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C O N f i g u r a t i o n E D i t o r VER 2.0 April 28, 1990 Copyright (c) 1990 All Rights Reserved Ira T. Ashkenes 10288 Abbott Rd Manassas, VA 22110 ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 2 Purpose: CONfiguration EDitor allows a user to boot their PC/MS-DOS Computer with any AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS that they have predefined, or interrupt the boot process and create a new one. Up to 10 different configurations can be stored and utilized. WHY? Some history. As a Software Engineer, I have the need to use many different language compilers. Each compiler has its own set of commands in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, such as: @echo off prompt $p$g PATH=C:\MSC\BIN;C:\;C:\DOS;C:\EDT;C:\ARC;C:\QMODEM;C:\MASM\BIN SET LIB=C:\MSC\LIB SET INCLUDE=C:\MSC\INCLUDE SET TEMP=G:\ and for another compiler I use: @echo off prompt $p$g PATH=C:\TC\;C:\TD;C:\TASM;C:\;C:\DOS;C:\EDT;C:\ARC;C:\QMODEM SET LIB=C:\TC\LIB SET INCLUDE=C:\TC\INCLUDE SET TEMP=G:\ To really complicate matters, when I am on a PC connected to a network, I need to incorporate the network configuration files into both my AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. Things were really becoming cumbersome there for a while. I had a number of batch files I wrote which would copy a temporary AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS file to my root directory, then I would issue the famous <CTRL>-<ALT>-<DEL> command to reboot my PC. Searching through the local bulletin boards, I was able to find two good programs that allow a user to select a predefined boot configuration, however, each program boasted an internal editor. I had to learn a new set of editor commands if I wanted revise an AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS from within the program. This was not acceptable, as when I needed an 'on - the - fly' configuration, I usually needed it in a hurry. Additionally, I found the user interface to be a little clumsy for the novice end-user. Thus, the development of ConEd. With ConEd, you have the ability to boot up a machine and select from several different configurations. You can choose to invoke a Network/LAN, or choose a particular library to use, or free up as much memory for DOS as possible by NOT loading some TSRs'. The options are almost endless. If you are in need of more than one configuration, ConEd is for you. ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 3 SHAREWARE ConEd is distributed under the "shareware" concept, also known as "user-supported software". Under this concept, you save the high cost of packaging and distribution while still receiving high quality software. You are free, and in fact encouraged, to distribute this software to your friends, to BBS's and to user groups. Companies that provide software duplication services may include ConEd in their catalog and provide copies for a reasonable duplication fee. All copies must include the files "CONED.EXE", and "CONED.DOC". You are not allowed to modify the files in any way, and this shareware notice must be kept intact. The author, Ira T. Ashkenes retains all other rights to the program. Under the shareware concept you are encouraged to purchase ConEd if it is used for more than 30 days. With registration, you receive full support from the author, as well as the right to use all subsequent versions, if they be updates, or new releases of ConEd. I'd be happy to hear of any improvements you'd like to see, as well as any bug reports. When registering, or writing for any reason, please include the following: 1. ConEd version number 2. where you obtained your copy from 3. a description of your system 4. your full name and address If you have any suggestions or discover any problems with the program you can reach me thru the INFO*SHARE BBS system (300/1200/2400, 8N1) at 703-440-1100 or 703-440-1189. Leave e-mail for Ira. INFO*SHARE is an 8 line, multi-user BBS with an on-line teleconference. INFO*SHARE is the official support BBS for all my software and the latest versions are always available for downloading there. If you have an account on GEnie, I can be reached there as IASHKENES, and I usually call there every 2 - 3 days to check on mail. ConEd was developed using Microsoft C 5.1, and the C Extended Library (CXL) version 5.2 by Mike Smedley. Support Shareware To register this product send $10.00 to: Ira T. Ashkenes 10288 Abbott Road Manassas, Virginia 22110 TRADEMARKS: MICROSOFT is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation CXL is a registered trademark of Mike Smedley GEnie is a registered trademark of GE Information Services IBM is a registed trademark of International Business Machines ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 4 INSTALLATION Please read these instruction prior to actual installation, as you may think of an easier method to suit your particular environment, and perhaps get some idea of how you want your configuration naming convention to be. Anywhere you see <RTN>, this is my way of telling you to please strike the return or enter key. 1. From the root directory of your boot disk, create a subdirectory named CONED (i.e. MD CONED <RTN>). Change to that directory (i.e. CD\CONED <RTN>). Copy CONED.EXE into that directory using the DOS COPY command. 2. Simply execute ConEd by typing CONED <RTN> from the DOS prompt. 3. The first screen to appear on the initial use of ConEd is the configuration menu. You are first prompted for your boot drive. Enter that letter here. 4. Next, you are prompted for the path of your editor. C:\DOS\ is the default. If you do not own a full screen editor, or cannot use a product which saves files in ASCII format, there is always EDLIN which comes supplied with DOS. If your editor is stored in another subdirectory, type in that path (i.e. C:\EDITOR\ <RTN>). 5. You are now prompted for your editors name and extension. For those users who do not have a full screen editor, EDLIN (yuk!) is the default. If you do own another editor, simply type the editors name and extension in here. (i.e. Q.EXE <RTN>) 6. The next prompt is for a description of a configuration. ConEd defaults to "Your Current Configuration" for the first entry during your initail setup. You should change this textual description to what ever you desire. ConEd allows for a textual description of EACH of the configurations you are creating. So if you are going to have a configuration for your Network, you may want to type in something like: Network Configuration <RTN> You have up to 50 characters per description field. 7. Next, you must assign an extension for each description entered. Personally, I use text extensions such as NET for network, or LAN for Local Area Network. You can, however, use extensions such as 001, 002, etc. The idea is to make it as convenient as possible for you to associate the textual description with the associated extension. Simply type in the extension you desire to be assigned to the corresponding AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files (which will be renamed AUTOEXEC.xxx and CONFIG.xxx, where xxx represents the extension you have assigned. ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 5 INSTALLATION (continued) 8. After you have completed steps six and seven for each configuration you wish to set up, press the F10 function key to save this configuration. If an AUTOEXEC.xxx and CONFIG.xxx do not already exist, ConEd will create them for you for each configuration you have entered in the setup menu. The configuration that is created is very small and basic, you will need to edit it to suit your needs. 9. The program now brings up the main menu, which is what you will see each time you execute ConEd from now on. You now see a highlighted cursor bar, your textual descriptions, as well as a set of Function Key commands. 10. You have completed the installation instructions. Now that you have read the installation instructions, here are some suggestions/ideas to think about prior to actually running the program for the first time: A. Think about what configurations you want to have predefined, and what extensions you will assign them. B. If you dont want the AUTOEXEC and CONFIG files that ConEd creates for you from the Configuration menu, by using the DOS COPY command, copy your current AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS to your CONED subdirectory, redirecting the file extension to an extension you will define for each configuration. ConEd will create these configuraiton files if they do not alread exist in the current directory. i.e. copy c:\autoexec.bat c:\coned\autoexec.xxx copy c:\config.sys c:\coned\config.xxx where xxx represents the extesion you assign it. Do this for each configuration you are going to select during the installation process. After installation, you can use ConEd to edit each configuration to do what you want it to do. The first configuration you choose should be the CURRENT configuration (i.e. Your current AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS), as ConEd will copy your current setup and assign it the extension that corresponds with the first entry you made into the configuration menu, if an AUTOEXEC.xxx and CONFIG.xxx do not already exist in the current directory. It is recommended that you invoke ConEd at the beginning of EACH and every AUTOEXEC file so that ConEd will be called prior to any other calls from the AUTOEXEC. This allows you to select immediately upon system boot which configuration you wish to invoke for the particular PC session. ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 6 Using ConEd To invoke ConEd, simply type CONED from the ConEd directory, or in your AUTOEXEC.BAT, have the following: cd\coned coned cd\ This will allow your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to invoke ConEd every time you boot up so you will be able to choose which configuration you want to use. I have also included a file called coned.bat which contains the following: c: cd\coned coned %1 By placing coned.bat in any directory which is included in your PATH, such as \DOS, ConEd can be called from anywhere, no matter which directory or drive you are currently in. The example above assumes the ConEd,exe and ConEd.cfg files to be located on drive c: in the \coned directory. You may change this to suit your own needs. The %1, allows you to be able to pass in a variable (a list of which is located in the next paragraph). If you desire to be able to pass in more that one variable add a %2 %3 etc.... The following command line parameters can be used: -c for CGA Video cards and monitors -b for bios video support -d to start the current configuration after 20 seconds has elapsed. This is useful for operations such as running a BBS. If the power fails, and then restarts, ConEd will select the current configuration after a 20 second duration. If the cursor bar is moved, the delay will be canceled. -m to force MONO mode -s allows you to start any configuration with out going thru the ConEd menu. An example would be, if you have a configuration with an extension .LAN (for Local Area Network) and you type "coned -slan" , coned will reboot your system with the LAN configuration files, by-passing the ConEd menu. Other Examples: CONED -m This will force mono mode CONED -b -d Uses bios video support for ConEd and will start the current configuration after a 20 seconds have elapsed. ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 7 When you execute ConEd you will be in the main menu. By using your arrow keys (UP and DOWN) you will move from one selection to the next. ConEd always starts with the cursor bar on the CURRENT configuration. If you wish to choose this configuration, simply press the <RTN> key. If you opt for another configuration, use your arrow keys to highlight the particular configuration you want, strike the <RTN> key, and your computer will reboot your machine with the selected configuration. When selecting the current configuration, ConEd compares the file length of the current AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files with the AUTOEXEC.xxx and CONFIG.xxx files to ensure they are the same file. If your AUTOEXEC or CONFIG files have been modified, ConEd will present a menu that will allow you to continue to exit, implementing the current configuration; copy the AUTOEXEC.xxx and/or CONFIG.xxx file to the boot directory; or copy the boot directory AUTOEXEC.BAT and/or CONFIG.SYS to the ConEd directory with an extension that matches the current configurations extension. This is useful when installation of a new program modifies the existing CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and you wish to either retain those files with the current extension already in use, or assign a new extension to them. If you have a mouse driver installed prior to invoking ConEd, mouse support is provided for selecting configurations. ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 8 FUNCTION KEYS: F1 - Brief online help to instruct the user of the functionality of the program. F2 - Gives the user the opportunity to view the DOS text screen as it was before ConEd was invoked. This is useful when attempting to ensure that all of the drivers that the CONFIG.SYS calls were correctly installed. F3 - Invokes the editor you have selected to edit the highlighted configurations' AUTOEXEC.BAT file. As you move your cursor bar up and down, the extensions of the AUTOEXEC. will change to correspond to whatever textual description you are on. To return to ConEd, simply exit your editor as you would at any other time. F4 - Invokes the editor you have selected to edit the highlighted configurations' CONFIG.SYS file. As you move your cursor bar up and down, the extensions of the CONFIG. will change to correspond to whatever textual description you are on. To return to ConEd, simply exit your editor as you would at any other time. F5 - Invokes the Configuration Input Menu. This allows you to change, add, or delete any of the configuration option that had been previously selected. When altering the setup, press the F10 function key to save the changes or the ESC key to abort changes. In either case, you are returned to the ConEd main menu. F6 - Presents you with an information screen which tells you what development tools were used in creating ConEd, and how to get in touch with the author. F7 - Allows the user to reboot their computer without exiting to DOS or issuing a <CTRL>-<ALT>-<DEL> command. A user may wish to perform this operation if they realize that a particular function in the CONFIG.SYS file was not invoked properly. An example would be if you are connected to a LAN, and one of the drivers that the CONFIG.SYS calls was not correctly installed or failed. F8 - Permits the user to view the current environment variables. These variables include: COMPSPEC, PATH, PROMPT, LIB, TEMP, INCLUDE, LASTDRIVE, and FILES. F9 - Ends the ConEd program, resumes the configuration in process. ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 9 DISCLAIMER Unfortunately, these are necessary, so I will make this as short and to the point as possible. Ira T. Ashkenes hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Ira T. Ashkenes will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if Ira T. Ashkenes or an agent of Ira T. Ashkenes has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Ira T. Ashkenes's liability for any damages ever exceed the price paid for the license to use software, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software. ConEd.DOC April 28, 1990 Page 10 ConEd version 2.0 Registration Form ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Make checks payable to: Ira Ashkenes 10288 Abbott Road Manassas, Virginia 22110 ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Quan Item Price Total ___ CONfiguration EDitor Ver 2.0...... @ $10 $________ (see below for Site License) Subtotal $________ Virginia State residents add 4.5% sales tax. Tax $________ Total $________ Checks or money orders accepted. ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Name_______________________________________________________ Company_______________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Phone_________________________ Bus.________________________ Where did you obtain ConEd? _______________________________________________________ Comments/Suggestions : _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ SITE LICENSE Pricing: 1 to 10 computers ..... at $10 each # computers ___x 10.00 ______ 11 to 20 computers ..... at $9.00 each # computers ___x 9.00 ______ 21 to 49 computers ..... at $7.00 each # computers ___x 7.00 ______ 50 to 99 computers ..... at $6.00 each # computers ___x 6.00 ______ 100 or more computers .. $500 one time fee ______ Personalized Copies (with Corporate and Personal Logos, etc) available, please send information along with licensing fee.