Corrections

The editor accepts articles, but does not accept any responsibility for their accuracy, that's why a corrections column is necessary.

By: Winston Smith
To: All
Re: [--- Linux OS N/A's ? ---]

I wish to correct a few of the "not applicable" n/a designations of the "LINUX OS" (moving from *DOS to *NIX) FidoNews article by Janis Kracht.

n/a    chsh    Change shell

While there is no --DIRECTLY-- applicable 'chsh' command via *DOS, as all that 'chsh' is is a batch shell script that modifies the user record in the '/etc' directory folder, one can easily write a batch script under *DOS called 'CHSH.BAT' to modify the "start up" shell selection for *DOS, which in this case is stored in the CONFIG.SYS file of the *DOS "backslash" or root folder of the directory tree rather than in the 'etc' directory folder. The "user record" for the *DOS shell is given below. Just as in Linux,you have to restart / reboot / relogin for any changes to take effect.

File --> CONFIG.SYS SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS\ /E:4096 /F /P

n/a  pwd Dispay the current working directory path

There --IS-- a Print Working Directory for MS-DOS, but it is undocumented. (See the famous MicroSoft Undocumented Features, a.k.a. 'MUF', file.)

C:> TRUENAME

n/a  swapon  Turn on a swap partition

While MS-DOS doesn't have a multi-tasking Virtual Machine image to swap in and out of RAM, it can set up a "single task" swap area for the command just executed be swapped in again. Okay, you got me! It is only a disk cache, but it kind of / sort of / maybe performs a similar function in a single tasking operating system that a swap image performs in a multi-tasking operating system.

C:> SMARTDRV.EXE /X /V

n/a  swapoff Turn off a swap partition

I don't know how to turn SmartDrive off. I think you have to reboot with Control-Alt-Delete?

n/a  mount  Attach a filesystem to the root filesystem

While you can not mount a filesystem onto your directory tree, you can do something quite similar by "mounting" phantom / virtual drive letters into your drive device table via the 'subst' command (provided that your MS-DOS 'LASTDRIVE' designation is high enough).

C:>SUBST.EXE U: C:\USERS

n/a  umount Detach a filesystem from the root filesystem

C:>SUBST.EXE U: /D

n/a  apropos Get help on a general topic
n/a  whatis  Search the whatis database

A 'whatis' / 'apropos' command --DOES-- exists for MS-DOS. (See below.)

C:>FASTHELP

That is all that I have for now. Feel free to make any additions or corrections!

RECORECTIONS

By: Janis Kracht
To: Winston Smith
Re: Correction:[--- Linux OS N/A's ? ---]

Hi there Winston,

I wish to correct a few of the "not applicable" n/a designations of the "LINUX OS" (moving from *DOS to *NIX) FidoNews article by Janis Kracht.

n/a  chsh  Change shell

While there is no --DIRECTLY-- applicable 'chsh' command via *DOS, as all that 'chsh' is is a batch shell script that modifies the user record in the '/etc' directory folder, one can easily write a batch script under *DOS called 'CHSH.BAT' to modify the "start up" shell selection for *DOS, which in this case is stored in the CONFIG.SYS file of the *DOS "backslash" or root folder of the directory tree rather than in the 'etc' directory folder. The "user record" for the *DOS shell is given below. Just as in Linux, you have to restart / reboot / relogin for any changes to take effect.

File --> CONFIG.SYS SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS\ /E:4096 /F /P

First of all, what other shells are distributed with DOS? If you remember,I specifically mentioned in the article that I was excluding from consideration outside utilities like GNU tools, etc.

Secondly, you do not have to re-boot for changes to take affect in Linux - you do have to re-login, but that's a far cry from rebooting. Like many others have done many times, I've even re-compiled the kernal without rebooting <smile>.

n/a  pwd  Dispay the current working directory path

There --IS-- a Print Working Directory for MS-DOS, but it is undocumented.(See the famous MicroSoft Undocumented Features, a.k.a. 'MUF', file.) C:> TRUENAME

If it is undocumented, that means that MS has reservered the right to leave it out of future versions, or to have that command do something different...

but ...

I did miss this though:

In DOS CD without an argument will show you the full path to the current working directory :)

However, you know I didn't think i would be able to list every single command that DOS does not have that Linux does :) For example.. cd - (cd with a space and then a dash) will take you back to the very last directory you were in. Not like cd .., I mean like if you type /home/bbbs/inbound, and then you type cd /home/ftp/pub/gamesnet, cd - will return you to /home/bbbs/inbound.

n/a  swapon Turn on a swap partition

While MS-DOS doesn't have a multi-tasking Virtual Machine image to swap in and out of RAM, it can set up a "single task" swap area for the command just executed be swapped in again. Okay, you got me! It is only a disk cache, but it kind of / sort of / maybe performs a similar function in a single tasking operating system that a swap image performs in a multi-tasking operating system.

C:> SMARTDRV.EXE /X /V

n/a  swapoff  Turn off a swap partition

I don't know how to turn SmartDrive off. I think you have to reboot with Control-Alt-Delete?

n/a  mount  Attach a filesystem to the root filesystem

While you can not mount a filesystem onto your directory tree you can do something quite similar by "mounting" phantom / virtual drive letters into your drive device table via the 'subst' command (provided that your MS-DOS 'LASTDRIVE' designation is high enough).

C:>SUBST.EXE U: C:\USERS

No, you're misunderstanding mount <smile>. The mount command is not used for 'virtual' or logical drives but to connect physical devices to the file system.

From the man page: All files accessible in a Unix system are arranged in one big tree, the file hierarchy, rooted at /. These files can be spread out over several devices. The mount command serves to attach the file system found on some device to the big file tree. Conversely, the umount(8) command will detach it again.

n/a  apropos  Get help on a general topic
n/a whatis Search the whatis database

A 'whatis' / 'apropos' command --DOES-- exists for MS-DOS. (See below.)

C:>FASTHELP

Well apropos and whatis search a database for text strings in different ways. Fasthelp may show you the help for a command (I don't know that command), but whatis shows you a short description of only complete word matches, apropos searches a set of database files containing short descriptions of system commands for keywords and displays them all.

Take care, Janis
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