JP Software Take Command for OS/2 -- Shareware README.DOC Version 1.00 -- March 5, 1996 Copyright 1988 - 1996, JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved. Published by JP Software Inc., P.O. Box 1470, E. Arlington, MA 02174 USA, (617) 646-3975. 4DOS is a registered trademark and JP Software, 4OS2, and Take Command are trademarks of JP Software Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Greetings, and thanks for trying Take Command for OS/2! This file contains a variety of information you should read before using Take Command for OS/2, including: * About this Version * Installation instructions * Introduction to Take Command * Technical support * Take Command for 4OS2 & 4DOS users * Bulletin board support * Take Command files * Shareware and ASP policies If you have tried a shareware copy of Take Command and want to place an order, see the product and ordering information in the file ORDERINF.DOC, or call us at (800) 368-8777 (USA only, orders only please!) or (617) 646-3975. For order information and an order form see the files ORDERINF.DOC and ORDER.FRM. JP Software also offers complete 16-bit and 32-bit versions of Take Command for users of Windows 3.1 and above, Windows NT, and Windows 95; 4DOS, 4OS2, and 4DOS for Windows NT -- our award-winning character mode command processors for DOS, OS/2, and Windows NT; and many other complementary products. For complete installation instructions, see page 5. The license agreement which governs your use of Take Command is included separately 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 Take Command for OS/2. For more information on the shareware system under which you obtained Take Command see page 8. This file, like all our ASCII documentation files, 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 Take Command 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. (3/96-1.00A) TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 1 About this Version This is the first release of Take Command for OS/2. If you obtained an earlier pre-release copy of Take Command for OS/2 ("version 0.95"), you should install version 1.0 in a new directory. You should be aware of changes in the following areas since the pre- release version (bug fixes and minor changes are not listed): * The SHRALIAS command has been added to load and unload the SHRALIAS program. See the SHRALIAS command in the online help for details. Loading and unloading SHRALIAS.EXE directly will no longer work correctly. * The behavior of the TTY applications dialog has changed slightly. Also you can now specify a directory name to enable all files in the specified directory. * The print dialogs now allow you to print a selection (not just the entire file or buffer). Introduction to Take Command This section and the next are excerpted from the Take Command for OS/2 Introduction and Installation Guide (in the file TCMDOS2.DOC). See that file for additional details on how Take Command works and how to install and use it (brief installation instructions are also included on page 5 of this file). [A note about our product name: JP Software also offers versions of Take Command for Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows NT. Except where we specifically say otherwise, in all Take Command for OS/2 documentation the terms "Take Command" and "Take Command for OS/2" are used interchangeably.] We developed Take Command for OS/2 to bring the power and convenience of our popular 4DOS and 4OS2 programs to the OS/2 Desktop. Whether you are a computer novice or an experienced user, Take Command for OS/2 will help you get the most out of your computer system. To use Take Command for OS/2, you must have OS/2 version 3.0 (Warp) or later installed on your computer. You're probably already familiar with graphical applications running under OS/2, and with the command line, but you may not be used to seeing them combined in one product. Most graphical applications offer limited command-line capability at best, and most command-line utilities aren't designed for a graphical environment like the OS/2 Desktop. We designed Take Command to give you the best of both worlds. You'll probably find it most useful when you need to perform tasks like TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 2 managing your hard disk, scripting a series of steps with an alias or batch file, or starting applications. There are graphical utilities that perform some of these tasks, but often you may find it more convenient or productive to perform them from the command line. Unlike a character-mode session, Take Command also looks and feels like the other OS/2 programs you use. Take Command offers a host of features that couldn't exist at all in a character-mode command-line utility. For example, you can pop up simple dialogs from a batch file, pass keystrokes to OS/2 applications, use an OS/2-based dialog to find files or text on any of your disks, or configure Take Command with notebook pages instead of editing an .INI file. If you are familiar with the traditional command prompt, or with 4DOS or 4OS2, you won't have to change your computing habits or unlearn anything to use Take Command. If you know how to use commands to display a directory, copy a file, or start an application program, you already know how to use Take Command. And if you are a 4DOS or 4OS2 user, you already know how to use most of the advanced features that we have built into Take Command. You can even use many of your 4DOS and 4OS2 batch files with Take Command (see the online help for tips about making batch files work properly in both environments). Once you have Take Command installed, you can learn its new features at your own pace. Relax, enjoy Take Command's power, and browse through the manuals occasionally. Press the F1 key whenever you need help. Take Command will soon become an essential part of your computer, and you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. Take Command for 4DOS and 4OS2 Users If you're a 4DOS or 4OS2 user, many of the features in Take Command will seem very familiar. Because the underlying command processing in Take Command is based on 4DOS and 4OS2, you'll find the features of those products are readily accessible. All the commands and switches you're familiar with work the same way and have the same meaning in Take Command; the only exceptions are those that don't make sense in the OS/2 GUI environment. Other 4DOS and 4OS2 features are included in Take Command as well -- you'll find support for command line editing, command and directory histories, aliases, .BTM files, and virtually all the other features you already know. What's new in Take Command are OS/2 GUI-related features, including: * A built-in scrollback buffer that lets you look back through the output from past commands. TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 3 * A standard menu bar for access to many commonly-used Take Command features. * A status bar showing memory and resource usage. * A customizable tool bar that gives you quick access to commands and applications. * Dialogs, accessible from the Options and Utilities menus, for editing environment variables, aliases, file descriptions, and startup parameters (the TCMDOS2.INI file). * High-speed, dialog-based file and text search. * Commands like ACTIVATE, MSGBOX, and QUERYBOX that allow you to use OS/2 features and control OS/2 applications from your batch files. Files Included with Take Command for OS/2 Version 1.00 The following files are included with this version of Take Command: TCMDOS2.EXE Take Command for OS/2 program file TCMDOS2.DOC ASCII copy of the Take Command for OS/2 Introduction and Installation Guide TCMDOS2.INF Take Command for OS/2 help file TCMDOS2H.MSG Take Command for OS/2 "quick-help" file TCMDOS2.INI Skeleton Take Command for OS/2 startup file TCNPDOS.COM Utility used by Take Command to run DOS applications within the Take Command window TCOS2DLL.DLL DLL used to support the KEYSTACK command TCOS2INS.CMD * REXX command file used by the Take Command installation program TCFOLDER.ICO * Folder icon used by TCOS2INS.CMD TCOPNFLD.ICO * Open folder icon used by TCOS2INS.CMD BATCOMP.EXE Batch file compression utility for use with Take Command for OS/2 LICENSE.DOC The Take Command license agreement ORDER.FRM JP Software order form ORDERINF.DOC Ordering and product information README.DOC This file SHRALIAS.EXE Utility program for retention of global alias and history lists SUPPORT.BBS Information on Channel 1, the independent BBS used for Take Command support SYSOP.DOC Take Command information for BBS sysops VENDOR.DOC Take Command information for shareware disk vendors * File for diskette-based installation only, not included with downloaded versions TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 4 Installation Instructions (These instructions do not cover diskette installation, because when Take Command is installed from diskette this file is not visible until after installation is complete.) (1) To install Take Command for OS/2 on your system, first create a new directory for Take Command for OS/2 version 1.00 (do not install it in the same directory as any other JP Software product). The directory can be on any hard disk drive, and you can use any valid directory name. (2) Decompress your downloaded Take Command files into this directory. You can print any Take Command documentation file by copying it to the printer with the COPY command. (3) In order for Take Command for OS/2 to access its library file (used to support the KEYSTACK command), you must make the file accessible via the LIBPATH setting in CONFIG.SYS. To accomplish this, either add the Take Command for OS/2 directory to the LIBPATH setting in your OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file and reboot for the change to take effect, or move the file TCOS2DLL.DLL to a directory that is already on the LIBPATH (for example, the \OS2\DLL directory on the boot drive). (4) In order for Take Command for OS/2 to access its help file, you must make the file accessible via the BOOKSHELF path in CONFIG.SYS. To accomplish this, either add the Take Command for OS/2 directory to the BOOKSHELF setting in your OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file and reboot for the change to take effect, or move the file TCMDOS2.INF to a directory that is already on the BOOKSHELF path (for example, the \OS2\BOOK directory on the boot drive). (5) In order for Take Command for OS/2 to access its quick-help file (used for "/?" help on commands), you must make the file accessible via the DPATH setting in CONFIG.SYS. To accomplish this, either add the Take Command for OS/2 directory to the DPATH line in your OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file and reboot for the change to take effect, or move the file TCMDOS2H.MSG to a directory that is already on the DPATH (for example, the \OS2\SYSTEM directory on the boot drive). (6) Use the following steps to create a Take Command for OS/2 item on your OS/2 desktop: (a) Open the Templates folder. (b) Using mouse button 2, drag a copy of the Program template to the desktop. A new Settings notebook will open automatically. TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 5 (c) In the Path and File Name field, enter d:\path\TCMDOS2.EXE, where "d:\path" refers to the drive and directory where you stored the Take Command for OS/2 files. (d) If you wish, place startup commands or other directives in the Parameters field. For more details on the startup commands and directives, and other aspects of configuration and tuning, see Chapter 2 of the Introduction and Installation Guide. (e) Enter the directory in which you want the Take Command window to start (if any) in the Working Directory field. (f) Switch to the General page of the notebook and enter "Take Command for OS/2", or any other title you desire, in the Title field. (g) Click on "OK" to accept the entry. (7) Select the new object and press Enter, or double-click on it, to start Take Command for OS/2. You can now use Take Command for all your command processing tasks. Press F1 any time for complete online help. TTY Applications Your copy of Take Command comes with a list of character-mode or "TTY" applications which can be run within the Take Command window. The list is visible when you open the TTY Appications dialog from the Setup menu, and is included in the TCMDOS2.INI file. However, all applications in the list are initially disabled to ensure maximum compatibility. This prevents problems if you have a program with the same name as one we tested, but which is not the same program or the same version. To enable any application, select it in the TTY Applications dialog (accessible from the Setup menu), and check the Enable box. See Starting Character-Mode Applications in the online help (under Using Take Command / Applications) for additional details on TTY applications. The current list of compatible applications is below. Note that many other applications are compatible with Take Command's TTY application support, but are not on the list because they were not included in our tests. Applications typically included with OS/2 Warp: BLDLEVEL.EXE Software build level dump CACHE.EXE OS/2 cache control HELPMSG.EXE Quick keystroke help PATCH.EXE Patch utility TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 6 PSTAT.EXE Process and memory status RMVIEW.EXE Physical device information SETBOOT.EXE Boot Manager control program UNPACK.EXE Compressed file packer UNPACK2.EXE Compressed file packer XCOPY.EXE Copy utility IBM C-Set/2: ICC.EXE IBM C-Set/2 compiler IBM Developer's Toolkit for OS/2 Warp: EXEHDR.EXE EXE file header dump IPFC.EXE IPF (help file) compiler MAPSYM.EXE Symbol map utility MARKEXE.EXE EXE file mark utility MKMSGF.EXE Message file compiler MSGBIND.EXE EXE file message bind utility NMAKE.EXE Make utility PACK.EXE Compressed file packer PACK2.EXE Compressed file packer RC.EXE Resource compiler Other utilities: UNZIP.EXE InfoZIP's Unzip utility Technical Support We support Take Command for OS/2 in the JP Software 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. If you are not currently a CompuServe subscriber, consider a special offer CompuServe has made to Take Command for OS/2 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. For technical support on the Internet send mail to support@jpsoft.com, or visit our web page at http://www.jpsoft.com. Support for Take Command for OS/2 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 possible, and we return all calls within at most 24 TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 7 hours except on weekends and holidays, or in the event of an emergency. Bulletin Board Support for Take Command for OS/2 Take Command for OS/2 product support is available through 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 Take Command. Phone 617-354-3230 to access Channel 1 at 2400 - 14,400 baud (no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit). Use 617-349-1300 for 28,800 baud v.34. Once you are online, use the 4DOS or 4DOS-I conference to post your message. The 4DOS conference is echoed to other bulletin boards via the RIME network, and the "4DOS-I" conference is echoed via the ILink network. If you have access to a local bulletin board which is a member of any of the major BBS networks (RIME / PC Relay, ILink, or FidoNet), you can discuss Take Command with other users, and obtain limited support from JP Software, by leaving messages in the network's "4DOS" conference (the same conference used for JP Software's character-mode command processors). Downloading Take Command for OS/2 Files You can download Take Command for OS/2 upgrades and other files from CompuServe or the Channel 1 BBS (see above), or from our Internet ftp site. To download files from CompuServe, go to the PC Vendor B forum (GO JPSOFT or GO PCVENB) and look for the files you want in Library 10. On Channel 1, join conference 5 after you log on, then download the files you need (as long as you join conference 5 before downloading you will be able to download Take Command files even if they appear to be too large for your remaining time on the system). On the Internet, download the files you need via anonymous ftp from ftp.std.com, directory /vendors/jpsoft (for general JP Software files) or directory /vendors/jpsoft/tcmdos2 (for Take Command for OS/2 files). You can also download Take Command for OS/2 from our web site at http://www.jpsoft.com. Shareware Copies of Take Command for OS/2 TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 8 If you obtained Take Command from a shareware disk vendor, an on-line computer service or bulletin board, a friend or colleague, or another similar source, you have an unregistered (trial) copy. As the copyright holder for this software, JP Software allows and encourages you to use this trial copy without charge for a limited period of time, under the terms of our license agreement (see LICENSE.DOC). After this time is up, you must purchase (register and pay for) the product to continue using it (see ORDERINF.DOC and ORDER.FRM for details). This method of distribution is known as shareware. It allows you to determine whether the product meets your needs before you pay for it. Payment of the shareware registration fee for Take Command entitles you to a complete copy of the product with (optional) typeset-quality printed and bound manuals; the ability to download an upgrade to the first major release of the product after your initial purchase; continued technical support via electronic mail or telephone; and a subscription to "The Prompt Solution", JP Software's customer newsletter. Association of Shareware Professionals The authors and publisher of Take Command for OS/2 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 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 shareware disk vendors and provides information to the public about shareware. ASP Ombudsman Statement 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 members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. TCMD for OS/2 1.00 [03-05-96] README.DOC page 9