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Welcome to the FastLynx On-line Reference Guide. Much of the material in this guide is already included in FastLynx's excellent context-sensitive help facility. If you want to jump right in and start using the program now, feel free to do so. This guide is provided for the following reasons: 1) It organizes the material in the help screens into a single place so that you can browse through it in its entirety should you feel inclined. 2) Since this guide is in an ASCII text file (guide.fx), you can print it using the DOS "print" command if you so desire. 3) Some additional material not found in the help screens is included for those who want a more in-depth understanding of FastLynx operation. --------------------------------- Contents --------------------------------- This guide is organized into sections in the following order: * What's new in FastLynx * Choosing between parallel or serial * Cable specifications * Troubleshooting communication problems and using diagnostics * Split-screen mode * Form mode * Command mode * Slave mode * Configuration * Upload * Key functionality list * Hidden, system and read-only files -------------------------- What's new in FastLynx -------------------------- The name! FastLynx is the new name for Fastwire II. If you are a veteran Fastwire II user, you will find the same features you have used before plus some new and improved ones. Described below are some of these features. For more detailed information, see the specific section in the On-Line Reference or the appropriate help screens. Faster: The speed of serial 7-wire transfers and parallel transfers has been increased by approximately 2 to 10 percent, depending on the speed of the machines involved. One Program: Now you only have to remember one program name. To communicate between 2 computers, you simply type "fx" on both machines - the "slave" is built into the program. Diagnostics are also available from the main menu to help solve communication problems. Local copy: In order to make copying files on the same computer easier, we have added a local copy feature. This gives you the option of using FastLynx's Split-screen, Form or Command mode to copy files between directories or drives on the same machine. See the documentation on the particular mode for more information. Upload: You can now transfer FastLynx to another computer that does not have FastLynx on it, without using a floppy disk! See the upload section. Split-screen keys: FastLynx has changed some of the keys used in this mode. Function Old key New FastLynx key -------- ------- ---------------- change directory Ins F2 (Ins will still work) rename file End F6 view file Home F8 go to Split-screen F2 Alt-S go to Form mode F4 Alt-F go to Command mode F6 Alt-C Split-screen delete: FastLynx will now allow you to delete non-empty directories. In other words, you can delete directories and all of their files and subordinate subdirectories in one operation. Of course you are prompted for confirmation before the delete operation proceeds. Make directory in Split-screen mode: Using the F4 key, you can make a new directory directly from Split-screen mode. Form file: The form file is now named "fx.cmd" (instead of fw2.cmd). If you are a previous Fastwire II user, you may want to use the forms you had created previously. To do this, locate fw2.cmd on your disk and issue the DOS command: "rename fw2.cmd fx.cmd". This will allow you to use your old forms instead of having to re-create them. If FastLynx cannot find the "fx.cmd" form file, it will create one in the directory that the FastLynx program is in. Continuous retry: If FastLynx cannot connect to the remote computer, it will continue to try to establish communications, but will not bother you with any questions. It will keep looking for the other computer while allowing you to move around within the program. -------------------- Choosing between parallel or serial ------------------- Speed The main difference between parallel and serial mode is speed. Parallel runs 25% to 4 times faster than serial mode, depending on the speed of the computer. You will see less improvement if you are running on standard PC-type machines than if you are running on faster 80286 or 80386 based machines. Cable length If you are planning to do transfers over cables greater than 15 feet long, you may want to use serial transfer mode. Parallel transfers under these conditions sometimes get more transmission errors, and sometimes even fail to communicate entirely. 7-wire serial cables have a similar problem with length. You may have to transfer in 3-wire mode if the 7-wire cable is unshielded or excessively long. There are specially shielded cables available in lengths up to 100 feet that will work at full speed for both the parallel and the 7-wire serial communications. Contact Rupp Corporation for details. Port usage In choosing between serial and parallel, you should consider what ports are most readily available on the machines you will be using. For instance, if you only have one parallel port and do a lot of printing with it, you may want to choose serial transfer. On the other hand, if you only have one serial port and you have a mouse hooked up to it, using the parallel port for data transfer might be easier. Additional serial or parallel cables may be purchased as a separate item from Rupp Corporation for $39.95. You may also choose to have your own cables made using the specifications below. -------------------------- Cable Specifications ---------------------------- Following is a description of the pin connections for a FastLynx 7-wire serial cable. The cable is a 4-headed cable with a 9-pin and 25-pin female connector on both ends. The cable is wired as follows: 9 pin 25 pin 25 pin 9 pin ----- ------ ------ ----- pin 5 pin 7 <----> pin 7 pin 5 (Ground - Ground) pin 3 pin 2 <----> pin 3 pin 2 (Transmit - Receive) pin 7 pin 4 <----> pin 5 pin 8 (RTS - CTS) pin 6 pin 6 <----> pin 20 pin 4 (DSR - DTR) pin 2 pin 3 <----> pin 2 pin 3 (Receive - Transmit) pin 8 pin 5 <----> pin 4 pin 7 (CTS - RTS) pin 4 pin 20 <----> pin 6 pin 6 (DTR - DSR) The ground wire is connected to the same pin on both ends. The last three wires are a reverse of the prior three. Following is a description of the pin connections for a FastLynx parallel cable. The cable has a male DB25 connector at both ends. 25 pin 25 pin ------ ------ pin 2 <----> pin 15 pin 3 <----> pin 13 pin 4 <----> pin 12 pin 5 <----> pin 10 pin 6 <----> pin 11 pin 15 <----> pin 2 pin 13 <----> pin 3 pin 12 <----> pin 4 pin 10 <----> pin 5 pin 11 <----> pin 6 pin 25 <----> pin 25 The second set of 5 wires is the reverse of the first set. ------------------ Troubleshooting communication problems ------------------ If you are having trouble getting your machines to communicate properly, you should make sure that: 1. Both computers and their parallel/serial ports are 100% IBM compatible. 2. "fx" is running on both machines. 3. The cable is connected correctly. If you are doing serial transfer, connect the two serial ports (male 9 or 25 pin) with the FastLynx cable (or a compatible cable). If you are doing parallel transfer, connect the two parallel ports (female 25 pin) with FastLynx's special parallel cable. Sometimes machines have other ports that look like serial or parallel ports but are really not, so make sure you are connected to the right type of port. By default, FastLynx automatically determines which port to use. If you have specifically selected a port instead of using auto-port select, make sure your cables are connected accordingly. (If you configured FastLynx to use COM1, make sure cable is not connected to COM2.) 4. Each serial device in your machine should be set to a different base address. For instance, don't have 2 serial ports set to COM1. 5. The machines are not in Local Copy mode. 6. The machine to be the slave is NOT in any of the following: Split-Screen with LOCAL COPY on Viewing the On-Line Reference Guide Diagnostics Upload Viewing a help screen Configuration Hardware limitations A small number of computers have serial port hardware limitations that prevent them from using the top baud rate. One such machine is the IBM PS/2 Model 80 (and Model 70), which can only run at 38400 baud. Usually FastLynx's auto-baud will detect this and run successfully at the lower baud rate. You may have to set the baud rate manually, however. See the configuration section for more information on how to do this. In order for FastLynx to get the tremendous speeds that it does, it disables interrupts for a while. Some computers do not operate correctly if interrupts are disabled for too long. If your computer has this limitation, then you should try running FastLynx in the normal operating speed mode. If the problem persists, try the slow operating mode. Note that this particular problem applies only to serial port transmissions. See the section on configuration to find out how to set operating speed. *** FastLynx Diagnostics *** If you still have not been able to establish communications, FastLynx provides its own diagnostics option. This option provides several tests that will help you find hardware problems that may be keeping FastLynx from operating properly. These tests are described briefly here. Serial port loop-back test This is the first test you should run if your serial communications are not working correctly. This test runs a self-test on each serial port chip in your system and displays the results. If you have a serial port at a non-standard address, you must specify this in the configuration menu. If a serial port in your system consistently fails the self-test, it probably needs to be replaced or serviced. You can also expect this test to fail if the serial port chip is not IBM-compatible. Note that occasionally a serial port will pass the self-test and still not function properly. If the self-test passes, but you are still unable to communicate using FastLynx, try the serial character transmission test. Serial character transmission test The serial transmission test sends a sentence across a serial port to another machine. The characters being sent are displayed in one box, and the characters received are displayed in another box. To run this test successfully, make sure that you connect the cable to the ports you are interested in testing, and specify the same baud rate on both machines. You must run the character transmission test simultaneously on both machines for it to function properly. If are not receiving characters and are sure the cable is connected properly, try reducing the baud rate on both machines. NOTE: It is quite unlikely that the sentences will be transmitted and received in perfect synchronization. If you see this condition, stop the test on one of the machines. If the sentence is still being "received" on the other machine, then they are not properly connected (the machine is receiving an echo back from itself). If the serial character transmission test passes, but you are still unable to communicate using FastLynx, try the Block transmission test. Parallel wire test The parallel wire option tests the ability to send data across the parallel port. It shows the current state (high or low) of the input and output bits used during parallel transfer. Correct operation is indicated by one "HIGH" bit rotating through the set of bits (one for output, one for input). Any other display (such as more than one bit high or a bit that does not go high at all) indicates some sort of error condition. To run this test successfully, make sure you connect the parallel cable to the ports you are interested in and run the Parallel Wire Test on both machines. WARNING: You may have problems transmitting with a normal cable over 15 feet long. If this happens you may want to use a shorter cable (if possible) or try serial transmission. Specially shielded cables are available up to 100 feet in length. Contact Rupp Corporation for details. If the parallel wire test passes, but you are still unable to communicate using FastLynx, try the Block transmission test. Block transmission and auto port select test This option tests the ability of your machines to send large blocks of information. It exchanges information using the same protocol that FastLynx does, so if you have determined that the machines are able to communicate, but FastLynx still does not work correctly, this test should tell you why. The direction of transfer is from the machine running the block transmission diagnostic to the machine just running "fx" (only run block transmission test on one side). This test uses the timer chip in your PC to report very accurate timing results on the transmission test. The machine running the diagnostics must be 100% IBM-compatible for this test to work. To run this test successfully, make sure you do the following: On one machine: 1. Connect the appropriate cable to a serial or parallel port. 2. Run the program "fx" (just start program, don't try to communicate from the fx side). On the other machine: 1. Connect the appropriate cable to a serial or parallel port. Just like normal FastLynx operation, this test automatically selects the correct port and baud rate, so you don't need to worry about configuration. 2. Run the block transfer test in diagnostics. You can also use this option to see how fast your machines can transfer data. The figures shown include software overhead, but do not include disk overhead. ----------------------------- Split-screen mode ---------------------------- The split-screen mode is a beginner's interface which is popular with all types of users because of its ease of use. It shows you a directory listing from each machine and allows you to move around with the arrow keys and "point-and-shoot". The left side of the screen will contain a listing of files on the local machine, the right a listing of files on the remote machine. You can mark files you want to transfer using the F5 key and then transfer those files to the other system by pressing the F3 key. If you only want to send one file, you can position the inverse bar over the file and press F3 without marking it first. If no files are marked, the file under the inverse bar is considered to be marked. It is not considered marked if other files have been explicitly marked. You can also use split-screen mode to transfer files between two directories on the same computer. To enter this "Local Copy" mode, simply press Alt-L while in split-screen mode. Press Alt-L again when you wish to establish communications with the remote computer again. You may also switch between Local Copy and Remote mode by using an option described below in the F9 split-screen options section. If you switch modes using the F9 options, the mode change will be remembered next time you start the program. Switching using the Alt-L key is a temporary change which is not remembered next time you start the program. When you are in Local Copy mode, all of the same activities and options are available, they just operate on 2 local directories instead of 1 local directory and 1 remote directory. Note that files marked on the local listing will be copied to the remote system, whereas files marked on the remote listing will be copied to the local system. You can use the Shift-F5 key to do a wildcard mark. FastLynx will prompt you to enter a wildcard specification, and any files matching that specification will be marked. Similarly, you can use Shift-F7 to do a wildcard unmark. FastLynx will prompt you to enter a wildcard specification, and any files matching that specification will be unmarked. You can use the F7 key to cancel all marks on any file or directory. The F4 key allows you to create a new directory from split-screen mode. To move to a different directory, position the inverse bar over the directory you want to go to and press the Enter key, or use the F2 key to enter a new drive and directory. To switch the active directory listing, use the Tab key, or the left/right arrow keys. The split-screen mode contains some extra functions that help you to maintain the files on your disk. You can delete, rename, or view a file without having to leave the split-screen mode. If you want to delete or rename several files, you can mark them using the F5 key and then use the Del or F6 key to perform the desired operation. The Local Copy mode is useful for copying files between drives or directories on the same computer. (See description of Local Copy above.) The delete function allows you to delete subordinate directories and files. If you press the Del key when you are on an empty directory, it will delete it. If the directory has files or subdirectories in it, FastLynx will tell you how many subordinate files and directories there are, and then prompt you to see if you want to delete them all. You may choose to go ahead and delete them all or abort the operation. If you want to get quickly to one of the other modes, you can use Alt-F to get to Form mode or Alt-C to get to Command mode. The first entry in the directory listings is "*". This is not actually part of the directory, but means "all files in the directory". So if you transfer this item, it will transfer all files in the current directory. If you mark this item, you will notice that all files in the directory are marked also. Files in the directory listing are sorted according to the specification in the split-screen options menu. As shipped, this setting sorts files alphabetically. You can change this setting so that the directory is sorted by date, size, extension, or not sorted at all. If you want to find a particular file, you can also do so by typing the name of the file, and the inverse bar will move to the first file that matches the characters you have typed. If no match is found, the program will beep. There are several options that you can use to customize the split-screen mode. These options can be called up by pressing the F9 key. The first group of options are automatically saved whenever you change them, and remain in effect the next time you run the program. These options are: Date comparison You can choose to always copy files (default), or to have FastLynx compare the source and target file dates, transferring only files that are newer. Directories There are three options for copying subdirectories. The option to transfer subdirectories, creating new ones as needed, is like the "/S" option of command mode, or of the DOS "backup" or "xcopy" commands. The option to not transfer subdirectories is similar to DOS "backup" or "xcopy" without the "/S". The third options (like "/R" of command mode) is unique to FastLynx. It allows you to transfer only subdirectories that already exist on the target computer. Use of this option allows you to maintain a directory structure on one machine that is a subset of the directory structure on the other machine. The default is to not transfer subdirectories. Sort by This option allows you to choose the order in which files and directories will be displayed. The different methods of sorting are: name - sort by the name and then extension extension - sort by the extension and then name size - sort by size of the file date - sort by date and then time of modification For each of these sorting options, you can sort forward or backward. For instance, you can sort by size with the smallest file first or the largest file first. Directory names are sorted separately, and are displayed before the file names. There is also an option not to sort, which shows files and directories in the order they occur on the disk. Prompt Mode This option allows you to select a level of prompting. By default, FastLynx comes configured to prompt before overwriting a file. There are four levels to select from: Do not prompt before transfers -- This level does no prompting at all. Prompt before subdirectories -- This level prompts you before sending a subdirectory. You can choose how to be prompted (if at all) for files in the subdirectory or choose to skip the subdirectory all together. Prompt before overwriting files -- This level prompts before sending subdirectories (as above) and also causes FastLynx to prompt before a file is overwritten. At transfer time you can choose whether or not to send the file. The filename and the dates of the files on both machines will be displayed with the prompt. This is the default prompt mode for Split-Screen. Prompt before each transfer -- This prompt level also prompts before sending subdirectories (as above) and also causes FastLynx to prompt before any file is transferred (whether it exists on the receiving system or not). With this prompt level you can decide on a file by file basis whether to transfer the file or not. Local/Remote By default, FastLynx comes configured to transfer files between two computers connected by a serial or parallel cable. This is the "Remote Copy" setting for this option. You can, however, switch FastLynx into a "Local Copy" mode which allows you to copy files between two different directories (or drives) on the local system. The Alt-L hotkey is provided as a quicker way to switch between these two modes. The rest of the split-screen options are temporary settings that remain in effect only while you are running the program. The next time you run the program they will default back to their original settings. These options are: Fake It Mode This option allows you to tell FastLynx to "fake" a transfer and report what files would have been sent (without actually sending them). Exclude list Any files or directories that you specify in this list will NOT be shown in the directory listing, although they may exist on the machine. Wildcards are accepted. IMPORTANT NOTE: you must specify only the root portion of the files or directories that you want to exclude. Leading drive letter or path name prefixes are not allowed and will cause the exclude to fail if entered. Valid names: data *.doc Invalid names: c:\data c:\data\*.doc \data\subdir Date cutoff This option allows you to send only files modified after a specified date. If you want to send files regardless of modification time, leave the cutoff date set to its default value of January 1, 1980, 12:00 am. Any files before the date cutoff will NOT be shown in the directory listing, although they may exist on the machine. --------------------------------- Form mode -------------------------------- The form mode is an intermediate interface which allows you to create, edit and execute customized command sequences called "forms". This powerful mode enables you to build your own list of frequently used transfer commands and call them up quickly whenever you need them. This can save you a lot of time because you can quickly call up any form you have used before and execute it again. On the left of the screen is a list of forms that have already been created. On the right side of the screen is a display indicating the contents of the form that the inverse bar is currently on. As you use the up and down arrows to move through the list of forms, the currently highlighted one will be displayed at the right. You can modify an existing form by pressing the Enter key. You can add forms to the list using the Ins (or F2) key, and delete forms from the list using the Del key. You can execute forms with the F3 key. The forms are shown alphabetically. If you want to find a particular form, you can also do so by typing the name, and the inverse bar will move to the first form that matches the characters you have typed. If no match is found, the program will beep. When executing or deleting multiple forms, you can mark the forms you want and then execute or delete them all at once. You can do this using the '+' and '-' keys, which mark and unmark items, or you can use the F5 key, which toggles the marked state for the current item. Once you have selected a form to edit, your arrow keys will move you through the fields containing the form information. Modifying or creating a form is simply a matter of filling in information in these fields. Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the field you want to change, and then press the Enter key to edit the field. You should see a cursor appear in the field after it has been selected. Use the up arrow, down arrow, or Enter keys to move out of a field that you have edited and save the changes. To get out of a selected field and cancel any changes to the field, use the Esc key. After you have edited all desired fields, use the Esc key to get out of the form, and then select the "Save and Exit" option if you want to save the changes you made. Note that pressing Esc while a field is selected exits you from that field. Pressing Esc when no field is selected exits you from the entire form. Form mode has an F9 option key which allows you to change one temporary setting. This option is Fake it Mode. If you select fake file transfers, FastLynx will "fake" the form transfer and report what files would have been sent without actually sending them. Note that this option does not effect the split-screen or command mode transfers. If you want to get quickly to one of the other modes, you can use Alt-S to get to Split-Screen mode or Alt-C to get to Command mode. There are several transfer fields that you can use to customize the forms. These options are: Local/Remote Choose whether to transfer files between the local and remote computer or copy between directories on the local system (Local Copy). This selection affects the next 3 fields. If you select Remote, the next 3 fields will be: Send/Receive Local Drive Remote Drive If you select Local, the next 3 fields will be: (Send/Receive) - not applicable Source Destination Send/Receive (Remote Copy) Choose to have the files sent to or received from the remote (other) machine. If you have picked Local Copy mode for this form, this field is not applicable, because files will always be copied from the Source drive to the Destination drive. Local drive (Remote Copy) Specify a drive and/or directory name which will be used as the default local drive and directory for file names which do not specify a drive or directory. If not specified, FastLynx will use the current drive and directory on the local system. Does not affect file names that contain a complete path name. Remote drive (Remote Copy) Specify a drive and/or directory name which will be used as the default remote drive and directory for file names which do not specify a drive or directory. If not specified, FastLynx will use the current drive and directory on the remote system. This field does not affect file names that contain a complete path name. Source (Local Copy) Specify a drive and/or directory name which will be used as the default sending drive and directory for file names which do not specify a drive or directory. If not specified, FastLynx will use the current drive and directory on the local system. Does not affect file names that contain a complete path name. Destination (Local Copy) Specify a drive and/or directory name which will be used as the destination drive and directory for files to be copied. You must specify a destination for the Local Copy transfer to be successful. Select list This is a list of files to be transferred. Any combination of drive, directory, and file name (including wildcards) is accepted. Specifying a directory name selects all files in the directory. Exclude list Any files or directories that you specify in this list will NOT be transferred. Wildcards are accepted. IMPORTANT NOTE: you must specify only the root portion of the files or directories that you want to exclude. Leading drive letter or path name prefixes are not allowed and will cause the exclude to fail if entered. Valid names: data *.doc Invalid names: c:\data c:\data\*.doc \data\subdir Directories There are three options for copying subdirectories. The option to transfer subdirectories, creating new ones as needed, is like the "/S" option of command mode, or of the DOS "backup" or "xcopy" commands. The option to not transfer subdirectories is similar to DOS "backup" or "xcopy" without the "/S". The third options (like "/R" of command mode) is unique to FastLynx. It allows you to transfer only subdirectories that already exist on the target computer. Use of this option allows you to maintain a directory structure on one machine that is a subset of the directory structure on the other machine. Prompt Mode The prompt level for a form can be selected on a form by form basis. The available prompt mode levels are the same as for split-screen mode. Date comparison You can choose to copy all selected files or to have FastLynx compare the source and target file dates, transferring only files that are newer. Date cutoff This option allows you to send only files modified after a specified date. If you want to send files regardless of modification time, leave the cutoff date set to its default value of January 1, 1980, 12:00 am. Any files before the date cutoff will not be transferred. In addition to transfer options, each form has a place for comments (so you can remember what the form is supposed to do) and also keeps track of the last time that you ran the form (run date and time). You can run FastLynx forms directly from DOS, so you can set up batch files to do routine transfers. Simply remember to precede the form name with "fx". Example: to run form "partback" from DOS, at the DOS prompt type "fx partback". If FastLynx cannot find the "fx.cmd" form file, it will create one in the directory that the FastLynx program is in. The file is no longer included on the release diskette, but is created (if not found) by FastLynx with three default forms. NOTE: If you are a previous Fastwire II user, you may want to use the forms you had created previously. To do this, locate fw2.cmd on your disk and issue the DOS command: "rename fw2.cmd fx.cmd". This will allow you to use your old forms instead of having to re-create them. ------------------------------- Command mode ------------------------------- This mode is an advanced command-driven interface which allows you to type in commands directly. You can use build-in FastLynx commands to send or receive files. You can also execute forms created in form mode, or execute DOS commands or programs. The following built-in commands are recognized by FastLynx: xm (sends files to remote computer) rq (requests files from remote computer) do (executes DOS commands and programs on remote computer) exit (causes remote FastLynx to exit back to DOS) "xm" and "rq" have identical syntax. The only difference is that "xm" sends files to the remote computer and "rq" receives files from the remote computer. The syntax is as follows: [xm or rq] [options ...] <file specifications> Command mode file specifications Multiple file and directory names may be included in the same command. A file name may include a drive and/or directory name and may also include wildcards. If a directory name is specified, all files in that directory are transferred. If the directory name does not exist on the receiving system it will be created, but subdirectories will only be transferred if /S is specified. If a filename is specified, only files matching that name are transferred. Command mode options /C Do not create files which do not already exist on target system. /D Transfer files whose date is same or later than specified date: /D:mm-dd-yy[,hh:mm] /E Exclude specified files or directories (wildcards OK, path names and drive letters not OK): /E:filename1,filename2,dirname1[,...] /F Force file transfer even if source date is same or older than target. /L Specify default drive and/or directory for local system. If receiving, directory will be created if necessary. /L:pathname /N Fake transfer and report what would have been transferred. /O Specify default drive and/or directory for remote (other) system. If sending, directory will be created if necessary. /O:pathname /Pn Prompt mode: n = 1 prompt before subdirectories, n = 2 prompt before overwriting, n = 3 prompt before transferring. If n is not specified (but the /P is), n defaults to 3. /R Transfer files in subdirectories, but DO NOT create new directories. /S Transfer files in subdirectories, creating subdirectories as needed. /T Specify second drive and/or directory for a local copy. (Use with /L) /T:pathname /W Allow read-only files to be overwritten. These options can also be specified with '-' instead of '/'. For instance, "-S" means the same as "/S". The "do" command will send whatever command you type after "do" to the remote machine, and execute it just as if you had typed it at the DOS prompt. For instance, "do cd \" would change the remote system to the root directory. The "exit" command is like a built-in form name which causes the remote FastLynx program to exit. Examples: rq *.* /p2 Requests all files in from the current directory on the remote system, but prompts before overwriting. xm /S /F /Ecommand.com,config.sys,autoexec.bat c:\ Does the same transfer as form "fullback". do cd \data Executes the command "cd \data" on the remote computer as if it had been typed at the DOS prompt on the other computer. exit Will cause the FastLynx running on the remote computer to exit back to DOS. If the command you type is not recognized as one of the above built-in FastLynx commands, but matches the name of a form you have created (in form mode), the form will be executed. Any other command will be passed on to DOS. When the DOS command is done, control will return to FastLynx. Any command that can be run from command mode can also be executed directly from DOS, so you can set up batch files to do routine transfers. Simply remember to precede the command with "fx". If you want to get quickly to one of the other modes, you can use Alt-S to get to Split-Screen mode or Alt-F to get to Form mode. -------------------------------- Slave mode -------------------------------- While the two computers are connected, one will be the master and one will be the slave, even though they will both be running "fx". The master computer is the one that is in Split-Screen, Form, or Command mode and issues the transfer commands. The other computer will display "SLAVE MODE" at the top of the screen. This means that it is the slave and just does what the other computer tells it to do. There are several keys available from Slave mode. Esc will cause you to exit FastLynx. Pressing Alt-S will make that computer master and then go to Split-Screen mode. Pressing Alt-F will make that computer master and then go to Form mode. Pressing Alt-C will make that computer master and then go to Command mode. Pressing Alt-M will make that computer master and then go to the Main menu. If you type a key other than these pre-defined ones, the computer will become master and go back to the previous mode it was in (Main menu, Split screen, Form or Command). The key you typed will be swallowed, and the program will wait for the next input. The exception to this is if you were previously in Command mode and started typing alpha-numeric keys. This will cause you to be put back into Command mode, but instead of ignoring the key typed, it will be passed along and treated as if you had typed the key from the command line. The ability to switch the master-slave roles allows you to initiate transfers from either computer if you wish, but remember that you can send files either way from the same computer. See the sections on Split-screen, Form or Command mode for more information on transferring files. There are a few places in the FastLynx program that will not go into slave mode, and could therefore cause the computers to fail to communicate. If you have FastLynx running on both computers and are not able to communicate, make sure that the computer you want to be the slave is NOT in any of these places: Split-Screen with LOCAL COPY on Viewing the On-Line Reference Guide Diagnostics Upload Viewing a help screen Configuration ------------------------------ Configuration ------------------------------- The configuration option allows you to change FastLynx's default settings. The configuration menu can be reached from the main menu, or with F10 from any of the three modes. Once you are inside the configuration option, arrow keys will move you through the fields containing the default information. Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the field you want to change, and then press the Enter key to edit the field. You should see a cursor appear in the field after it has been selected. Use the up arrow, down arrow, or Enter keys to move out of a field that you have edited and save the changes. To get out of a selected field and cancel any changes to the field, use the Esc key. After you have edited all desired fields, use the Esc key to get out, and then select the "Save and Exit" option if you want to save the changes you made. Note that pressing Esc while a field is selected exits you from that field. Pressing Esc when no field is selected exits you from the entire configuration menu. When you save the changes to the configuration, they are automatically remembered for the next time you call up the program. When the configuration is saved, it updates "fx.exe" on the same machine. It does NOT update the program on the machine you are communicating with. To do this, you must run FastLynx on the other machine and change the configuration there. If FastLynx is unable to update the program, it will give you an error message and then continue with normal execution. Usually the only reason for this type of problem is if there is a disk error or if you have removed the disk containing "fx.exe". If this error occurs, the configuration options will still remain in effect for FastLynx until you exit the program, but they will not be saved permanently. IMPORTANT NOTE: FastLynx supports both parallel and serial transfer. There is no configuration option to tell FastLynx whether to operate in parallel or serial transfer mode. FastLynx will figure that out automatically after you have plugged in the appropriate cable. However, you can tell FastLynx which ports it can and cannot use. See the port list configuration for details. The following options are available in the configuration screen: Port List Configuration In most cases you will want to leave the port list set to LPT*,COM*. This tells FastLynx to automatically select which port to use. FastLynx does this by looking to see what ports you have in your system and then experimentally determining which port is connected to a system running another FastLynx program. There are two cases where you may want to supply information in the port list field. The first case is if you have an active device such as an on-line printer or a mouse connected to one of your serial ports. In this case you should tell FastLynx which ports it can use so that it does not send test characters to the on-line device. To tell FastLynx which ports it can use, simply enter the port's name (such as "COM1" or "LPT2") in the port list. Multiple port names can be entered separated by commas. Entering a '*' instead of a port number tells FastLynx to try all ports of that type. Example: "COM1,COM3,LPT*" tells FastLynx to try serial ports COM1 and COM3, all parallel ports, but not COM2. Another case where you will want to enter information in the port list is if you are using a port with a base address other than the standard BIOS addresses. This situation normally occurs when you have three or more serial ports in the machine. To tell FastLynx to use non-standard serial port address, enter a 'C' followed by the base address (in hexadecimal) of the port. FastLynx ignores port addresses that are not divisible by eight or fall outside of the range 200H-8000H (this check can be overridden by entering an '!' after the port address). Non-standard parallel ports can be entered by typing an 'L' followed by the port address (in hexadecimal). Similar range checking and divisibility rules apply. Suppose you add two serial ports to a machine that already has two standard serial ports and that the two new port addresses are 300 and 30A. If you want FastLynx to automatically select between any of the four ports, you would enter "COM*,C300,C30A!" in the port list (30A would normally be ignored by FastLynx, but is accepted because of the '!'). Baud Rate Configuration The baud rate option applies only to serial port transfers. There are several baud rate choices, ranging from 9600 to 115200. FastLynx also has a special AUTO baud option. Choosing AUTO (the default) is normally the easiest way to select a baud rate. This allows FastLynx to experimentally determine the fastest possible baud rate. Normally this will be 115200 baud. You may also tell FastLynx to operate at a specific baud rate. However, if one of the serial port chips cannot operate at that high of a baud rate, FastLynx will not be able to establish communication. If you choose a specific baud rate and want to use 7-wire mode, select a baud rate with a '+' after it. If you are having problems with 7-wire mode (possibly due to a long cable), select a baud rate without a '+' after it to force FastLynx to use 3-wire mode. Error Checking Configuration FastLynx has two basic methods of detecting errors: checksum or CRC. The CRC method is much better at detecting transmission errors. The checksum method, though not nearly as good at detecting errors as a CRC, is generally considered adequate for a direct line connection (since error rates are so low). It is also much faster. Several of our competitors offer only this method (or some variant thereof). FastLynx offers three error detection modes using the above 2 methods: 1) Auto - use checksum until an error is detected, then use CRC. 2) Use checksum only. 3) Use CRC only. The "CRC only" mode is the safest possible way to transfer your files. The default "auto" mode is recommended for users who want more speed and rarely experience transmission errors. The "checksum only" mode is not recommended, but is provided for users who insist on the fastest possible speed. Operating Speed Configuration There are three operating speeds for FastLynx: slow, normal and turbo. The default "slow" operating speed is the safest (and slowest) way to transfer files, because FastLynx sends information in very small blocks. The "normal" and "turbo" speeds use progressively larger block sizes to speed the transfer. Most systems can handle the larger block sizes without any problems, but some cannot. If speed is a concern, we recommend that you experiment with "normal" and then "turbo" mode. If you experience excessive transmission errors or other problems, drop back to a lower speed setting. Default Mode Configuration FastLynx operates in one of three different modes: Split-Screen, Form or Command. By default, FastLynx starts out at the main menu, and you can move to the three basic modes from there. You can configure FastLynx so that it bypasses the main menu and starts out immediately in any of the three modes. ---------------------------------- Upload ---------------------------------- The upload option is designed to allow you to transfer FastLynx to another system which does not already have FastLynx on it. This unique capability is particularly useful when you encounter a need to transfer files and do not have a FastLynx disk (of the right size) with you. The Upload option can be selected from the Main Menu or from SPLIT SCREEN mode when the remote system is not connected. 1) First make sure the FastLynx serial cable is connected between the two computers. If you are using your own cable, it must be a 7-wire cable compatible with the FastLynx cable. You may use COM1 or COM2 on either machine, but not COM3 or COM4 (although regular FastLynx transfers can use COM3 and COM4). 2) Please indicate which serial port (COM1 or COM2) the remote computer is using. FastLynx can automatically determine which local serial port you are using, but cannot tell which port you selected on the remote machine. 3) If you selected COM1 for the remote machine, type the following DOS command on the remote system: mode com1:2400,n,8,1,p (and press the Enter key) If you selected COM2 for the remote machine, type the following DOS command on the remote system: mode com2:2400,n,8,1,p (and press the Enter key) You should see one of the following responses from DOS: COM1:2400,N,8,1 or COM2:2400,N,8,1 The intent of this step is to initialize the serial port to 2400 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit. If you saw a "Bad command" error message from DOS, you will need to find a DOS diskette that has the DOS "mode" command on it and try again. 4) If you selected COM1 for the remote system, type the following DOS command on the remote system: ctty com1 (and press the Enter key) If you selected COM2 for the remote system, type the following DOS command on the remote system: ctty com2 (and press the Enter key) You should see a "Loading bootstrap ..." message shortly after typing the above command--this means that communication has been established and the upload is in progress. Note: If the upload process does not complete successfully, it will be necessary for you to re-boot (reset) the remote machine. The following FastLynx files will be transferred into the currently selected drive and directory. If there is enough disk space available, FastLynx will transfer the following files: FX.EXE (the FastLynx program file) FX.HLP (the FastLynx help file) GUIDE.FX (the FastLynx on-line guide) The on-line guide will be transferred if it is found, otherwise just the program and help file will be sent. There are several reasons why the upload can fail. If you are having problems please check the following list: 1) Insure serial cable is FastLynx compatible and securely connected. 2) Insure the remote serial port you specified is really the one to which the cable is connected. 3) Insure that the "mode" and "ctty" commands were typed exactly as specified. 4) If the upload fails consistently, try it again without the ",p" at the end of the "mode" command. 5) If the bootstrap program seems to transfer OK, but the subsequent file transfers fail, try lowering the baud rate. This can be done by selecting the "Configuration" option from the main menu and changing the "Baud Rate" field. If the upload feature fails, try loading FastLynx onto the remote system using floppy disks or whatever other methods are available to you. There are a few situations where FastLynx itself can transfer files even though the upload process does not work. -------------------------- Key functionality list -------------------------- The following is a definition of all keys used by FastLynx: Press: When you want: -------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ F1 General help information F2 or Ins To changes drives and/or subdirectories while in SPLIT SCREEN MODE Create a new form in FORM MODE F3 To transfer files(s) or execute form(s) F4 To Create a directory while in SPLIT SCREEN MODE F5 To mark or unmark the file(s) to be transferred while in SPLIT SCREEN MODE or form(s) to be executed in FORM MODE (toggles current state) Shift-F5 To mark files using wildcards in SPLIT SCREEN MODE F6 To Rename a file in SPLIT SCREEN MODE F7 To unmark all files in SPLIT SCREEN MODE or all forms in FORM MODE Shift-F7 To unmark files using wildcards in SPLIT SCREEN MODE F8 To View a file while in SPLIT SCREEN MODE F9 To call up the options screen in SPLIT SCREEN or FORM MODE F10 To enter the CONFIGURATION menu to change default settings Esc To return to previous menu or exit program Ctrl-Break To return to previous menu or exit program Ins To add a new form in FORM MODE Del To delete a file or directory in SPLIT SCREEN MODE To delete a form in FORM MODE Tab To move cursor between local/remote drive listings in the SPLIT SCREEN MODE Left/Rt arrows To move cursor between local/remote drive listings in the SPLIT SCREEN MODE '+' To select the file(s) to be transferred while in SPLIT SCREEN MODE or form(s) to be executed in FORM MODE '-' To unselect the file(s) to be transferred while in SPLIT SCREEN MODE or form(s) to be executed in FORM MODE Enter To change to directory or re-read directory in SPLIT SCREEN MODE. Select an item to be edited or modified in FORM MODE and configuration menu PgUp, PgDn To move the cursor up/down a page at a time Home To move the cursor to top of list End To move the cursor to bottom of list Alt-C To go to COMMAND MODE from SPLIT SCREEN MODE or FORM MODE or SLAVE MODE Alt-S To go to SPLIT SCREEN MODE from COMMAND MODE or FORM MODE or SLAVE MODE Alt-F To go to FORM MODE from SPLIT SCREEN MODE or COMMAND MODE or SLAVE MODE Alt-L To switch between Local Copy and Remote Copy in SPLIT SCREEN MODE Alt-M To toggle monochrome/color output from MAIN MENU To go to MAIN MENU from SLAVE MODE -------------------- Read-only, hidden and system files -------------------- FastLynx can transfer files and directories that are read-only, hidden or system. Because these are special files, FastLynx handles them a bit differently than normal files and directories. A read-only, hidden or system file will only be transferred if it doesn't exist on the target machine. This is to prevent unwanted over-writing or moving of this type of files. This behavior can be partially overridden in Command Mode with the /W switch. If the /W switch is present, Read-Only files will be overwritten even if they exist on the receiving system. FastLynx will also delete system, hidden and read-only files and directories, but will ask for additional verification to make sure you really want the file or directory deleted.