home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
Text File | 1994-10-11 | 79.7 KB | 1,699 lines |
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- 44
- 44
- 44 OOOOO SSSSSS 222222
- 44 OOOOOOO SSSSSSSS 22222222
- 44 44 OO OO SS 22 22
- 44 44 OO OO SS 22
- 44 44 OO OO SSSSSS 222
- 444444444 OO OO SSSSSS 222
- 44444444 OO OO SS 222
- 44 OO OO SS 22
- 44 OOOOOOO SSSSSSSS 22222222
- 44 OOOOO SSSSSS 222222222
-
-
-
-
- Version 2.5
-
-
-
- Introduction and Installation Guide
-
-
-
-
- Developed By
- Rex Conn and Tom Rawson
-
- Documentation By
- Hardin Brothers, Tom Rawson, and Rex Conn
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Published By
-
- JP Software Inc.
- P.O. Box 1470
- East Arlington, MA 02174
- U.S.A.
-
- (617) 646-3975
- fax (617) 646-0904
-
-
-
-
-
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
-
-
- We couldn't produce a product like 4OS2 without the dedication
- and quality work of many people. Our thanks to:
-
- JP Software Staff: Mike Bessy, Bobby Kelley, Ellen
- Stone, Marcella Turner, Misty White.
-
- Online Support: Brian Miller and Tess Heder of Channel 1
- BBS; Don Watkins of CompuServe's IBMNET.
-
- Beta Test Support: David Moskowitz and the sysops of
- CompuServe's CONSULT forum.
-
- Beta Testers: We can't list all of our beta testers
- here! A special thanks to all of you who helped make
- 4DOS, 4OS2, and 4DOS/NT elegant, reliable, and friendly.
-
- SHRALIAS Program: Bill Hinkle.
-
- The following tools are used in creating and maintaining 4OS2:
-
- Compilers: IBM C-Set/2, Microsoft C, Microsoft
- Macro Assembler
- Libraries: Spontaneous Assembly (Base Two
- Development)
- Editors: Edix (Emerging Technology), Brief
- (Solution Systems)
- Debuggers: IPMD (IBM)
- Version Control: PVCS (Sage Software)
- Documentation: Microsoft Word for Windows with Adobe
- Type Manager
-
-
-
-
-
- Copyright 1993, 1994, JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved.
- 4DOS is a registered trademark and 4OS2, JP Software, and the
- JP Software logo and product logos are trademarks of JP
- Software Inc. Other product and company names are trademarks
- of their respective owners.
-
- 9-94
- Contents
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-
- Contents
-
-
- Introduction...............................................1
- How to Use This Manual.................................2
- Customer Service and Technical Support.................3
-
- Chapter 1 / Installation...................................4
- Automated Installation.................................5
- Manual Installation....................................6
- Manual Installation for OS/2 Version 1.x...........7
- Manual Installation for OS/2 Version 2.x...........7
- 4OS2 Files and Directories.........................8
- Uninstalling 4OS2......................................9
-
- Chapter 2 / General Concepts..............................10
- Terminology...........................................10
- OS/2 Sessions and Applications........................11
- Sessions and Session Types........................11
- Applications and Application Types................13
- Starting Sessions and Applications................14
- Creating and Configuring Desktop Objects..............15
- OS/2 Version 1.x Objects..........................15
- OS/2 Version 2.x Objects..........................16
- Extended Attributes...................................17
-
- Chapter 3 / Configuration.................................18
- Creating and Configuring 4OS2 Objects.................18
- 4OS2 Command Line Options.............................19
- 16-Bit and 32-Bit Versions of 4OS2....................21
- 4OS2 Help.............................................22
- Using 4START and 4EXIT................................24
- Using STARTUP.CMD.....................................25
-
- Index.....................................................26
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / i
- INTRODUCTION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-
- INTRODUCTION
-
-
- Welcome, and thanks for purchasing 4OS2!
-
- We developed 4OS2 to bring the power and convenience of our popular
- 4DOS program to users of the OS/2 operating system. Whether you
- are a computer novice or an experienced user, 4OS2 will help you
- get the most out of your OS/2 system.
-
- Technically, 4OS2 is a command interpreter or "Shell." That means
- that it reacts to the commands you type at the [C:\] prompt. It
- replaces CMD.EXE, the default command interpreter that is supplied
- with OS/2. 4OS2 offers hundreds of enhancements, yet retains full
- compatibility with CMD.EXE commands and batch files.
-
- If you are familiar with 4DOS or with the OS/2 command prompt, you
- won't have to change your computing habits or unlearn anything to
- use 4OS2. If you know how to use commands to display a directory,
- copy a file, or start an application program, you already know how
- to use 4OS2. And if you are a 4DOS user, you already know how to
- use most of the advanced features that we have built into 4OS2.
- You can even use many of your 4DOS batch files with 4OS2 (see
- Chapter 3 of the Reference Manual, or the Batch Files topic in the
- online help, for tips about making batch files work properly in
- both environments).
-
- Once you have 4OS2 installed, you can learn its new features at
- your own pace. Relax, enjoy 4OS2's power, and browse through the
- manuals occasionally. Press the F1 key whenever you need help.
- 4OS2 will soon become an essential part of your computer, and
- you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
-
- If you want to take 4OS2 for a spin without performing a complete
- installation, see the separate Guided Tour documentation.
-
- This version of 4OS2 is designed for OS/2 versions 1.21, 1.3, 2.0,
- and 2.1. You must have one of these versions of OS/2 operating on
- your computer to install and use 4OS2. Throughout this manual, we
- refer to versions 1.21, and 1.3 as "version 1.x," and versions 2.0
- and 2.1 as "version 2.x."
-
- We are constantly working to improve 4OS2. If you have suggestions
- for features or commands that we should include in the next
- version, or any other way we could improve our product, please let
- us know. Many of the features in this version of 4OS2 were
- suggested by our users. We can't promise to include every
- suggestion, but we really do appreciate and pay attention to your
- comments.
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 1
- INTRODUCTION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-
-
- How to Use This Manual
-
- This manual is only one part of the documentation that you
- will need for 4OS2. It introduces the product and will help
- you install 4OS2 correctly on your computer. It will also
- help you understand some of the terms and concepts that you
- will need to know to get the most from 4OS2.
-
- The second part of our documentation is the separate Reference
- Manual. It contains complete information about the commands
- and features of 4OS2, plus its sister programs, 4DOS and 4DOS
- for Windows NT.
-
- You should start with this introductory manual whether you are
- new to 4OS2 or you are upgrading from a previous version.
- Once you have successfully installed 4OS2, you can move back
- and forth between this manual and the Reference Manual.
-
- For the sake of clarity, we have chosen not to indicate each
- of the dozens of places in this manual where you can refer to
- the Reference Manual for additional information. If you see a
- reference here to a 4OS2 command, the initialization file
- 4OS2.INI, or any 4OS2 feature, you can be sure that detailed
- information on that topic is available in the Reference
- Manual.
-
- 4OS2 also includes complete online help for all of its built-
- in commands. The online help provides much of the same
- information that is in the Reference Manual, but in an
- electronic form which you can access quickly. See page 22 for
- more details on using the online help.
-
- Files distributed with 4OS2 cover important additional
- information beyond what's included in the manuals. README.DOC
- contains general notes, highlights of the latest release, and
- brief installation instructions for those upgrading from a
- downloaded copy. MANMOD.DOC covers changes or corrections in
- the manuals, if any, and UPDATxxx.DOC contains detailed
- information for users with older versions on what has changed
- in the latest release ("xxx" is the version number).
-
- You will likely find some parts of the documentation too
- simple or too technical for your tastes. Unless you are
- convinced that one of those sections holds just the
- information you need for a specific task, feel free to skip to
- the next part of the manual that is more to your liking. You
- can use almost every feature of 4OS2 without having to worry
- about other features or commands.
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 2
- INTRODUCTION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- Customer Service and Technical Support
-
- Technical support for 4OS2 is available via public electronic
- support conferences, private electronic mail, telephone, fax,
- and mail. For complete details, including a listing of
- electronic support conferences, see your Reference Manual.
-
- Customer service is always available through the telephone and
- fax numbers listed on the title page of this manual. See your
- Reference Manual for electronic mail addresses for our Sales
- and Customer Service departments.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 3
- CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-
- CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
-
-
- You can install your copy of 4OS2 automatically or manually.
-
- If you prefer an automated installation, our installation software
- will set up 4OS2 for you quickly and with very little intervention
- on your part, other than answering the questions on your screen.
-
- If you prefer to install 4OS2 yourself, you'll need to use the
- installation software to copy the 4OS2 files to your disk. You can
- then modify your system manually as explained below.
-
- If you're installing a downloaded copy of 4OS2, see the
- instructions under Manual Installation on page 6.
-
- No matter which method you choose, you'll find that 4OS2's
- installation software is very well-behaved. It won't modify or
- erase any existing files, including CONFIG.SYS, without asking you,
- and it takes a very straightforward, step-by-step approach.
-
- The installation software always prompts you for the directory to
- use for your 4OS2 files, and will create a new directory if
- necessary. If you are upgrading from a previous version of 4OS2,
- use a new directory for the new version, rather than overwriting
- your existing files. Transfer any necessary configuration files
- from the old directory (e.g. 4OS2.INI, 4START, etc.), then remove
- the old directory once the new version is up and running.
-
- Before you install 4OS2 (or any other software, for that matter),
- you should verify that you have a bootable system diskette so you
- can recover in case of a power failure or other interruption during
- the installation process. Such problems are rare under OS/2, but
- having a bootable system disk is a wise precaution in any case.
- Your OS/2 installation disks can be used for this purpose.
-
- Once you have 4OS2 installed, the standard "OS/2 Window" and "OS/2
- Full Screen" selections in your Command Prompts folder (OS/2
- version 2.x) or Group-Main window (OS/2 version 1.x) will normally
- start 4OS2 instead of CMD.EXE. You may wish to change the names of
- these selections to "4OS2 Window" and "4OS2 Full Screen".
-
- If you have a STARTUP.CMD batch file, it will run just as it did
- before you installed 4OS2. OS/2 will create a 4OS2 session at boot
- time and pass the STARTUP.CMD command to that session, just as it
- did with CMD.EXE. See page 25 for more information on STARTUP.CMD.
-
- Your copy of 4OS2 includes both 32-bit and 16-bit versions. The
- versions are described in detail on page 21. The 4OS2 INSTALL
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 4
- CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- program automatically determines the correct version for your
- system, based on the version of OS/2 you are running. During
- installation, you may notice that INSTALL displays a few file names
- specific to the particular version being installed (for example
- 4OS2-32.EXE or SHRALS16.EXE). These are the names of the files as
- they are stored on the distribution disk. The files are renamed
- automatically by INSTALL, and will have "version-independent" names
- (for example 4OS2.EXE or SHRALIAS.EXE) once they are installed on
- your hard disk.
-
- If you also have our DOS command processor, 4DOS, do not install
- 4OS2 in the same directory as 4DOS. Some file names (for example
- README.DOC) are the same in both products, and the files should be
- kept separate to avoid confusion.
-
- For information about creating additional 4OS2 objects, configuring
- 4OS2, and setting up startup batch files for specific 4OS2
- sessions, see pages 15 and 18.
-
-
- Automated Installation
-
- To begin the automated installation process, open an OS/2
- windowed or full-screen session and put the distribution
- diskette in drive A. (You can use drive B if you prefer, in
- which case you should substitute "b" for "a" in the
- instructions below.)
-
- One of the files on the distribution diskette, README.1ST,
- contains information that you should read before you install
- 4OS2 on your computer. Type:
-
- type a:readme.1st | more
-
- to view the file. If you want to print a copy of the file,
- type:
-
- copy a:readme.1st prn
-
- After checking README.1ST, you can start the installation
- process. Type:
-
- a:install
-
- and press the Enter key.
-
- Once the installation program has started, just follow the
- instructions on the screen and 4OS2 will install itself on
- your system.
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 5
- CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- The installation program will ask whether you want to perform
- a full installation, extract all the 4OS2 files in order to
- run the Guided Tour, or retrieve individual files from the
- 4OS2 library. Choose a full installation to install 4OS2 on
- your system and modify CONFIG.SYS (you will be prompted for
- permission before CONFIG.SYS is modified). Choose the Extract
- All Files / Tour option if you want to run the Guided Tour and
- see what 4OS2 can do before you install it permanently (see
- the separate Guided Tour booklet).
-
- If you elect to perform a full installation, shut down OS/2
- and reboot your computer when the installation program is
- done. You will then have all the power of 4OS2 available to
- you.
-
- You can halt the installation process at any time by pressing
- Ctrl-X (hold down the Ctrl key and then press "X").
-
-
- Manual Installation
-
- The 4OS2 files are contained in a special library file on the
- distribution diskette. You cannot simply copy the files from
- the diskette onto your system. You must use the installation
- program to extract and decompress the 4OS2 files if you want
- to perform a manual installation, or if you need to replace a
- damaged 4OS2 file on your hard disk.
-
- If you want to install 4OS2 manually, first start the
- automatic installation program using the instructions above.
- Select the Extract all files option and extract the 4OS2 files
- onto your hard disk (be sure to place the files in their own
- directory).
-
- If you're installing a downloaded copy of 4OS2, you will not
- have an INSTALL program. Instead, use the appropriate
- decompression program (for example, PKUNZIP) to extract the
- files from your download into a new directory. Then follow
- the instructions below to complete your installation. If you
- are updating from a previous version, check the README.DOC
- file for update instructions.
-
- Once you've extracted the files, you can go through the Guided
- Tour if you want to try 4OS2 before completing the
- installation (see the separate Guided Tour documentation).
- When you run the tour, the HELP command and F1 key, along with
- the /? option for 4OS2 commands, may not work if the required
- files are not accessible. You can activate these features
- during the tour by following the instructions for 4OS2.INF and
- 4OS2H.MSG in the 4OS2 Files and Directories section below.
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 6
- CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- When you're ready to finish the installation process, follow
- the instructions in the appropriate sections below. Once you
- have modified CONFIG.SYS and rebooted, your standard "OS/2
- Full-Screen" and "OS/2 Windowed" desktop objects can normally
- be used to start 4OS2.
-
-
- Manual Installation for OS/2 Version 1.x
-
- Use an ASCII-format editor (like the OS/2 System Editor) to
- edit your OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file. In the file, you will find a
- line that begins with the word PROTSHELL and another that
- begins with the words SET COMSPEC. The lines should look like
- this, but they may not be adjacent in the file (the PROTSHELL
- command is all on one line):
-
- PROTSHELL=C:\OS2\PMSHELL.EXE C:\OS2\OS2.INI
- C:\OS2\OS2SYS.INI C:\OS2\CMD.EXE
- SET COMSPEC=C:\OS2\CMD.EXE
-
- Change the last item on the PROTSHELL line, the item that
- includes the filename CMD.EXE, to point to 4OS2.EXE. Be sure
- to include the full path for the directory where you installed
- 4OS2.EXE. The changed PROTSHELL line should look like this
- (it should all be on one line):
-
- PROTSHELL=C:\OS2\PMSHELL.EXE C:\OS2\OS2.INI
- C:\OS2\OS2SYS.INI C:\4OS2\4OS2.EXE
-
- Do not change PMSHELL.EXE to 4OS2.EXE. Change only the name
- and path of CMD.EXE.
-
- Now change the SET COMSPEC line so that it also contains the
- full path of 4OS2.EXE. The completed line should look like
- this:
-
- SET COMSPEC=C:\4OS2\4OS2.EXE
-
- Verify that the changes have been made correctly and then save
- the CONFIG.SYS file. Exit from your editor, shut down OS/2,
- and reboot your system.
-
-
- Manual Installation for OS/2 Version 2.x
-
- Use an ASCII-format editor (like the OS/2 System Editor) to
- edit your OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file. In the file, you will find a
- line that begins with the words SET OS2_SHELL and another that
- begins with the words SET COMSPEC. The lines should look like
- this, but they may not be adjacent in the file:
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 7
- CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- SET OS2_SHELL=D:\OS2\CMD.EXE
- SET COMSPEC=D:\OS2\CMD.EXE
-
- Change both of these lines so that they to point to 4OS2.EXE,
- instead of to the CMD.EXE file. Be sure to enter the correct
- path for the directory where you installed 4OS2. When you are
- done, the lines should look like this:
-
- SET OS2_SHELL=C:\4OS2\4OS2.EXE
- SET COMSPEC=C:\4OS2\4OS2.EXE
-
- Verify that the changes have been made correctly and then save
- the CONFIG.SYS file. Exit from your editor, shut down OS/2,
- and reboot your system.
-
-
- 4OS2 Files and Directories
-
- The automated installation procedure places all 4OS2 files in
- a single directory. You may move the files to different
- directories if you wish, but you must make sure that the files
- can be found by the programs that need to use them. The
- following information will help you set up your system
- correctly if you are performing a manual installation:
-
- 4OS2.EXE is the 4OS2 program file. It must be in the
- directory specified in the PROTSHELL (OS/2 version 1.x),
- SET OS2_SHELL (OS/2 version 2.x), and SET COMSPEC lines
- in your CONFIG.SYS file as explained above.
-
- 4OS2.INF contains the text for the 4OS2 HELP command and
- F1 key. For HELP to work properly, the directory
- containing this file must be included in the BOOKSHELF
- environment variable, which is usually set with a SET
- BOOKSHELF command in CONFIG.SYS. If you prefer, you can
- move this file into the standard OS/2 bookshelf
- directory, \OS2\BOOK.
-
- 4OS2H.MSG contains the help text for the /? option that
- is available as part of each 4OS2 internal command. For
- this feature to work properly, the directory containing
- this file must be included in the DPATH environment
- variable, which is usually set with a SET DPATH command
- in CONFIG.SYS. If you prefer, you can move this file
- into the standard OS/2 directory for such files,
- \OS2\SYSTEM.
-
- SHRALIAS.EXE is a small utility that saves the shared
- alias and history list between 4OS2 sessions. The
- directory containing this file should be listed in your
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 8
- CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- PATH statement. If it is not, you will have to specify
- the full path name to load SHRALIAS.EXE each time you
- want to use it.
-
-
- Uninstalling 4OS2
-
- We don't expect you to have any trouble using 4OS2, but we
- know some people feel more comfortable knowing how to
- uninstall a product as well as install it. Or, you may need
- to remove 4OS2 from one system to move it to another system.
-
- To temporarily remove 4OS2 from your system, use an ASCII
- editor to edit your OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file. You will need to
- edit both the SET COMSPEC line (all versions of OS/2) and
- either the PROTSHELL line (OS/2 version 1.x) or SET OS2_SHELL
- line (OS/2 version 2.x). In all cases, change the reference
- to 4OS2.EXE to the complete path and filename of CMD.EXE.
-
- Save the file, exit from your editor, shut down OS/2 and
- reboot your system. You should be back up and running under
- CMD.EXE. To switch back to 4OS2, edit CONFIG.SYS again to
- restore the 4OS2 lines as described above, and shut down and
- reboot.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 9
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
-
-
- This chapter contains information about OS/2 and 4OS2. Some of the
- information is general and introductory in nature; other parts of
- this chapter are fairly detailed and technical. We encourage you
- to at least scan through this chapter to see what is here and to
- study the sections that appear to have relevance to your work with
- 4OS2 and OS/2.
-
- Technical experts will recognize that some explanations are not
- complete (for example, this chapter does not explore the
- distinction between sessions and screen groups), but they should
- serve as a useful introduction for many users.
-
-
- Terminology
-
- Throughout this manual, the term "desktop" refers to the
- Presentation Manager in OS/2 version 1.x or the Workplace
- Shell in OS/2 version 2.x.
-
- The term "object" refers to a selectable item on your desktop,
- whether or not the corresponding icon is actually visible (you
- may have chosen to configure the desktop with only session
- names visible, rather than the icons themselves). For
- example, the standard desktop for all versions of OS/2
- includes objects titled "OS/2 Window" and "OS/2 Full Screen,"
- typically kept in the Main group (OS/2 1.x) or the Command
- Prompts folder (OS/2 2.x).
-
- The term "session" refers to the OS/2 session created by
- selecting an object on the desktop. Sessions run a program or
- sequence of programs. See below for more information on
- sessions and session types. When you double-click on an
- object or select it with the keyboard and press Enter, a new
- session is started (or, for Presentation Manager programs, the
- program is started in the PM session).
-
- The term "process" refers to a single invocation of a
- particular program within a session. Many sessions run only a
- single process. However, multiple processes can run
- simultaneously within the same session. For example, in a
- 4OS2 session which is running a character-mode text editor,
- two processes are running: 4OS2 and the text editor.
-
-
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 10
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- OS/2 Sessions and Applications
-
- OS/2 supports several different types of applications and many
- methods for starting them. Most of the time, you don't need
- to worry about these differences because 4OS2 and OS/2
- cooperate to take care of them for you. You may, however,
- find this general discussion of applications and sessions
- useful to understand what happens when you run an application
- or other external program. If you need more details, see the
- OS/2 online reference information.
-
-
- Sessions and Session Types
-
- OS/2 programs are run in "sessions" which are programs or
- groups of programs whose output typically appears in specific
- windowed display areas on the desktop ("windowed" sessions) or
- takes up the whole screen ("full-screen" sessions).
-
- A windowed session runs on the desktop in a graphical window
- whose size you (or an OS/2 application) can change. As a
- result, portions of the session's display area may be covered
- or invisible at any given time. The "active" session, or the
- session that receives keystrokes, is always shown with a
- highlighted title bar at the top of its window.
-
- Full-screen sessions run on a standard text mode display,
- generally 80 characters by 25 or 50 lines. When such a
- session is active, its full display area is visible and it
- hides all other sessions and the desktop itself. You can
- press Alt-Esc to switch back to the desktop from a full-screen
- session.
-
- OS/2 supports ten different types of sessions:
-
- OS/2 Presentation Manager (PM) session: There is a
- single PM session which starts when you start OS/2. This
- session runs in graphics mode on the desktop. All OS/2
- Presentation Manager applications run within this single
- PM session (though for practical purposes they may appear
- to be running in separate sessions, since each
- application has its own window). Their output is
- graphical and may include pictures and a variety of fonts
- within the same window. Examples of applications that
- run in the PM session include the OS/2 help file viewer
- (VIEW.EXE), and the OS/2 System Editor (E.EXE).
-
- OS/2 character mode, full-screen session: This session
- type displays only text in character mode, like a
- standard DOS application. It uses the entire screen,
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 11
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- typically in standard 80 x 25 text mode. Examples
- include a 4OS2 or CMD.EXE full-screen session.
-
- OS/2 character mode, windowed session: This session type
- is just like the character mode full-screen session
- except that it runs in a window. It uses the same text
- font over the entire window and does not display
- graphics. Examples include a 4OS2 or CMD.EXE windowed
- session.
-
- DOS full-screen session: A DOS session runs DOS within
- OS/2. A special version of DOS, designed to run in such
- a session, is supplied with OS/2 and is generally
- compatible with MS-DOS 4.0 (in OS/2 version 1.x) or MS-
- DOS 5.0 (in OS/2 version 2.x). A DOS full-screen session
- has full control of the screen (including the ability to
- switch it into graphics and non-standard text modes). In
- OS/2 version 1.x, you can start only one DOS session,
- called the DOS Compatibility Box. Once this session is
- started, it cannot be closed (although you can switch
- back to the desktop with Alt-Esc). In OS/2 version 2.x,
- you can start many such sessions, which are called
- Virtual DOS Machines (VDMs). VDMs can be terminated with
- the EXIT command. You can switch a full-screen DOS
- session into windowed mode by pressing Alt-Home. One
- example of a DOS full-screen session is the session
- started by the default "DOS full-screen" object which is
- installed automatically with OS/2.
-
- DOS windowed session: Available only in OS/2 version
- 2.x, this session is similar to a DOS full-screen
- session, but runs in a window on the desktop. You can
- switch a windowed DOS session into full-screen mode by
- pressing Alt-Home. A DOS windowed session can run all
- text-mode DOS applications, and applications that display
- graphics in standard graphics video modes.
-
- Native DOS full-screen session: Native DOS sessions are
- also called Virtual Machine Boots or VMBs. They are only
- available in OS/2 version 2.x. They are similar to the
- DOS sessions described above, but load a specific version
- of DOS (for example, MS-DOS 3.3), rather than the version
- of DOS shipped with OS/2. Like normal DOS sessions,
- native DOS sessions can be switched between full-screen
- and windowed mode by pressing Alt-Home. For more
- information on native DOS sessions, see the command
- VMDISK and the topic "Starting a Specific Version of DOS"
- in the on-line Command Reference for OS/2 version 2.x.
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 12
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- Native DOS windowed session: This session is similar to
- a native DOS full-screen session, but it runs in a window
- on the desktop instead of in full-screen mode.
-
- Windows full-screen session: This session type is
- available only in OS/2 version 2.x. A Windows full-
- screen session is essentially a DOS full-screen session
- that is running the special version of Microsoft Windows
- that is supplied with OS/2 version 2.x (or running your
- original Microsoft Windows 3.1, if you have IBM's "OS/2
- for Windows" product). It has the standard Windows
- display, the Program Manager and Control Panel, etc., and
- can run virtually all Windows applications.
-
- WIN-OS/2 full-screen session: This session type is
- available only in OS/2 version 2.x. It is similar to a
- Windows full-screen session, but runs only a single
- application, without the Program Manager. Internally, it
- starts a DOS session, tells DOS to load Windows, and
- tells Windows to load the application.
-
- WIN-OS/2 windowed session: This session type is
- available only in OS/2 version 2.x. It allows a single
- Windows application to run in a window on the Workplace
- Shell desktop. Internally, it loads the application just
- like a WIN-OS/2 full-screen session. However, the window
- it opens is a graphical Presentation Manager window for
- the Windows application. This session type is sometimes
- called a "seamless Windows" session.
-
-
- Applications and Application Types
-
- OS/2 and 4OS2 support six different types of applications.
- Application types are related to the type of session in which
- the application can run. They are similar to, but not the
- same as, session types. The type of an application is
- determined by the programmer who creates the program.
- Information about the application type is embedded in the
- application itself.
-
- The application types are:
-
- OS/2 Presentation Manager application: Runs in the PM
- session only. Examples include the OS/2 online help
- program VIEW.EXE and the System Editor distributed with
- OS/2.
-
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 13
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- OS/2 character mode, full-screen application: Runs in a
- full-screen OS/2 session only. Applications of this type
- are rare.
-
- OS/2 character mode, window-compatible application: Runs
- in a full-screen or windowed OS/2 session. Most OS/2
- character-mode applications -- including 4OS2 -- are in
- this category. This and the previous type are sometimes
- called "VIO" applications.
-
- DOS application: Runs in a DOS session only. Examples
- include all .COM and .EXE files designed to run under
- DOS, such as those for DOS communications programs and
- word processors. Virtually all DOS application programs
- that use text displays will run in either a full-screen
- or windowed DOS session. Some DOS applications that use
- graphics will run properly only in a full-screen DOS
- session. 4OS2 also recognizes DOS batch files with a
- .BAT extension as DOS applications.
-
- "Bound application" or "Family-mode application": Runs
- in an OS/2 or a DOS character mode session from the same
- file. Bound applications are primarily used in compilers
- and installation programs to allow the same file to run
- under both DOS and OS/2. The 4OS2 installation program,
- INSTALL.EXE, and batch file compression program,
- BATCOMP.EXE, are examples of bound applications.
-
- Windows application: Runs only in a Windows session.
- Examples include applications like Word for Windows and
- Quattro Pro for Windows. Most Windows applications will
- run properly in either a Windows full-screen session, or
- a WIN-OS/2 full-screen or windowed session.
-
-
- Starting Sessions and Applications
-
- Before you can start an application program, you must have a
- session in which to execute it. Every object on the OS/2
- desktop represents a potential session: if you double-click
- the object, or select it and press Enter, OS/2 starts a new
- session (or a new window in the PM session), using the
- parameters that have been set up for that object.
-
- The parameters for the object may cause the session to run an
- OS/2 application program, load the OS/2 command processor and
- display a prompt, run a batch file that could in turn start
- other sessions, or start DOS, Windows, or a Windows
- application.
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 14
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- To start 4OS2, you must define an object for an OS/2 character
- mode session, either full-screen or windowed. To do so, see
- Chapter 3 / Configuration (page 18) for full instructions.
- Briefly, after you have installed 4OS2 and defined it as the
- shell in your CONFIG.SYS file, simply place an asterisk [*] in
- the field for the program name. (If CONFIG.SYS has not yet
- been set up for 4OS2, you must explicitly specify the full
- path and name of 4OS2.EXE instead of using the [*].)
-
- Once 4OS2 has started, you can start applications or other
- sessions from the 4OS2 prompt. When you start an application,
- 4OS2 checks its type. If the type is the same as that of the
- session in which 4OS2 is running (i.e., if the application is
- an OS/2 character-mode application), the application will run
- in the same session as 4OS2. 4OS2 will wait for the
- application to complete before displaying a new prompt. This
- is analogous to how applications are run in DOS.
-
- If the application type is different from the 4OS2 session
- type, 4OS2 will start a new session to run the application,
- and will wait for that session to complete before returning to
- the prompt. If the application is started from a windowed
- session, 4OS2 will minimize its own window while the
- application is running. You can force 4OS2 to start a new
- session and not wait for it to complete by using the START
- command.
-
-
- Creating and Configuring Desktop Objects
-
- This section gives you basic information which you will need
- to create and configure 4OS2 and 4DOS objects on your OS/2
- desktop. For complete details on creating and configuring
- objects, see your OS/2 documentation. For details on the
- appropriate properties or settings to use for 4OS2 objects see
- page 18.
-
- Throughout this section, we assume that OS/2 is running in its
- default configuration. If you have modified the behavior of
- your mouse or desktop menus, or changed other configuration
- options, you will have to take those changes into account as
- you read the instructions below.
-
-
- OS/2 Version 1.x Objects
-
- In OS/2 1.x, objects are displayed in "groups" on the desktop.
- For example, the "OS/2 Full Screen" object normally appears in
- Group-Main.
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 15
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- To create a new object, switch to the group where you want the
- object to appear and choose the New selection on the File
- menu. Then follow the selections in the dialog box to adjust
- the object's properties.
-
- To adjust the properties of an existing object, first select
- it (click on the object once, or use the arrow keys on the
- keyboard), then open the File Properties menu from the menu
- bar. From within this menu you can modify the program name,
- startup directory, command line parameters, and other
- configuration data for the object. If you use an asterisk [*]
- in the "Program Name" field for an object which starts an OS/2
- full-screen or windowed session, that object will start the
- OS/2 command processor named at the end of the PROTSHELL line
- in CONFIG.SYS (typically 4OS2.EXE or CMD.EXE).
-
-
- OS/2 Version 2.x Objects
-
- In OS/2 version 2.x, objects may appear on the desktop itself
- or within folders. For example, the "OS/2 Full Screen" object
- normally appears in the "Command Prompts" folder.
-
- To create a new object, switch to the folder where you want
- the object to appear and either copy an existing object (use
- the Copy or Create Another selection on the object's popup
- menu) or drag a Program Template in from the Templates folder.
- Depending on the copying method you choose, the Settings
- notebook may open automatically.
-
- To adjust the properties of an object, you must open its
- Settings notebook. To do so, click the right mouse button in
- the object. When the popup menu appears, click on the small
- arrow to the right of the Open selection, then again on the
- Settings selection on the submenu.
-
- Once the Settings notebook is open, use the Program page to
- modify the program name, startup directory, and command line
- parameters. If you use an asterisk [*] in the "Program Name"
- field for an object which starts an OS/2 full-screen or
- windowed session, that object will start the OS/2 command
- processor named on the SET OS2_SHELL line in CONFIG.SYS
- (typically 4OS2.EXE or CMD.EXE). The Session page lets you
- set the session type. Other pages let you adjust other
- configuration data for the object.
-
- The contents of the Settings notebook will vary depending on
- the type of object and the session type set on the Session
- page. For example, DOS and Windows sessions allow control of
- a wide variety of DOS parameters (such as available XMS and
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 16
- CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- EMS memory, or whether DOS is loaded high) using the "DOS
- Settings" or "WIN-OS/2 Settings" button on the Session page.
- However, this button cannot be used for Presentation Manager
- or OS/2 character-mode sessions.
-
-
- Extended Attributes
-
- DOS allows a limited set of attributes for files; for example,
- a file can have Read-Only, Hidden, System, or Archive
- attributes (for more information about file attributes, see
- Chapter 1 of your Reference Manual). OS/2 supports additional
- information about files called "Extended Attributes" or "EAs."
-
- The Extended Attributes for a file provide additional
- information which is not part of the file's actual contents.
- This information might include the icon to be displayed for
- the file on the OS/2 desktop, or the type of data contained in
- the file.
-
- OS/2 supports Extended Attributes on both FAT (DOS-compatible)
- and HPFS (High Performance File System) partitions. EAs for
- the files on a FAT partition are stored in the file
- "EA DATA. SF" in the partition's root directory. Like
- CMD.EXE, 4OS2 preserves a file's EAs when copying or moving
- the file, and makes the appropriate adjustments to EAs when a
- file is deleted or renamed.
-
- If you boot DOS and delete or otherwise manipulate files that
- have Extended Attributes, you can face several unexpected
- problems when you next boot under OS/2, because the EAs and
- directories will no longer be synchronized. If you must
- manipulate files with Extended Attributes during a DOS boot,
- make sure you run OS/2's CHKDSK program the next time you boot
- OS/2. (This problem does not occur when you manipulate files
- with 4DOS or COMMAND.COM in a standard OS/2 VDM, but it can
- occur if you copy or move files while running a specific
- version of DOS, such as MS-DOS 3.3, under OS/2.)
-
- For more information on Extended Attributes, see your OS/2
- documentation.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 17
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
-
-
- This chapter explains how you can tune 4OS2 to make it as efficient
- and as useful as possible in your computing environment. Nearly
- everything in this chapter is for advanced users and those with
- unusual needs. If 4OS2 works the way you want it to after
- installation, you can skip this chapter. You may, however, want to
- skim this material to see what options are available.
-
- In this chapter, we assume that 4OS2 is set up as the default OS/2
- command processor in your OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file. This is normally
- done when you install 4OS2. See page 6 for information on making
- these changes to CONFIG.SYS manually.
-
-
- Creating and Configuring 4OS2 Objects
-
- Whether you are using OS/2 1.x or 2.x, you will typically
- start 4OS2 from an object on your OS/2 desktop. The methods
- for creating these program objects vary depending on your
- operating system version (see page 15), but the basic
- characteristics of your 4OS2 objects are the same regardless
- of which version you use.
-
- You can create as many 4OS2 objects as you wish on the OS/2
- desktop. Different objects can be used to start 4OS2 in
- different modes, with different startup commands or options,
- or to run different batch files or other commands. You can
- use these objects to run commonly-used commands and batch
- files directly from the OS/2 desktop.
-
- Each object represents a different 4OS2 session and you can
- set up any of these sessions to run in windowed or full-screen
- mode. You can also set any necessary command line parameters
- for 4OS2 such as a command to be executed, any desired
- switches, and the name and path for 4OS2.INI. More
- information on command line switches and options for 4OS2 is
- included later in this section.
-
- When you configure a 4OS2 object, place an asterisk [*] in the
- Program Name field, and put any startup options that you want
- passed to 4OS2 (e.g., @inifile) in the Parameters field. For
- example:
-
- Path and file name: *
- Parameters: @D:\START\4OS2.INI
- Working directory: C:\
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 18
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- (If 4OS2 is not set up as your default OS/2 shell in
- CONFIG.SYS, use the full path and name for 4OS2.EXE as the
- program name, rather than the asterisk.)
-
- To run a startup batch file for a particular 4OS2 session,
- include its name (with a path, if the batch file is not in the
- session's startup directory) as the last item in the
- Parameters field. That batch file will be executed after any
- 4START file but before the first prompt is displayed. You can
- use the batch file to set environment variables and execute
- any other 4OS2 commands. You can also execute any internal
- 4OS2 command, external command, or alias by placing its name
- in the Parameters field. When you set up a batch file or
- other command to run in this way you are using the command
- option (see below). For example:
-
- Path and file name: *
- Parameters: @D:\START\4OS2.INI STARTOS2.CMD
- Working directory: C:\
-
- To execute an internal or external command, an alias, or a
- batch file and then exit (return to the desktop) when it is
- done, place /C command (rather than just command) as the last
- item in the Parameters field. For example:
-
- Path and file name: *
- Parameters: /C COMFILES.BTM
- Working directory: C:\
-
-
- 4OS2 Command Line Options
-
- The 4OS2 command line does not need to contain any
- information. When invoked with an empty command line, 4OS2
- will configure itself from the 4OS2.INI file, run 4START, and
- then display a prompt and wait for you to type a command.
- However, you may add information to the 4OS2 command line that
- will affect the way it operates.
-
- Command line options for primary shells are set in the
- Parameters field of the 4OS2 object. If you need help finding
- and setting the Parameters field for your version of OS/2, see
- page 15. Command line options for secondary shells can be set
- on the secondary shell command line.
-
- 4OS2 recognizes several optional fields on the command line.
- All of the options go on one line. If you use more than one
- of these fields, their order is important. The syntax for the
- command line is:
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 19
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- [d:\path] [@d:\path\inifile] [//iniline]... [/L] [/LA]
- [/LD] [/LH] [/S] [/C | /K] [command]
-
- In the descriptions below, d: means a drive letter and \path
- means a subdirectory name.
-
- d:\path: 4OS2 will use this directory and path to set
- the COMSPEC environment variable for this session. If
- this option is not used, COMSPEC is set from the location
- of 4OS2.EXE. Since 4OS2 always knows what drive and
- directory it was started from, there is little reason to
- use this option. It is included only for compatibility
- with CMD.EXE. This option cannot be used for secondary
- shells.
-
- @d:\path\inifile: This option sets the path and name of
- the 4OS2.INI file, which is discussed below. You do not
- need this option if you aren't using a 4OS2.INI file, or
- if the file is named 4OS2.INI and is stored in the same
- subdirectory as 4OS2.EXE or in the root directory of the
- boot drive. This option is most useful if you want to
- start a 4OS2 session with a specific and unique .INI
- file.
-
- //iniline: This option tells 4OS2 to treat the text
- appearing between the // and the next space or tab as a
- 4OS2.INI directive. The directive should be in the same
- format as a line in 4OS2.INI, but it may not contain
- spaces, tabs, or comments. This option overrides any
- corresponding directive in your 4OS2.INI file. It is a
- convenient way to send 4OS2 one or two simple directives
- without modifying or creating a new 4OS2.INI file.
-
- /L, /LA, /LD, and /LH: These options force 4OS2 to use a
- local alias, directory history, and / or command history
- list. This allows you to use global lists as the
- default, but start a specific 4OS2 session with local
- aliases or history. See your Reference Manual for
- details on local and global aliases and history. /LA
- forces local aliases, /LD forces local directory history,
- /LH forces local command history, and /L forces all
- three.
-
- /S: This option tells 4OS2 that you do not want it to
- set up a Ctrl-C / Ctrl-Break handler. It is included for
- compatibility with CMD.EXE, but it may cause the system
- to operate incorrectly if you use this option without
- other software to handle Ctrl-C and Ctrl-Break. This
- option should be avoided by most users.
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 20
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- [/C | /K] command: This option tells 4OS2 to run a
- command when it starts. The command will be run after
- 4START has been executed and before any command prompt is
- displayed. It can be any valid internal or external
- command, batch file, or alias; you may include multiple
- commands by using the command separator. All other
- startup options must be placed before the command,
- because 4OS2 will treat characters after the command as
- part of the command and not as additional startup
- options.
-
- When the command is preceded by a /C, 4OS2 will execute
- the command and then exit and return to the parent
- program or the OS/2 desktop without displaying a prompt.
-
- The /K switch has no effect; using it is the same as
- placing the command (without a /C or /K) at the end of
- the startup command line. It is included only for
- compatibility with CMD.EXE.
-
-
- 16-Bit and 32-Bit Versions of 4OS2
-
- 4OS2 comes in two versions: 32-bit (4OS2/32) and 16-bit
- (4OS2/16). If you use OS/2 version 2.1, you will find that
- 4OS2/32 offers a few improvements and runs a bit faster than
- 4OS2/16. Normally, the correct version is selected for you
- automatically by the 4OS2 INSTALL program. If you are using a
- downloaded copy of 4OS2, see the README.DOC file which came
- with your copy for details on selecting the appropriate files
- for your system.
-
- Once the proper version is selected during installation, you
- generally don't need to be concerned with which version you
- are using, as the two versions are almost identical. A few
- features are available only in the 32-bit version; these are
- marked as such in the Reference Manual and on-line help.
-
- If necessary, you can install the 16-bit or 32-bit version
- explicitly rather than letting the installation program choose
- for you. To do so, start the installation program (see page
- 4) and select the Install 16-bit Version or Install 32-bit
- Version option. These options install only the files which
- differ between the two versions: 4OS2.EXE, SHRALIAS.EXE,
- 4OS2A.ICO, and 4OS2B.ICO.
-
- 4OS2/16 runs under OS/2 1.21, 1.3, 2.0, and 2.1. 4OS2/32
- normally runs only under OS/2 2.1. You can install it
- manually for OS/2 2.0 if you wish, but some features may not
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 21
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- work properly due to problems with 32-bit support in some
- versions of OS/2 2.0.
-
-
- 4OS2 Help
-
- Complete on-line help for all 4OS2 commands and features is
- provided with 4OS2. Help is invoked with the HELP command or
- the F1 key.
-
- 4OS2's help text does not cover the OS/2 external commands
- because they are included in OS/2's built-in Command
- Reference. The OS/2 Command Reference is normally displayed
- along with 4OS2's help when the HELP command or F1 key is
- used. You can also use the 4OS2 HELP command for quick help
- on 4OS2 commands, and for explanations of OS/2 error messages
- (see below for details).
-
- When you start the 4OS2 Help system, 4OS2 opens a new window
- to run VIEW.EXE, the standard help program supplied with OS/2.
- VIEW displays the 4OS2 Help and OS/2 Command Reference
- information and lets you browse through it.
-
- If you invoke VIEW from a windowed 4OS2 session, you will be
- returned to that session when you are done with VIEW. If you
- invoke VIEW from a full-screen session, you must manually
- return to that session using standard OS/2 methods for
- switching between sessions (this is due to the design of VIEW
- and is not a limitation of 4OS2).
-
- You can also keep the VIEW help window on the screen and
- return to the 4OS2 session, switching between the two sessions
- as needed. This may be useful when you are writing a batch
- file, working on a complex command, or experimenting with
- 4OS2.
-
- In order for the 4OS2 help system to work properly, both
- VIEW.EXE and the help text file, 4OS2.INF, must be in their
- proper locations. VIEW.EXE is normally stored in the \OS2
- directory. This directory must be included in your PATH (as
- it normally is) so that 4OS2 can find and start VIEW.
-
- During automated installation, 4OS2.INF is copied to your 4OS2
- installation directory, and the installation program adjusts
- the SET BOOKSHELF line in CONFIG.SYS to include this
- directory. This allows VIEW to find 4OS2.INF when you press
- F1 or use the HELP command. If you prefer, you can move
- 4OS2.INF to the standard "book" directory shown on the SET
- BOOKSHELF line in CONFIG.SYS (normally \OS2\BOOK), in which
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 22
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- case the 4OS2 directory does not need to be listed in the
- BOOKSHELF setting.
-
- OS/2 includes a complete reference to all internal and
- external commands in the reference book named CMDREF. This
- book is stored in the file \OS2\BOOK\CMDREF.INF. 4OS2
- normally passes the help file name "4OS2+CMDREF" to VIEW, so
- that VIEW opens both the 4OS2 help text and the OS/2 command
- reference.
-
- You can specify a different set of "books" to be opened when
- HELP or F1 is invoked. To do so, use the HelpBook directive
- in 4OS2.INI. For example, to set up 4OS2 so that only 4OS2
- help is displayed (without the CMDREF book) when F1 is
- pressed, you would include the following directive in
- 4OS2.INI:
-
- HelpBook=4OS2
-
- When more than one book is listed in the HelpBook setting,
- VIEW will see the combined group as a single book. The Table
- of Contents displayed by VIEW will include the tables of
- contents from all the listed books, concatenated together as
- one group of topics with no divisions to show where one book
- ends and the next begins.
-
- If you wish, you can set up a separate object for 4OS2 help
- which can be invoked from your desktop. To do so, create an
- object with VIEW.EXE as the program name and 4OS2 in the
- parameter field (or use 4OS2+CMDREF to show both books when
- the object is selected).
-
- 4OS2 also supports the /? switch to display help for any
- command. For more information on /? see the Command Line Help
- topic in Chapter 3 of your Reference Manual. For information
- on the 4OS2H.MSG file, which contains the /? help text, see
- page 8 of this manual.
-
- 4OS2 can also be used to obtain help on OS/2 error codes. If
- you type either of these commands:
-
- [c:\] help nnnn
- [c:\] help sysnnnn
-
- where "nnnn" is an OS/2 system error number, HELP will display
- an explanation of the OS/2 error. This feature works by
- running the OS/2 program HELPMSG.EXE which opens the file
- OSO001.H to get the explanation. For this feature to work,
- HELPMSG.EXE must be in a directory that is in your PATH, and
- the data file OSO001H.MSG must be in a directory in your DPATH
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 23
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- (OS/2 sets up HELPMSG.EXE and OS0001H.MSG this way by
- default).
-
- You can also use the 4OS2 HELP command to change the PROMPT
- setting. HELP ON will change the default prompt to $i[$p],
- and HELP OFF will change the default prompt to [$p]. This
- feature is included for compatibility with OS/2's CMD.EXE, and
- is implemented by running the HELP.CMD file which comes with
- OS/2 (typically stored in the \OS2 directory). Changing the
- prompt is probably better accomplished by using the PROMPT
- command instead of HELP ON or HELP OFF.
-
-
- Using 4START and 4EXIT
-
- 4OS2 executes two batch files automatically: 4START is run
- whenever 4OS2 starts, and 4EXIT is run whenever 4OS2 exits.
- 4START and 4EXIT can be either .CMD or .BTM files.
-
- If you create 4START.BTM and 4EXIT.BTM files, you can use them
- for both 4OS2 and 4DOS. Use the IFF command and the %_DOS
- internal variable to separate commands which should be
- executed under only one operating system.
-
- If you prefer to use different files for 4OS2 and 4DOS, you
- can use 4START.CMD for 4OS2 and 4START.BAT for 4DOS. You
- could name your 4EXIT files similarly. You can also keep the
- 4START and 4EXIT files separate by placing the files for 4OS2
- in the 4OS2 directory and the files for 4DOS in the 4DOS
- directory.
-
- If 4OS2 is started as a secondary shell with the [/C] command
- option, 4START is executed before the command.
-
- See your Reference Manual for more information on 4START and
- 4EXIT.
-
- If you prefer, you can create a file with a name other than
- 4START (for example, STARTOS2.CMD) and put its name in the
- Parameters field for any 4OS2 object (see page 18). Doing so
- has two advantages. The file will only be started when a
- primary 4OS2 shell is started, not under a secondary shell or
- under 4DOS. Also, you can then use different startup files
- for different 4OS2 sessions.
-
- For example, you might create a file called STARTFS.CMD which
- executes commands for a full-screen session, and another file
- STARTWIN.CMD which executes different commands for a windowed
- session. You could then set up two objects with these
- settings:
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 24
- CHAPTER 3 / CONFIGURATION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- Path and file name: *
- Parameters: D:\STARTFS.CMD
- Working directory: C:\
-
- Path and file name: *
- Parameters: D:\STARTWIN.CMD
- Working directory: C:\
-
- The first object should be configured as an OS/2 Full Screen
- session and the second as an OS/2 Windowed session.
-
-
- Using STARTUP.CMD
-
- If you have a STARTUP.CMD file in the root directory of your
- OS/2 boot drive, OS/2 will automatically create a windowed
- 4OS2 session when the system boots and will tell that session
- to execute STARTUP.CMD. (This is a feature of OS/2 and does
- not depend on 4OS2. If CMD.EXE is your OS/2 command
- processor, it will be used to run STARTUP.CMD.)
-
- You can use STARTUP.CMD to start other sessions, to set up a
- global alias list, start SHRALIAS, etc., just as you might use
- AUTOEXEC.BAT under DOS (see the ALIAS command in the Reference
- Manual for more information on SHRALIAS). STARTUP.CMD will be
- executed once, when your system boots, not every time a 4OS2
- session is started.
-
- If you place the command EXIT at the end of STARTUP.CMD, the
- session created to run STARTUP.CMD will end when that command
- is executed, and any global alias and history lists will be
- discarded (unless another 4OS2 session has been started or
- SHRALIAS has been loaded). If you don't include an EXIT, the
- session will remain open and can be used as a normal windowed
- 4OS2 session. If you have a 4START file, it will be run
- before STARTUP.CMD.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 25
- Index
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- Index Desktop objects, 10
- configuring, 15
- creating, 15
- 4DOS, and 4OS2 installation, 5 for 4OS2, 18
- 4EXIT, 24 in OS/2 1.x, 15
- and 4DOS, 24 in OS/2 2.x, 16
- 4OS2 properties, 15
- 16-bit and 32-bit versions, Directories, for 4OS2 files, 8
- 21 Directory history list, local
- desktop objects, 18 and global, 20
- sessions, 18 DOS
- 4OS2.EXE, location of, 8 applications, 14
- 4OS2.INF, location of, 8 sessions, 12
- 4OS2.INI
- directives, on startup Extended attributes, 17
- command line, 20
- location of, 18, 20 Family mode applications, see
- reference information, 2 Bound applications
- 4OS2H.MSG, location of, 8 Full-screen sessions, 11
- 4START, 24
- and 4DOS, 24 General concepts, 10
- and startup command, 21 Guided tour, 1, 6
-
- Alias list, local and global, Help system, 2, 22
- 20 /? option, 23
- Applications and OS/2 command reference,
- starting, 14 23
- types of, 13 location of files, 8, 22
- selecting books to view, 23
- Batch files, startup, 19
- BOOKSHELF, see Help system .INI file, see 4OS2.INI
- Bound applications, 14 Installation, 4
- automated, 5
- Character mode directory for, 4
- applications, 14 manual, 6
- sessions, 11 for OS/2 version 1.x, 7
- Command history list, local and for OS/2 version 2.x, 7
- global, 20 of downloaded updates, 4, 6
- Commands reversing, 9
- 4OS2 startup, 19, 21 stopping, 6
- help on, 22
- reference information, 2 Local and global aliases and
- CONFIG.SYS, 18 histories, 20
- and installation, 4, 6
- PROTSHELL line, 7, 9 Native DOS sessions, 12
- SET COMSPEC line, 7, 9
- SET OS2_SHELL line, 7, 9 Objects, see Desktop objects
- Configuration, 18 Options, see Startup Options
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 26
- Index
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- OS/2
- shell, 1
- versions of, 1, 21
-
- Presentation Manager, 10
- applications, 13
- sessions, 11
- Process, 10
-
- Quick help, 23
-
- README.1ST file, 5
- Reference information, 2
- Reference Manual, 2
-
- Sessions, 10
- 4OS2, 18
- starting, 14
- types of, 11
- Settings notebook, see Desktop
- objects
- Shell, 1
- SHRALIAS.EXE, location of, 8
- Startup options, 18, 19
- //iniline, 20
- /C, 21
- /K, 21
- /L, /LA, /LD, and /LH, 20
- /S, 20
- @inifile, 20
- commands in, 21
- STARTUP.CMD, 24
- Support, 3
-
- Technical support, 3
-
- Uninstalling 4OS2, 9
-
- VDM, see DOS sessions
- VIEW.EXE, see Help system
- VMB, see DOS sessions
-
- Windowed sessions, 12
- Windows
- applications, 14
- sessions, 13
- Workplace Shell, 10
-
-
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
- Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4OS2 Intro. & Installation Guide / 27