Yes, and the FreeDOS distribution has a C:\freedos\links directory just for that. For example, I've installed the IA-16 GCC compiler on my system (and other C compilers) and the IA-16 GCC package also puts *.com programs in C:\freedos\links
That way, if you have C:\freedos\links in your PATH, and you have set the DJGPP environment variable to point to the DJGPP.ENV file, then you can compile programs with IA-16 GCC without having C:\devel\i16gnu\bin in your PATH. That works, but I happen to prefer the "old school" way of doing things, and I just set up my DOS environment to support the thing I'm doing at the time. If I'm booting into FreeDOS to do some "work" (like doing something in a spreadsheet) I don't need to add any C compilers to my PATH. Instead, I might add an alias to run the spreadsheet from wherever I happen to be (As-Easy-As doesn't need to be in the PATH .. it knows how to find the other program files on its own). So I'd do this: > alias aseasy=D:\apps\aseasy\aseasy.exe Or I might make an alias to run Word for DOS from wherever I am (again, Word doesn't need to be in the PATH) so I'd do this: > alias word=D:\apps\word55\word.exe You get the idea. But if I'm booting FreeDOS to write a program in Open Watcom C or BCC or IA-16 GCC, I might use FED (or Open Watcom's VI) for writing source code. And as I said in my other email, I just add FED as an alias. Actually, I might put the alias to FED at the end of the OWSETENV.BAT file. That way, if I can't run FED, that's a good hint that I haven't set up the Open Watcom environment. Or maybe I want to just use Open Watcom's VI when writing a program for BCC. That's in the Open Watcom "BINW" directory. And I need to run it using DOS4GW. But there's no point in adding "BINW" to my PATH just to run VI, so I make an alias for it: > alias vi=C:\devel\watcomc\binw\dos4gw.exe C:\devel\watcomc\binw\vi.exe Yes, using an alias takes some memory, but it also keeps my PATH from getting too long. So it's a good solution. On Thu, Sep 25, 2025 at 2:20 PM Norby Droid <[email protected]> wrote: > > Interesting and thank ya @Jim Hall for sharing that. > > The reason I have been usin alias over path is because I am not a > fan of increasing the path length, which, if I am not mistaken, also > reduces memory. > > I am not sure how alias works under the hood, if it also uses memory or > not, but I think it is a great option over path. > > Of course there is also a third option that one can use, and with so much > extra disk space available these days, somethin I think worth mentioning, > and thar is batch files which has probably the biggest advantage tryin > to save on conventional ram. One can create batch files for their > most useditems and add in the bin folder, or links folder? Links as > in shortcut? Is there a connection there? > > Anywaay everyone has their own quirks and ways to do things. Nothing is > "wrong" really if it works (my opinion). > > I really appreciate the comments and replie > > Keep up the great work Mr. Hall and all others involved. I use > FreeDOS alot. > > On Thu, Sep 25, 2025 at 13:49 Jim Hall via Freedos-user > <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Here's three ways I use aliases: >> >> 1. If I want to access a command under a different name. For example, >> the distribution does this with the shutdown and reboot command by >> default, because Linux users are more likely to type those. >> >> 2. If I want to run a command with a default command line parameter >> (rare for me, but it comes in handy sometimes) >> >> 3. Most likely: running a command that I don't use all the time, >> and/or wouldn't make sense to add to my PATH >> >> On the last example: when I write programs on FreeDOS, I often use >> the FED editor. But FED isn't in the default PATH, and it's the only >> program in the directory it's installed in. So if I want to use FED, >> i make an alias: >> >> > alias fed=c:\apps\fed\fed.exe >> >> >> >> On Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 8:18 AM Norby Droid via Freedos-user >> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> I was wonderin which would be better to use Alias or Path. >>> >>> Here is an example: >>> I use FreeBasic and/or PowerBasic for my programming projects. >>> >>> I can either setup the path: >>> Path=%Path%\Devel\PwrBas35\PB.exe >>> or set up the alias: >>> Alias PB=\Devel\PwrBas35\PB.exe >>> >>> But really, is one better than the other, or prefered over another. From >>> my guess, alias may be a better solution, but others may have a different >>> opinion. >>> >>> Thank you. _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
