To: mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca Cc: ttoyooka AT verisim DOT com, ksinner AT solaria DOT sol DOT net, opendos AT delorie DOT com Subject: Re: Installation Problems Message-ID: <19970421.114051.10007.0.editor@juno.com> References: From: editor AT juno DOT com (Bruce Morgen) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 11:43:14 EDT Precedence: bulk On Mon, 21 Apr 1997 02:47:41 -0400 (EDT) "Mike A. Harris" writes: >On Sun, 20 Apr 1997, Bruce Morgen wrote: > >> >>After installing with the default configuration (Lite version), >> >>and rebooting the computer, I get the following message (from my >> >memory): >> >>"Bad or missing command interpreter". I get past this by typing: >> >>"C:\COMMAND.COM". Also, the PATH variable is empty. When I look >in >> >>my 4dos directory, 4dos.exe is missing. >> > >> >I think you've answered your own question. I assume that you've >> >installed >> >4DOS into the CONFIG.SYS such that it gets started up automatically >on >> >boot-up (You have SHELL=C:\...\4DOS.COM ... in your CONFIG.SYS). >> > >> >Somehow, your 4DOS.COM (It's .COM, not .EXE) has been deleted or >> >corrupted. >> >> "Somehow" my foot, OD's brain- >> damaged installer did the deed, >> same thing happened here -- I >> just replaced C:\4DOS\4DOS.COM >> from backup and all was well. >> The previous 4DOS.COM was just >> deleted, there was no file >> corruption. > >Relax a bit. Since OD's installer can't know the name of EVERY >command interpreter known to man, then it would be possible for >them to detect 4DOS, but not ASSDFSGF.COM as a command >interpreter. Sure, they could put some more smarts into it to >handle most situations, I don't disagree, but you have to >understand what is happening. > >What has happened is that OD *SAVED* your previous DOS setup by >renaming system files and hiding them. I had this problem when I >installed OD too. The problem was that OD renamed >C:\LOADLIN\LOADLIN.EXE to @COMPROC.OD or something like that and >hid the file. As a result, I was befuddled as to how LOADLIN >wouldn't work anymore. The problem is that the installer opens >CONFIG.SYS and scans it for the *FIRST* "SHELL=" line. This is >*NORMALLY* your command interpreter, and so it backs up that file >and then goes on to install itself... Unfortunately, with >multiconfigs in DOS and with tricks like LOADLIN, the installer >breaks on custom setups. > In my case it failed on two perfectly ordinary setups, neither had multiple configs or more than one "SHELL=" statements. In one case (an XT-architecture system with no memory management) it deleted/hid 4DOS.COM, in another (a 486 running QEMM as well as 4DOS) it did the same to QEMM's LOADHI.COM. >The solution? CD into your 4DOS/LOADLIN/whatever directory and >type ATTRIB. You will see a hidden file. Unhide this file and >rename it to 4DOS.COM/LOADLIN.EXE or whatever. Then edit your >CONFIG.SYS and change the SHELL= line to whatever you're used to. >There are other things that you may or may not have to change to >get 4DOS or other processors working properly under OD, and these >are covered in the FAQ, and are neither bugs in OD, nor bugs in >4DOS. > I did nothing other than restoring the missing/hidden/ renamed or whatever files and (on the QEMM-equipped system) re-running OPTIMIZE. >I'm almost positive that a future version of OD will prevent this >sort of "brain damage" from happening. > Yes, if Caldera is aware of the installer's rude behavior I'm sure correcting it is something short of rocket science -- the way CONFIG.SYS is analyzed needs to be a tad more sophisticated, should be no big deal to fix. >> >When it boots, it tries to start up 4DOS, but can't. Hence, the >"Bad >> >or >> >missing command interpreter" message. When you type COMMAND.COM, >you >> >are >> >starting it in place of 4DOS. When you start the command >interpreter >> >in this way, it doesn't execute the AUTOEXEC.BAT. Hence, your >empty >> >PATH. Reinstall 4DOS, and your problem should be solved. >> > >> Easier and faster to simply >> replace the deleted file -- >> you *do* have a recent >> backup, don't you? :-) > >Or, just rename it as I described above. > Sure, if you've figured out what and where the renamed and hidden file is. :-) >> >Or, if you can't re-install 4DOS, then you should change the >"SHELL=" >> >line >> >in your CONFIG.SYS to read "SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM", which will get >> >OpenDOS >> >to start up the command interpreter that actually exists. This >will >> >solve your problems, too, if you can stand using COMMAND.COM. ;-) >> > >> The only procedures to make >> a 4DOS user tolerate >> COMMAND.COM involve harsh >> controlled substances or >> lobotomy surgery. :-) > >Or acquiring the COMMAND.COM source code and coding 4DOS features >into it yourself. I would suspect that by the time that OpenDOS >7.1 or 8.0 or whatever comes out that COMMAND.COM will not only >be compiled on a FREE compiler, but also may compile on ANY >compiler, and also will probably double or triple in size. >(executable size, not resident size). > Building up COMMAND.COM into something resembling a free 4DOS would be quite a project, but a reasonable 4DOS subset could be implemented without too much trouble imho -- sort of like the ZCPR series of command processor replacements for CP/M 2.2, which were no bigger than the original DRI CCP but much less annoying to use. >> >Also, I'd suggest doing a CHKDSK on your C: drive (or was there >some >> >Caldera equivalent to MS SCANDISK? Norton's NDD will work, too). >If >> >your 4DOS.COM was corrupted somehow, it's possible other files got >> >corrupted too; corrupted DOS filesystems should be fixed ASAP. >> > >> As I said, no file corruption >> was involved in my experience >> of this glitch, but running >> CHKDSK or SCANDISK is almost >> never a bad move. > >No, I think the problem is no big deal, a lack of foresight on >the installer's part. No corruption. I even suspected >corruption at first, but when I figured it out, I ice cream coned >myself in the forehead. :o) > >Take care. TTYL > Right back atcha, Mike, thanks for detailing the renegade installer's quirk(s).