
    configuration and boot PC-Choices again.  Look at pcc\bin\config to
    find out what parameters you can set in order to make PC-Choices
    run on your system.

    If you still have difficulty running PC-Choices, please contact
    me as soon as possible - I'm very eager to fix all compatibility
    problems.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Running Applications

    The "Choices>" prompt indicates that you're in the Choices command
    shell, which allows you to run applications.  For more information
    about the shell, enter "help".  Here is an incomplete list of
    applications that are available (see pcc\cbin\readme for the complete
    list):

    ls      - List the contents of the current directory.
    cd      - Change current directory.  Without arguments, it prints the
              name of the current directory.
    hello   - Prints a message.  Can be used with an argument.
    flash   - Flash the screen 5 times.
    count   - Display digits 9 to 0 in large print.
    worms   - Draw a worm on the screen.
    logo    - Displays the PC-Choices logo.
    kindred - "kindred X" shows all living objects in the kernel that belong to
              class X and its subclasses.  (Try "kindred Process",
          "kindred MemoryObject" and "kindred Domain".)
    dos     - Start a DOS shell as a PC-Choices process.

    To execute an application, just enter its name and arguments at the
    shell prompt; the shell works like the Bourne shell.  To execute an
    application in the background, type the application name and arguments,
    and type '&' at the end of the line before pressing Return.

    If you see the message "Store::alloc() out of memory" while
    multitasking, it means that the PC does not have enough memory to run
    multiple programs at the same time.  You can still use PC-Choices by
    running a single program at a time.

    To shut down PC-Choices, enter "exit" at the shell prompt and the machine
    will return to DOS.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Kernel Visualization Monitor

    PC-Choices can visualize its kernel state.  Enter "monitor".
    You should see 10 stripes (called "sliders") at the bottom on the
    screen.  A slider moves when the labelled event happens.  The
    sliders keep track of these events:

        DOS:            Calls to DOS functions (INT 0x21).
    Disk BIOS:      Calls to BIOS disk functions (INT 0x13).
        Keyboard BIOS:  Calls to BIOS keyboard functions (INT 0x16).
    Interrupt:      Hardware interrupt passed to BIOS.
    Context Switch: Switching the contexts of processes.
    CPU Idle:       CPU is currently idle.
        Process N:      Application process N is currently running.

    Try running various applications in the foreground and background
    and see how the sliders behave.  To turn off the sliders, enter
    "monitor" again.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Questionnaire

    The PC-Choices project team would like to obtain your comments
    in order to make PC-Choices more useful for you.  Please answer
    the following questions (all answers are optional):

    Please write down your occupation and describe your interests.

    A--->

    Would you like to use PC-Choices in your work?  As a hobby?
    How would you use it?

    B--->

    What new applications would you like us to develop?

    C--->

    If you could use the PC-Choices application compilation
    environment, what applications would you write?

    D--->

    Do you want the source code for the PC-Choices kernel?  Do you
    want the ability to customize the kernel by recompiling the
    kernel yourself?

    E--->

    How do you feel about the performance of PC-Choices?  Is disk
    I/O too slow for ordinary use?

    F--->

    Have you heard of the Choices project before?  How much do you
    know about it?

    G--->

    Other comments:

    H--->

    Please return the questionnaire to [e-mail].  Thank you.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion

    If PC-Choices ran on your PC without major problems, you might want
    to try out the PC-Choices application development package,
    which lets you compile PC-Choices applications under DOS.  DOS g++
    (DJGPP) is required for compiling the applications.  Contact
    [e-mail] for information on obtaining the application
    development package.

    Thank you for using PC-Choices.

Lup
[e-mail]    Graduate Student    PC-Choices Manager