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4DOS Shareware README.DOC Version 4.0 -- November 1, 1991 Copyright 1988 - 1991, JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved. Published by JP Software Inc., P.O. Box 1470, E. Arlington, MA 02174 USA, (617) 646-3975. Greetings, and thanks for trying 4DOS! This file contains a variety of information you should read before installing 4DOS, before ordering, or to understand more about JP Soft- ware's products. If you have tried a shareware copy of 4DOS and want to place an order, see the product and ordering information section on page 8 or call us at (800) 368-8777 (orders only please!) or (617) 646-3975. Our order form is included separately in the file ORDER.FRM. For complete installation instructions, see page 2. These instructions cover installation procedures for both new 4DOS users and for those upgrading from a previous version of 4DOS. The license agreement which governs your use of 4DOS is included sepa- rately in the file LICENSE.DOC. Please read it before ordering. The text is written in plain English, and clearly explains your rights and responsibilities as a user of 4DOS. If you live outside the US and Canada you may want to check the list of international dealers in this file. These dealers can often provide local service, and may offer faster shipping than we can provide when mailing packages from the United States. This file is formatted at 58 lines per page, and contains form feeds and page footers. It can be viewed with a file viewer such as the 4DOS LIST command, or printed on most PC printers using the command: copy readme.doc prn Printing it with a program that formats the pages is not likely to work due to the formatting included in the file. 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 1 Installation and Use -------------------- Changes in Version 4.0: Version 4.0 is a major new release and many parts of 4DOS have changed. If you have a previous version of 4DOS, be sure to read the installation instructions in this file AND the summary of changes in version 4.0 (in the file UPDATE40.DOC) before you start using this new version. If you're a new 4DOS user, you can skip UPDATE40.DOC. Files Included with 4DOS 4.0: Please note that the way your copy of 4DOS is "packaged" will vary depending on the distribution method (5.25" disk, 3.5" disk, or on- line). In general there will be two 5.25", 360K disks, or one 3.5" 720K disk. On-line copies will be in two .ZIP files: one (usually 4DOS4D.ZIP or 4DOS40D.ZIP) containing 4DOS.DOC, and one (usually 4DOS4P.ZIP or 4DOS40P.ZIP) containing all other files. If you have an on-line copy and have only one .ZIP file, check to be sure you are not missing the manual or other files before installing 4DOS. ZIP files distributed by JP Software will display the message "JP Software ZIP File Authenticity Verified!", with ID number TTN722 when they are unzipped. If you do not see this message, the ZIP file you are using has been modified. This does not necessarily indicate a problem (for example, some BBS sysops "brand" 4DOS with their BBS name using software from us; 4DOS ZIP files on these BBSes will not show the JP Software verification message). However it does alert you to the fact that the file has been changed since it was created by JP Software. The following files are included with this version of 4DOS (numbers in parentheses refer to notes at the end of the list): 4DOS.COM 4DOS program file 4DOS.DOC Complete 4DOS manual 4DOS.HLP 4DOS help text 4DOS.ICO (2) Icon file for running 4DOS under Windows 3.0 4DOSM.ICO (2) Same as 4DOS.ICO but for monochrome systems 4DOS.PIF (2) PIF file for running 4DOS under Windows 3.0 4HELP.EXE 4DOS help program ALIASES Sample aliases APPNOTES.DOC Information on using 4DOS with other products BRAND4.BTM 4DOS batch file for branding version 4.0 using version 3 BRAND.EXE HELPCFG.EXE Color configuration program for HELP.EXE INSTALL.EXE (1) Shareware disk installation program KSTACK.COM Memory-resident program used by the 4DOS KEYSTACK command 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 2 ORDER.FRM 4DOS shareware and upgrade order forms and information README.1ST (1) Shareware disk README file and startup in- structions README.DOC This file SAMPLES.BTM Sample 4DOS batch files (all samples are included in one file) SUPPORT.BBS Information on Channel 1, the independent BBS used for 4DOS support SYSOP.DOC 4DOS information for BBS sysops TOUR1.BTM Batch file used for the 4DOS "tour" (see and TOUR2.BTM chapter 3 of the manual) UPDATE40.DOC Information for users of 4DOS version 3 on changes in version 4 VENDOR.DOC 4DOS information for shareware disk vendors (1) Included only with diskette copies of 4DOS. The INSTALL files are not included with on-line copies of 4DOS because they will only work properly when 4DOS is stored on diskette in its usual distribution format. (2) For information on using the Windows files see the information in chapter 7 of the manual on running 4DOS with Windows 3.0. Installing a Downloaded Copy of 4DOS: (These instructions do not cover diskette installation, because when 4DOS is installed from diskette this file is not visible until after installation is complete.) Whether or not you presently have 4DOS installed, create a new direc- tory for 4DOS 4.0 (do not install it in the same directory as a pre- vious version of 4DOS). Then decompress the 4DOS manual (4DOS.DOC) so you have it available for reference. You can print the manual, or any 4DOS documentation file (including this one), by copying it to the printer with a command like this: copy 4dos.doc prn The documentation files are formatted at 58 lines or less per page, and contain form feeds and page footers. Printing them with a pro- gram that formats the pages is not likely to work due to the format- ting already included in each file. Please note that the manual is quite long (about 350 pages). If you don't want to print it it can be viewed on-screen with a file viewer such as the 4DOS LIST command or LIST.COM. Much of what's in the manual is also available in the 4DOS HELP system. However the HELP system is organized primarily for quick reference, and may not be the best way to get an overview of 4DOS's features or to learn about a topic in depth. 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 3 To test drive your copy of 4DOS see the instructions in Chapter 3 of the manual (the "Tour"). To install it completely, follow the manual installation instructions in Chapter 2, disregarding the discussion of extracting files from the diskettes. BE SURE YOU HAVE A BOOTABLE DOS FLOPPY DISK (as described at the beginning of Chapter 2) before installing 4DOS on your system. This is not because 4DOS is likely to cause trouble. It's because a mis- take in the system startup files (CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT), or a power failure or other disturbance during installation, could prevent your system from booting properly. While such problems are rare, any time you modify CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT you should have a bootable floppy disk handy so you can recover if necessary. Upgrading to Version 4.0: If you have an earlier version of 4DOS, read the notes below before installing version 4.0. Be sure to read the summary of changes in version 4.0, in the file UPDATE40.DOC, before you start using this new version. We have made some changes to command syntax and switches, both for DOS 5 compati- bility and in the course of implementing new features. You should learn about these changes as some commands may not work exactly the way you're used to in version 4.0. 4DOS 4.0 can be run in test drive mode over 4DOS version 3, so you can test the new version before fully installing it. 4DOS 4.0 should ALWAYS be installed in a different directory (or if you have a flop- py-disk system, on a different disk) than any earlier version of 4DOS. Installing in the same directory as your old version may over- write old files with new ones; since these files are in use when your system boots, this will cause trouble if you have not changed CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT for 4DOS 4.0. When you do a complete installation of version 4.0 (as opposed to running it in test drive mode), you'll need to remove any old set- tings in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files that were put in for an earlier version of 4DOS. You may also need to set up a 4DOS.INI file. More details on changes in version 4.0, and on the relation- ship between version 3 and version 4 configuration directives, can be found in UPDATE40.DOC. The changes you need to make include: * Remove any old SHELL= line from CONFIG.SYS and replace it with a new SHELL= line, following the instructions in chapter 2 of the manual. Be sure you change the path on the SHELL= line to point to your 4DOS 4.0 files! Note that most of the parameters that used to be set on the SHELL= line are now set in 4DOS.INI. * Remove any DEVICE=KEYSTACK.SYS line in CONFIG.SYS. Instead, include a line in AUTOEXEC.BAT to load the new memory-resident 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 4 program KSTACK.COM, which replaces the old KEYSTACK.SYS. You may load KSTACK high using any memory manager with a load high capability, and you may load it from CONFIG.SYS with INSTALL= if you are familiar with this method of loading TSRs. * Be sure to remove any line(s) in AUTOEXEC which SET the COMSPEC to point to the old version of 4DOS. This is very important because if these lines are left in you may end up running a copy of version 3.03 as a secondary shell with version 4.0 as a primary shell, which will NOT work (see note above). You prob- ably don't need to replace the old SETs with corresponding SETs for version 4.0, because version 4.0 sets the COMSPEC automatically. * If you need to change the 4DOS configuration defaults, create a 4DOS.INI file in the same directory where 4DOS.COM is stored. See Chapter 6 of the manual for complete details on the wide variety of configuration options available in 4DOS 4.0. We do recommend that you get your system up and running under version 4.0 with only the necessary items in 4DOS.INI (for example, increased alias or environment size, or a change in the default swapping type) before trying out new configuration options. Version 4.0 of 4DOS is a major upgrade. If you purchased 4DOS ver- sion 3 with a printed manual and are entitled to a free or low-cost upgrade to version 4, the BRAND program you used to brand your old copy will also brand version 4.0, converting your downloaded copy from a shareware to a registered copy. (If you do not have a copy of BRAND, you purchased 4DOS from a publisher outside the US with a different upgrade policy. Contact the publisher or your dealer for upgrade information.) If you are not entitled to the upgrade, see the upgrade order form at the end of the ORDER.FRM file. Order one of the "standard upgrade" items from that form to obtain your upgrade, including a new copy of BRAND. Once you've ordered the upgrade, you can continue to use this shareware copy until your order arrives. If you are entitled to the upgrade, please note that your old copy of BRAND.EXE will not work directly with version 4.0, because it is designed for the version 3 file names (4DOS88.EXE and 4DOS286.EXE), whereas the file to be branded for version 4.0 is 4DOS.COM. If you order an upgrade to version 4.0 (with or without a printed manual) from JP Software, it will come with a newer copy of BRAND which can be used instead of your old copy. In the meantime, the following procedure explains how to use your old BRAND so that it will work on this shareware copy of version 4.0: (1) Change to the directory where your 4DOS version 4.0 files are stored. 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 5 (2) Find your old 4DOS registered disk and copy BRAND.EXE from that disk to the directory where your 4DOS 4.0 files are stored. (3) To BRAND version 4.0 automatically, enter the command: BRAND4 to run the BRAND4.BTM file which comes with shareware copies of 4DOS and follow the instructions on the screen. BRAND4.BTM will only work if it is run from 4DOS -- it can- not be used from COMMAND.COM. (4) To BRAND version 4.0 manually, rename 4DOS.COM to 4DOS286.EXE, run BRAND and enter the serial number from the label on your old registered disk, and then rename 4DOS286.EXE back to 4DOS.COM. (This procedure will work even if you have an 8088-based system). (5) When you run BRAND (either automatically or manually) you should see two messages: Cannot brand 4DOS88.EXE -- file not found 4DOS286.EXE branded successfully If you see a message indicating a "brand installation er- ror", you probably are not entitled to brand this upgrade. You can order an upgrade from JP Software Technical Support: We support 4DOS in our own CompuServe area, section 10 of the PC Vendor B forum (GO PCVENB), and in the ibm.dos/4dos conference on Bix. If you are not currently a CompuServe subscriber, consider a special offer CompuServe has made to 4DOS users: call 1-800-848-8199 (outside the US and Canada call 614-457-0802) and ask for operator 178 to receive a free CompuServe introductory membership, including user ID, password, and a $15 connect time credit. Our CompuServe ID for direct access to our technical support person- nel is 75300,1215. Use this ID for technical support issues only. If you have direct CompuServe access please use the PCVENB forum (as opposed to Mail) whenever possible; for technical support via Inter- net send mail to 75300.1215@compuserve.com. Support is also available by phone (617-646-3975), fax (617-646- 0904), and mail (JP Software, PO Box 1470, E. Arlington, MA 02174). Telephone support hours and availability may vary depending on our current staffing pattern and workload; there may not always be a support representative available when you call, in which case we will take a message and call you back. We return calls as soon as possi- 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 6 ble, and our policy is to return all calls within at most 24 hours (weekends and holidays excepted). Bulletin Board Support for 4DOS: 4DOS product support is always available on our support BBS, Channel 1 in Boston. Channel 1 is an independent BBS (not operated by JP Software) which has generously offered to provide a home for 4DOS BBS support. Phone 617-354-8873 to access Channel 1 at 2400 baud; other phone numbers are available once you sign up. To download 4DOS files join conference 5 and then download the file you need. The file names for the latest version of 4DOS are 4DOSxxD.ZIP (the manual), and 4DOSxxP.ZIP (all other files), where "xxx" is the version (e.g. 4DOS40P.ZIP). You will be able to download 4DOS files even if they appear to be too large for your remaining time on the board. If you have access to a local bulletin board which is a member of any of the major BBS networks (RIME / PC Relay, InterLink, SmartNet, or FidoNet), you can obtain support by leaving messages in the network's 4DOS conference. 4DOS is distributed directly to over 150 bulletin boards worldwide by JP Software, and is uploaded to many more. It is impossible for us to list the enormous number of boards that have the latest version of 4DOS, but we encourage you to check your favorite BBS, or use Channel 1. If you are a BBS sysop, see SYSOP.DOC for information on obtain- ing a copy of 4DOS for your BBS. BBS Support Outside the USA: Many users outside the US have asked us where they can download 4DOS. Local BBSes around the world carry shareware copies of 4DOS, so check your favorite BBS first. We have made arrangements for a number of BBSes outside the USA, including those listed below, to receive the latest version of 4DOS by mail as soon as possible after it is is- sued. Some of these boards simply have the latest version available for download; others offer 4DOS conferences for discussion as well. Check with the board closest to you for the services provided, and any charges for membership or access. If you are a sysop would like to offer 4DOS support, please contact us and we will try to include you in this list for a future version of 4DOS. Denmark: ComputerLand BBS (Ballerup), 45-42-971621 Netherlands: Perfect Board (Amsterdam), 31-20-6962382 Data Boss (Enschede), 31-53-339781 Norway: Thunderball Cave (Oslo), 47-2-567017 UK/Scotland: Almac PC Board BBS (Sterlingshire), 44-324-665371 Edinburgh Castle BBS, 44-31-334-7043 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 7 Ordering and Product Information -------------------------------- Shareware Information: If you obtained 4DOS from a shareware disk vendor, an on-line comput- er service or bulletin board, a friend or colleague, or another simi- lar source, you have an unregistered (trial) copy. As the copyright holder for 4DOS, JP Software allows and encourages you to use this trial copy without charge for a limited period of time, under the terms of the 4DOS license agreement (see LICENSE.DOC). After this time is up, you must purchase (register and pay for) 4DOS to continue using it. This method of distribution is known as shareware. It allows you to determine whether 4DOS meets your needs before you pay for it. The registration fee for a single copy of 4DOS is $69 (add $5 for shipping outside the US and Canada). Payment of this fee entitles you to a complete copy of 4DOS with typeset-quality printed and bound manual; a free or low-cost upgrade to our next major release; techni- cal support via electronic mail or telephone; and a subscription to the 4DOS newsletter. For details on what's included with 4DOS see the product information on page 10. Multi-system licenses are also available; see page 14 for more information. Ordering from JP Software: 4DOS and all of our other products can be ordered using the order forms in the ORDER.FRM file. If you are ordering 4DOS for the first time, use the standard order form. If you are already a 4DOS user and want to upgrade or order another product, use the "upgrade order form" at the end of ORDER.FRM. For convenient phone ordering call us between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM eastern US time at 800-368-8777 (orders only please!) or 617-646- 3975; or transmit your order form to us by fax any time at (617) 646-0904. You can also order via CompuServe (Mail to 75300,210), BIX (mail to "trawson"), or Internet (75300.210@compuserve.com). Please include all information on the order form with your electronic order, preferably in the same format. Ordering 4DOS from a Dealer: You are welcome to order 4DOS from the software dealer you or your company uses regularly. If your dealer does not carry 4DOS they can special-order it from JP Software at a discount to resell to you. (If you are a dealer see "Resale and Bundling of 4DOS" on page 15 for 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 8 information on obtaining resale copies.) 4DOS is available on a spe- cial-order basis from a number of larger chains, including both Egg- head Discount Software and Voyager/CorSoft. US Government Customers: We have applied for 4DOS, 4OS2, and BOOT.SYS to be included on GSA schedule for fiscal 1993 through resellers. These products are also available through resellers on an open-market basis. Please contact us if you need information on purchasing 4DOS through a reseller specializing in government sales. Dealers for 4DOS Outside the USA: If you are ordering from outside North America please check the list of international dealers below. Purchasing through these dealers can save you the delay and inconvenience which can be involved in dealing with currency conversions and international shipping, as well as providing a local source for support and service. PLEASE NOTE that international dealers set their own pricing; some also set their own upgrade policies, which may not be the same as those of JP Software. Check with your dealer for details. England: Shareware Publishing voice: (0297) 24088 3a Queen Street fax: (0297) 24091 Seaton, Devon EX12 2NY CompuServe 70007,4725 Germany: Computer Solutions voice: (08) 092-5018 Postfach 1180 fax: (08) 092-31727 D-8018 Grafing CompuServe 76234,3577 CDV-Newsoft voice: (07) 21-22295 Ettlingerstr. 5 fax: (07) 21-21314 7500 Karlsruhe 1 CompuServe 100022,274 Kirschbaum Software voice: (08) 067-1016 Kronaustr. 15 fax: (08) 067-1053 D-8091 Emmerling Australia: Manaccom Pty Ltd. voice: (07) 368-2366 P. O. Box 509 fax: (07) 369-7589 Kenmore QLD 4069 Netherlands: The Owl's Nest voice: (02) 155-28631 Hazebad 25 fax: (02) 155-26527 3766 JL Soest 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 9 APS / Byteline voice: (01) 840-14294 Konigsweer 17 fax: (01) 840-19031 3363 XD Sliedrecht Product Descriptions and New Products: This section describes each of JP Software's products, so you know what you're getting before you order. We are excited to be able to offer you some new products, including 4OS2 to replace the OS/2 com- mand processor, BOOT.SYS for selecting system configuration at boot time, and a book about 4DOS. 4DOS: 4DOS is our "flagship" product. If you aren't familiar with what it is and does, take a look at the manual for all the details. It offers you great power while working at the DOS prompt and in batch files, makes minimal use of your precious memory, and gen- erally makes life with DOS a whole lot easier. It works with all versions of MS-DOS / PC-DOS from 2.0 up, and with DR-DOS. When you purchase 4DOS you'll receive the current version on 5.25" or 3.5" disk, a typeset-quality printed and bound manual, an upgrade to the next major release, and a subscription to "The Prompt Solution", our newsletter published 3 - 4 times per year to pro- vide technical tips and other information about our products. For details on how upgrades work, see the next section; see page 14 for information on multi-system licenses. 4OS2: 4OS2 is to OS/2 what 4DOS is to DOS. It is a complete replace- ment for CMD.EXE, the OS/2 command processor, and brings the full power of 4DOS to OS/2 users. 4OS2 offers all of the features of 4DOS 4.0, plus additional features designed to enhance command processing under OS/2. Using 4OS2 with 4DOS provides a consis- tent interface in OS/2 character-mode sessions and the DOS com- patibility box (or DOS machines in OS/2 2.0). 4OS2 is compatible with OS/2 1.2, 1.3, and beta copies of OS/2 2.0. It is distrib- uted as shareware, and sold under the same pricing and upgrade policies as 4DOS (see above and below for details). A bundled package of 4OS2 and 4DOS together is $89; 4OS2 alone is $69 (add $5 to either price for shipping outside the US and Canada). Registered 4DOS users can purchase 4OS2 at a special discount price of $29 (add $3 for shipping outside the US and Canada). 4OS2 will begin shipping in late November or early December, 1991. 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 10 Registered User Upgrades: The upgrade policies listed here apply to copies of the English versions of 4DOS and 4OS2 purchased from JP Software. Some deal- ers outside the USA may establish different upgrade policies, check with your dealer for details. Maintenance releases of 4DOS and 4OS2 are indicated by a change in the "hundredths" digit of the version number, or a suffix letter (e.g. 3.02, 3.02a); major upgrades are indicated by a change in the "units" or "tenths" digit (e.g. 4.0, 4.1). When you purchase a single copy or a multi-system license, main- tenance releases and your upgrade to the next major release of 4DOS or 4OS2 are free if you download them (you pay only any telephone or other download costs), or may be obtained on disk from JP Software for a nominal charge (the amount may vary from release to release). Once you've obtained your free or low-cost upgrade to the next major release, you can obtain future major upgrades at a reasonable cost from JP Software. A free or low-cost upgrade will always include an electronic (ASCII) copy of the manual, but new printed manuals must be pur- chased separately. The printed manual is generally modified only for major releases, not maintenance releases. 4DOS / 4OS2 Utility Disk: JP Software offers an add-on product for registered 4DOS and 4OS2 users only, the 4DOS Utility Disk, priced at $12 (add $3 for shipping outside the US and Canada). All products on the utility disk except 4MAKE are either share- ware or freeware, and are available on many BBSes and on-line services. We provide them on the utility disk as a service to those customers who do not have modems or who prefer to obtain these programs on diskette. The utility disk includes: * JP Software's help file compiler 4MAKE, and a copy of the ASCII 4DOS help text. With these tools you can add, modify, or delete information in the 4DOS HELP system for your own use or your company's internal use. 4OS2 customers will receive compilable help text for 4OS2 as well, using either an OS/2 help facility, or proprietary software similar to that used for the 4DOS HELP system (exact details of the 4OS2 help system had not been finally determined when this file was created). * TSRCOM, TurboPower Software's package of TSR and memory management utilities. TSRCOM allows you to remove TSRs from 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 11 memory, and also includes a memory map program and several other useful utilities. * A shareware copy of BOOT.SYS, which allows you to select your system configuration at boot time. See page 12 for de- tails on this product. You can now purchase registered copies of BOOT.SYS directly from JP Software. * Shareware copies of 4EDIT, a full-screen 4DOS file descrip- tion editor; and 4ZIP, a shell for PKZIP and PKUNZIP allow- ing 4DOS file descriptions to be stored in and retrieved from .ZIP files. * A shareware copy of FDU, also a 4DOS full-screen file de- scription editor, with a somewhat different design and fea- ture set than 4EDIT. * A shareware copy of DiZk4D, a disk file cataloguer designed specifically to work with 4DOS. * A shareware copy of SWAPDOS, a utility to swap applications out of memory when you shell to DOS from inside the applica- tion. (BOOT.SYS, 4EDIT, 4ZIP, FDU, and SWAPDOS, are shareware prod- ucts; like all shareware you must register the product if you continue to use it after a trial period.) 4DOS in German!: A complete German-language version of 4DOS is now available from our German distributor, Computer Solutions. This version includes a complete printed 4DOS manual in German, German help text, and German translations of all program messages and re- sponses. The cost for version 3.03 is DM 169.-, SFR 169.-, or oS 1200.- including sales tax, and must be paid by check or COD (no credit cards). Version 4.0 will be available in late 1991 or early 1992; contact Computer Solutions for pricing information. Discounts are available for customers who already own the English version of 4DOS. The German version of 4DOS is only available for purchase, it is not distributed as shareware. To order your copy, contact Computer Solutions (see Dealers Out- side the USA, page 9). The German version of 4DOS is available only from Computer Solutions, not from JP Software. BOOT.SYS: BOOT.SYS is a shareware package which allows you to choose your system configuration when your computer boots. It makes managing 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 12 a variety of configurations (for example, booting under plain 4DOS, DESQView, or Windows 3) very simple. It supports multi- level menus, color display, and option selection in both CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. It is invoked when the system boots, and does not require a reboot after changing configura- tions the way some similar programs do. We use BOOT.SYS here at JP Software, and we like it so much we decided to add it to our product line. To use BOOT.SYS effectively you need to be reasonably familiar with CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. BOOT.SYS works with multiple sets of configuration directives (DEVICE, SHELL, etc.) in your CONFIG.SYS file. It presents menus to allow you to choose which set or subset of these directives to execute, and also provides a program you can run in AUTOEXEC to determine which menu choice was selected. You use the result returned by this program in IF or IFF statements in AUTOEXEC.BAT in order to make AUTOEXEC execute the correct TSRs and other commands corre- sponding to the choices you made in CONFIG.SYS. This approach is very powerful when combined with 4DOS IFF / THEN / ELSE state- ments. A shareware copy of BOOT.SYS is available on the 4DOS utility disk, and can be downloaded from our CompuServe support area and many other on-line services and local BBSes. You can order your registered copy of BOOT.SYS from JP Software for $42 (add $3 for shipping outside the US and Canada). Shareware Plus: Featuring 4DOS (book): This 280-page book, published by Business One Irwin, is the first independent book about 4DOS. The author, David Busch, is an accomplished computer book author and the first two-time winner of "Best Book" honors from the Computer Press Association. The book takes you through a wide range of 4DOS features, and includes sample batch files and aliases on disk. Chapter titles include: What is a Command Processor?, Batch File Basics, Using Variables in Batch Files, Using the Environment, Redirection, Using Aliases, Advanced Batch Commands, 4DOS File Management, and Debugging a Batch File/Alias. If you'd like a basic introduction to 4DOS and a set of examples you can work from, or you want a more step by step approach to 4DOS features, then this book is for you. If you are already familiar with much of 4DOS and are comfortable working with JP Software's 4DOS reference manual, you may not find enough new information in the book to make it worthwhile. 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 13 Shareware Plus: Featuring 4DOS was written for 4DOS 3.02, and is still relevant and useful for version 4.0. A new version of the book updated for 4DOS 4.0 should be available sometime in 1992. You can order Shareware Plus: Featuring 4DOS directly from JP Software for $34 (add $5 for shipping outside the US and Canada). The book includes a disk with sample batch files and aliases, and a shareware copy of 4DOS 3.02. Multi-System Licenses: Whether you are a major corporation, a small business, or an individ- ual with more than one computer, if you plan to use our products on multiple systems you can save money by ordering a multi-system li- cense rather than individual copies. If all you want to do is use 4DOS at work and at home you may not need a second copy; see the license agreement in the LICENSE.DOC file for details. A multi-system license for 4DOS includes a master diskette and one manual, and additional manuals are available at $12 each (less for large quantities; additional shipping charges apply outside the US). Multi-system licenses may be used at a single site, multiple sites, or company-wide, and on a network or stand-alone systems, as long as all support and distribution are handled through a single location. Our pricing structure covers any number of systems you may have and goes well beyond what is listed below; you pay only for the number of systems actually using 4DOS. For larger licenses a variety of custom arrangements can be made to meet your specific needs. A sample schedule of multi-system license fees for 4DOS is below. The actual schedule has more divisions; contact JP Software for pric- ing on the exact number of systems you wish to license, and for mul- ti-system license information on BOOT.SYS. You can also check off the line on the order form for more information. JP Software also offers a simple program which allows you to increase your license size at a reasonable price as you add new systems. Please contact us for details on such increases. Systems Price Systems Price Systems Price ------- -------- ------- -------- ------- -------- 2 101.00 15 457.00 50 1,200.00 3 133.00 20 577.00 60 1,360.00 4 165.00 25 697.00 70 1,520.00 5 197.00 30 800.00 80 1,680.00 10 337.00 40 1,000.00 100 2,000.00 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 14 Resale and Bundling of 4DOS: We offer reseller discounts for 4DOS beginning at 25% for a single copy, and increasing substantially with volume. If you are a dealer, consultant, or reseller please contact us for pricing or check off the line on the 4DOS order form. We also offer attractive bundling arrangements for VARs, consultants, and OEMs who wish to bundle 4DOS with another hardware or software product. The details and pricing are flexible and can be modified to meet your specific situation. Please contact us for more informa- tion. ASP Information: The authors and publisher of 4DOS are members of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP), an organization formed to strengthen the future of shareware. Its members, all of whom are programmers who subscribe to a code of ethics, are committed to the concept of shareware as a method of marketing. The ASP sets standards for its members and their shareware products which provide (among other things) that programs produced by ASP members must be fully documented, non-crippled, and offered with at least a minimum level of support. It also sets standards for share- ware disk vendors and provides information to the public about shareware. JP Software is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for mem- bers' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. 4DOS 4.0 [11-1-91] README.DOC page 15