From: Martin DOT Stromberg AT lu DOT erisoft DOT se (Martin Stromberg)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: bash instead of COMMAND.COM: how I did it
Date: 12 Feb 1998 12:09:37 GMT
Organization: Ericsson Erisoft AB, Sweden
Lines: 94
Message-ID: <6buoq1$1j0$1@antares.lu.erisoft.se>
NNTP-Posting-Host: juno.lu.erisoft.se
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Precedence: bulk


Well, do you want to know how to get rid of COMMAND.COM and use bash directly?

Here the answer, subjectively. Feedback is welcome.

Right,

							MartinS


0.

This was done on the Swedish version of MS-DOS 6.22 and using bsh1147b.zip 
and csdpmi4b.zip.


1.

Make a copy of "bash.exe" called "-bash.exe" or make a DJGPP symbolic 
link from "-bash.exe" to "bash.exe" (i. e. "ln -s -- bash.exe -bash.exe").


2.

Move _everything_ from AUTOEXEC.BAT to CONFIG.SYS, that you want to be 
set and run before bash is started, most notably setting the variables 
PATH and DJGPP. 

"PATH C:\some\path\to\djgpp\executables;C:\more\path" becomes
	"set PATH=c:\some\path\to\djgpp\executables;C:\more\path"

"set DJGPP=c:\some\path\to\djgpp.env" remains the same:
	"set DJGPP=c:\some\path\to\djgpp.env"

"lh C:\mouse\mouse.com" becomes 
	"installhigh=C:\mouse\mouse.com"

"lh /L:2,16000 C:\mouse\mouse.com" becomes (no MEMMAKER stuff can be 
passed along AFAICT)
	"installhigh=C:\mouse\mouse.com"

"C:\some\program\that\must\be\run /with/parameters" must have the 
extension added: 
	"install=C:\some\program\that\must\be\run.exe /with/parameters"

Full path must be given:
"KEYB SV,,C:\DOS\KEYBOARD.SYS" becomes
	"install=C:\dos\KEYB.com SV,,C:\DOS\KEYBOARD.SYS"


3.

Assign SHELL "C:\some\path\to\djgpp\executables\-bash.exe", or to quote
"SHELL = C:\some\path\to\djgpp\executables\-bash.exe"


4.

Make sure that csdpmi and bash is in the PATH (as in the first example 
under 2 above).


5. 

Make sure that the variable DJGPP is set: 
"set DJGPP=c:\some\path\to\djgpp\djgpp.env".


6. 

Reboot and pray: I take no responsibility of any damages caused by or by 
following this procedure. It works fine here...


Comments.

This works, but some programs have problems. I haven't seen any trouble
with GNU programs, but of two games I've tried, one lockup the computer 
solid (Railroad Tycoon Deluxe) and one works but movie sequences looses 
all sound and is speeded up (Lost in Time).

I don't know if this works with Win 3.1 or Win 4.0, as I haven't got'em.


If anybody wonders why bother with the link or copy called -bash.exe, it
is to make bash act as a login shell; not that I've seen any difference.

If you try to give "-login" as parameter on the SHELL line 
("SHELL = C:\some\path\to\djgpp\executables\-bash.exe -login"), you'll 
find a feature of DOS: it'll turn "-login" to "-LOGIN" so that bash will
complain that it doesn't like the option -L and refuse to start.