4DOS v. 6.0 README.TXT -- July 30, 1997 JP Software Inc. P.O. Box 1470 E. Arlington, MA 02174, USA (617) 646-3975 ** fax (617) 646-0904 ** Email sales@jpsoft.com Web http://www.jpsoft.com/ [** NOTE: Our area code (617) changes to (781) as of 1 Sep 97] Greetings, and thanks for trying 4DOS! This file contains a variety of information you should read before using 4DOS, including: Installation and "Branding" Instructions New Version Overview Revision Information Files Included with this Version Technical Support Legal Notices Other information is available in other files: For ... See ... ----------------------------------- ------------ Product and upgrade information PRODUCTS.TXT New customer order form ORDFORM.TXT Current customer upgrade order form UPGFORM.TXT Introduction and Installation Guide 4DOS.TXT (introductory documentation) Complete list of new features Online help Trial version license (not included LICENSE.TXT with purchased copies) INSTALLATION AND "BRANDING" INSTRUCTIONS ---------------------------------------- This section explains how to install a downloaded copy of 4DOS. [If you have a copy on diskette or CD, or a copy purchased electronically, we assume you have already completed the installation -- otherwise this file would not be visible! If you need to reinstall your purchased copy of 4DOS, just restart the INSTALL program.] There are just three steps you need to take to install a downloaded copy of 4DOS: >> Extract all the files to a new directory (do not use a directory you're using for other products, or for a previous version of 4DOS). >> Start 4DOS. It will "install itself". >> If you are upgrading a previously purchased copy, "brand" 4DOS with your name and serial number. Additional details on these steps are below. For branding and manual installation instructions see the sections with those headings below. When installing 4DOS under Windows 95 we recommend that you do NOT use a "long" directory name. If you do, you will have to know and use the equivalent short name to load 4DOS in CONFIG.SYS; it's easier to simply use a short name from the beginning. (This is not a 4DOS limitation. It's because DOS, which starts before Windows 95 and loads the primary command processor, cannot handle long file names. While 4DOS fully supports long file names, to make DOS work well it is best to install 4DOS in a directory with a short name.) You can view any of the documentation files on-line, or copy them to your printer. The Introduction and Installation Guide in 4DOS.TXT has page breaks, headers and footers; all other documentation files are unpaginated ASCII text. "Self-Installation" To begin the installation process, simply run the program file, 4DOS.COM, from a prompt. This will automatically start the self-installation file _4INST.BTM, which will finish installing 4DOS on your system. _4INST will prompt you for permission before each installation step, and no system files will be modified without asking you first. When the installation is finished, _4INST renames itself to _4INST.BTX, so that it will not be run again. (If installation terminates abnormally, _4INST may not be renamed, and will then run again the next time you start the program.) Manual Installation For complete manual installation instructions, see the Introduction and Installation Guide in the file 4DOS.TXT. The detailed instructions for 4DOS are in Chapter 5. If you choose to perform a manual installation you should rename the automated installation file, _4INST.BTM (we recommend renaming it to _4INST.BTX, which is what the file itself does when it's finished). If you don't, it will start automatically the first time you run 4DOS. Branding If you are upgrading from a previously purchased copy you may need to run the "branding" program to install your name and serial number in 4DOS (trial version users can skip this section). In most cases the self-installation process will run the brand program for you if it is available. If it is not, or you need to perform the branding manually for another reason, use the instructions here. Your previous version's brand program may be the older version named BRAND.EXE, or the newer version named BR4DOS.EXE. In either case, in order to perform the branding you will need the brand program, and the registered name, serial number, and validation code which came with your purchased copy of 4DOS. (If you have lost your branding information it is replaceable, but a small charge is required as recreating the codes is a multi-step process. To request replacement codes contact JP Software at sales@jpsoft.com, or at one of the addresses listed at the start of this file.) To run either BRAND.EXE or BR4DOS.EXE use these simple steps: (1) Start 4DOS or go to an existing 4DOS prompt. (2) Change to the directory where 4DOS.COM is installed, and verify that both 4DOS.COM and BRAND.EXE or BR4DOS.EXE are in that directory. (3) Locate the branding information which came with your copy of 4DOS. (4) Enter the command BRAND or BR4DOS and follow the instructions on the screen. If you attempt to brand your downloaded copy and receive the message "brand installation error 4" or "contact JP Software or your dealer for an upgrade", then you are not eligible to download and brand a trial version of this release -- instead, you must purchase the upgrade. See UPGFORM.TXT for an order form. Once you have ordered an upgrade you can continue to use the trial version until your upgrade arrives. If you receive any other error, you have probably mistyped your name, serial number, or validation code, or are attempting to use the brand program or codes from one product with another product, which will not work. NEW VERSION OVERVIEW -------------------- Since the last major release we've added 150 new features to 4DOS! Here are a very small number of major highlights; for complete details, see the online help: >> Extended Directory Searches allow you to change to a directory anywhere on your system by entering only part of its name. See Directory Navigation in the help for complete details. >> New commands include: OPTION: Offers complete configuration adjustment in all products, either through interactive dialogs or on the command line. SWITCH: Provides for "case" statements in batch files. TOUCH: Adjusts file dates and times. TREE: Displays the directory tree, with or without file names, in a variety of formats. >> New file exclusion ranges provide a convenient way to exclude files from any internal command -- faster and more flexible than using EXCEPT. >> The new batch file debugger can execute each line step by step, process or trace into additional batch files, and display variables, aliases, and expanded commands at each step. See the online help for 150+ additional new command line tools, switches, variables, functions and other enhancements! REVISION INFORMATION -------------------- This revision B fixes the following minor problems in revision A: >> The /J switch for the DIR command disabled most other extension- based features (e.g. sort by extension, colorization). SELECT had the same problem, and additionally did not return names correctly when /J was used. >> Attempting to use a negative loop counter in the DO command, such as "DO -1", could cause the current session to terminate abruptly. >> The trial version self-install batch file failed when DecimalChar was not a period ["."]. >> The installation software was not converting HistWinXXXX lines in the .INI file to PopupWinXXXX. >> The disk free / disk used disk total figures reported for FAT32 volumes by DIR, FREE and related commands and functions were incorrectly limited to 2 GB under plain MS-DOS 7.1 when the Win95B (OEMSR2) GUI layer was not loaded. >> The last few links in the "Variable Functions" topic in 4DOS help could be accessed via . >> The "/I" Help option returned to the Index page and not directly back to the prompt from command-specific help (e.g. "HELP COPY"). >> The help search options sometimes displayed the "found" pointer one line below the correct location. FILES INCLUDED -------------- The following files are included with 4DOS 6.0: 4DOS.COM 4DOS program file 4HELP.EXE 4DOS help program 4DOS.HLP 4DOS help text 4DOS.TXT ASCII copy of the 4DOS, 4OS2, and 4NT Introduction and Installation Guide _4INST.BTM *Self-installation batch file 4DOS.ICO Icon file for 4DOS under Windows 3.x 4DOSOS2.ICO Icon file for 4DOS under OS/2 4DOS.PIF PIF file for running 4DOS under Windows 3.x BATCOMP.EXE Batch file compression utility BR4DOS.EXE #Brand program for registered users to install name and product serial number EXAMPLES.BTM Sample batch file demonstrating the use of variable functions and internal variables FILE_ID.DIZ *Description file for BBS and other uploads HELPCFG.EXE Color configuration program for the help system INSTHELP.EXE Installation helper used when installing 4DOS under DOS and Windows 95 INTERNAT.TXT Shipping rates and dealer list for international customers JP4DOS.INF Setup file to install 4DOS registry extensions under Windows 95 JPOS2INS.CMD Installation helper used when installing 4DOS under OS/2 JPSOFT.INF Setup file to install JP Software program group and shortcuts under Windows 95 KSTACK.COM Memory-resident program used by the KEYSTACK command LICENSE.TXT *License agreement OPTION.EXE Program used by the OPTION command ORDFORM.TXT New customer order form PRODUCTS.TXT Product and ordering information README.TXT This file UPGFORM.TXT Upgrade order form VENDOR.TXT *Information for shareware vendors * Included with downloaded trial copies only. # Included with purchased copies only. TECHNICAL SUPPORT ----------------- Complete details on technical support are in the Introduction and Installation Guide, in the file 4DOS.TXT. Often the quickest way to reach us for support is electronically. Current options are listed below; any additional options offered or changes made in the future will be listed on our web site at http://www.jpsoft.com/. In brief, your support options are: >> JP Software's CompuServe area, section 10 of the PC Vendor B forum (GO PCVENB). For support leave a message in this area addressed to user ID 75300,1215. >> Email to support@jpsoft.com. >> Telephone support on a one business day callback basis (though often we are able to return calls much more quickly than that). From the US and Canada, the quickest method to reach our support staff by phone is to leave a message on our support voice message line at *617-646-0798. Messages are checked regularly throughout the day. Do not use this line for sales, customer service, or shipping questions, and please call our main number at *617-646-3975 if you find yourself playing "telephone tag" with the support staff. >> Fax support at *617-646-0904 (however, you will almost always receive a faster response to email than to faxed support questions). * The area code (first three digits of our number) changes to >> 781 << beginning on September 1, 1997. When possible, we also read messages posted on the Usenet comp.os.msdos.4dos newsgroup, and in the 4DOS conference on the FidoNet BBS network. These areas offer valuable information and discussions with other users, but are not managed by JP Software, and are not official support channels. To download JP Software files, including upgdates and trial versions, visit: >> Our web site at http://www.jpsoft.com/ >> Our CompuServe forum (GO PCVENB or GO JPSOFT, library 10 / JP Software) >> Channel 1 BBS, Cambridge, MA, 617-349-1300 for 28.8K, 617- 354-3137 for 33.6 K. Join the "free files" conference (J FREE or J 5 at the main menu) for JP Software file downloads. We recommend that you use our web site for Internet downloads. However, if you prefer (or if you do not have web access) you can connect directly to our ftp site at ftp.std.com, directory /vendors/jpsoft. Product subdirectories are located below this; for example 4DOS files are in /vendors/jpsoft/4dos. LEGAL STUFF ----------- Copyright 1997, JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved. Published by JP Software Inc., P.O. Box 1470, E. Arlington, MA 02174, U.S.A., phone 617-646-3975, fax 617-646-0904 [our area code 617 changes to 781 effective 1 Sep 97]. Take Command and 4DOS are registered trademarks of JP Software Inc. 4DOS, 4OS2, and 4NT are JP Software Inc.'s trademarks for its family of character-mode command processors. JP Software, jpsoft.com, and all JP Software designs and logos are also trademarks of JP Software Inc. Other product and company names are trademarks of their respective owners. All prices and terms subject to change without notice.