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From: shadow AT shadowgard DOT com
To: opendos AT delorie DOT com
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 08:03:55 -0800
Subject: Re: several technical problems
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On 29 Nov 2003 at 14:11, DONALD PEDDER wrote:

> > Could you tell us more about 'this computer' (CPU, mainboard, BIOS,
> > memory, add-on cards, etc.)?
> 
>    Uh, I can try. :-) The CPU is a Celeron 466MHz, my system-board is
> "PC100 slot 1/socket 370 M741lmrt", AMIBIOS, memory is 64Mb,
> sound-cards,etc. are built-in to the system-board.
> 
> 
> > What is the GREEN command in your AUTOEXEC?
> 
>    It's just a little pascal program that sets my text-colour to green.
> Unfortunately, as soon as I use an app (like the editor) it reverts to
> white again. I've still not yet found out how to permanently set it to
> green.

Only way I've found of doing that sort of thing is 
to install 4dos to replace COMMAND.COM.

It has a lot of other advantages, as well, such as 
using a lot less conventional RAM.

check it out at http://www.jpsoft.com
 
>  Memory Type             Total Bytes ( Kbytes  )  Available For Programs
>  Conventional             654,336 (    639K )         304,064 (    297K )
>  Upper                    147,456 (    144K )          91,680 (     90K )
>  High                      65,520 (     64K )           3,383 (      3K )
>  Extended              57,606,144 ( 56,256K )               0 (      0K )
>  Extended via XMS            --------              48,076,800 ( 46,950K )
>  Largest executable program:  304,048 ( 297K )
>  Total Free DOS memory:       395,744 ( 386K )
> 
> 
>    This looks very handy. :-) This says I have 46Mb available via XMS -
> how do I make the programs use that? 

You don't. Unless they are written to use it, they 
*can't*. If they are written to use it, then they 
will be option settings of command line switchjes to 
tell them to use it.

> Also, for something that terminates without
> staying resident, how would I find out how much
> memory it is using?

With difficulty. 

> > Please tell us more about your system configuration.
> 
>    Like? I'm not really into the technical side, so if you want to find
> something out you need to tell me what commands to run or where I'm
> looking. e.g. I had never used the mem command until just now.

Well, that's one of the problems. Working with DOS 
at this level is *inherently* "technical".
 

--
Leonard Erickson (aka shadow)
shadow at krypton dot rain dot com