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Text File | 1992-04-15 | 12.9 KB | 239 lines

RECON v6.10 (C) Copyright 1990-1992, Peter Ogden PROGRAM HISTORY v1.61 : First public release (Public Domain). Keyboard only operation. v2.00 : Full mouse and keyboard user interface (scrollable menu list with "elevator bar"). Windowed, mouse driven configuration. Larger 4DOS history file can be handled (4096 bytes maximum with no more than 2048 lines). Bug fix for History being written even when disabled. v2.11 : Changed handling of Disk Cache Flushing. The flush command is no longer stored within the EXE file (allows program to be compressed with LZEXE or similar after configuration). Companion program ACTIVE.EXE included to give easy identification of current configuration. v2.12 : Bug fix for cache flush being indeterminate for configurations without a #Flush line. v2.13 : Bug fix for #Names longer than 20 characters causing active markers to be removed. Fix for ACTIVE crashing when no description. v2.14 : Bug fix for command line entry of configuration name not flushing cache. v2.16 : Network compatibility increased. Bug fix for ACTIVE returning incorrect 4DOS version. v3.00 : Major rewrite of all programs. Optimised for speed and size. Added DOWN.EXE (replaces DOWN.BTM). Changed version numbers of companion programs to same as REBOOT for consistency. v3.01 : Multiple History files allowed - #Hist command added. Distributed as Shareware from this version on. Fixed bug concerning Logitech Mice. v3.02 : Cold boot/Warm boot override command line switches added. NOTE: COMMAND LINE SWITCHES CHANGED; /C now causes a Cold boot override, /I (Install) replaces the previous /C (Configure). Four new utility programs added: BTIME & CHKBOOT (conditional booting utilities), TIMEBOOT and TIMEDASK. Bug fix for MS-DOS 4.xx large partitions. Rewritten DOWN to include multiple history files (which was missed in the 3.01 release). Option included to reset DEC PCSA LAN cards (not tested). ACTIVE modified to include boot time and current time. COMPACT, REBOOT and DOWN modified to ignore case when removing duplicates from history files. v3.03 : Bug fix for monochrome screens losing entries from display. Was supposed to have been fixed in last version but was unfortunately left out. v4.00 : Major rewrite of file input and output routines in all programs (Speed has improved markedly). Editing of configurations now available (using your own editor). COMPACT handles files twice as large as previously. Compacting algorithm reworked, now more than twice as fast. Error handling improved, fixed lock up with some user errors. v4.01 : REGISTRATION CHANGED: once only payment for this version and ALL subsequent versions (users already registered need pay no extra money). BRAND program no longer needed to register program (registration function now available from install). All defaults and registration information are now stored in config file, allowing EXE's to be compressed with LZEXE/PKLITE etc. (also means subsequent versions will be already setup with your colour selection and registration). Bug fix for configuration files larger than 8K having problems updating # and *. Alias allowed for calling editor. Mouse selection of options on help line now available. Option to turn flashing mouse cursor on or off (now defaults to off, as some mouse drivers have problems with flashing mouse cursor). TIMEBOOT modified to allow for use during midnight rollover. v4.02 : /R and /A switches added, /I switch removed. /R Returns you to your current directory after rebooting with a new configuration. /A writes the AUTOEXEC.BAT file only (used by /R switch). The first 40 characters of the #Descr line are now written to a 4DOS DESCRIPT.ION file. Optimisations made to all utilities. Due to the size of the ZIP file being rather large for international distribution, some of the utilities previously distributed with this package now distributed separately (COMPACT, TIMEBOOT, TIMEDASK, SQZ.BTM) in a 4DOS/DOS BATCH Utility Archive. Look for 4DDBU402.XXX (where XXX is ZIP, LZH etc.). These are the files that do not require REBOOT.CFG to be present to work. Bug fix for registration option creating multiple copies of #Reg line. /R switch added to DOWN program. As for REBOOT, /R returns you to your current directory at next boot-up. v5.00 : Complete replacement of all low level routines with highly optimised assembler routines. User interface reworked, modernised. Mouse routines completely rewritten, allowing auto repeat on holding down mouse button. DESQview compatibility added. /D (Down) switch added, allows choice of configuration for next power up. This switch was added to fix problems people were having with using REBOOT /n to set the configuration to use at next switch on, then using DOWN before switch off. This caused the wrong history files to be updated, and possibly the wrong cache flush command to be used. DOWN program removed (replaced by DOWN.BAT). The asterisk (*) symbol is now available as a synonym to the active configuration. An example of the use of this feature is as a replacement for the DOWN program: REBOOT * /D This will cause REBOOT to flush the cache and update the history file but not write the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS. Bug fix for first letter searching in pick list not working. Bug fix for very occassional '#' characters ending up in the wrong place for config files larger than 8K. Bug fix for DESCRIPT.ION file being written even if one did not exist before. ALL temporary files written to directory pointed to by TEMP environment variable if it exists. New configurations are now checked for validity before creation. Ability to create REBOOT.CFG (if it does not exist) from within REBOOT. ACTIVE improved, with DOS 5.0 loaded, will inform whether DOS is loaded in HMA or ROM. v5.10 : Configuration pick list now variable width (15-60 characters), allows configuration name length from 1 to 60 characters. As a consequence, comments are no longer permitted on #Name lines. Added manual sorting of configuration pick list (Alt-M Move Cfg). Add and Copy now allows insertion of new config in any position. Display of Help line and Registration line (for registered users only) now optional. Press F1 to toggle Help line for current run only. Added two new options for mouse cursor - Hidden and Off. Hidden causes the mouse cursor to remain hidden until the mouse is moved and will hide again after a short time of disuse. Off disables the mouse entirely. REBOOT initialises considerably faster with this option set off. Now attempts to detect whether being run from a shell, Windows or DESQview. If using one of these, editing of the configurations is permitted, but if you attempt to boot, it will ask if you are sure. Unfortunately, REBOOT is not able to detect if you are in a secondary COMMAND.COM shell (if anyone knows a way of detecting this, please let me know). DOWN.BAT modified to allow other switches to be passed through (allows DOWN /R to be entered). Change in layout of install screen to accomodate new options. Bug fix for Mono screen display not appearing. Bug fix for CGA snow checking. v6.00 : NAME CHANGED. Now called RECON (short for re-configure) to differentiate it from the 4DOS v4.00 internal command. New command added: #FPath. Allows configuration files to be written to directories other than the root directory of the boot drive (added as 4DOS v4.00 allows AUTOEXEC to be read from a user nominated path). Multiple configuration files can now be included in each configuration. This has been added (also due to 4DOS v4.00) to allow the user to have other (text based) configuration files (e.g. 4DOS.INI) to be replaced at the the same time as CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT (see example configs). High intensity backgrounds now available on all video types (except maybe LCD!). Improved mouse control. User can select left/right handed operation, repeat delay, fast reset option (RECON starts as fast as with mouse off with this option on), and various flashing/hiding options. Unsuccessful attempts to write to directory pointed to TEMP variable causes RECON to use local directory rather than fail. Bug fix for Mono and CGA screens disappearing (it is REALLY fixed this time, honest!). Bug fix for occassional loss of scroll bar. Bug fix for crash occurring after multiple edits. Bug fix for shell detection getting confused under COMMAND.COM. v6.10 : Added new hot key ALT-G Grab Cfg. Allows user to create a configuration entry from existing CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. New user option: Beep on completion. Gives audible indication when writing of files complete. Can be enabled for down option only or always, or disabled entirely. New user option: user selectable wallpaper. Multi coloured, or one colour, user selectable message and offset per line. Secondary shell detection now works for COMMAND.COM as well as 4DOS. Environment variable RECONTMP can be used to override where temporary files are written. Temporary file writes should not ever fail now as RECON will attempt to write to directory pointed to RECONTMP, then if this fails, to the directory pointed to by TEMP, if this fails then the current directory, an finally if this fails the root directory of the drive the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS are written to. Low level routines further optimised. Bug fix for /C and /W override not working. Due to time constraints, compression options promised to some people not implemented in this version. Watch for next version around mid year.