Re: [Freedos-user] Print via USB
Dear Frank:
As I've already written, I myself have investigated the dark rabbit
hole of MS-DOS networking for you:
http://frantisek.rysanek.sweb.cz/FD_NET.zip
Unzip the three directories to your DOS hard drive, take a look at
the config.sys suggested, and see if you can get your DOS box to take
a breath of your LAN.
I have unzipped your package and copied MSNET, MTCPAPPS, and PKTDRV to
my FreeDOS PC's C: directory. The latter contains FDCONFIG.SYS.
Incidentally, in the page whose URL follows, I have difficulty reading
because of the background fish logo!
http://www.bootablecd.de/fdhelp-internet/en/hhstndrd/cnfigsys/fdconfig.htm
My FreeDOS PC's FDCONFIG.SYS file contents follow.
{SET DOSDIR=C:\FDOS
!COUNTRY=001,858,C:\FDOS\BIN\COUNTRY.SYS
!LASTDRIVE=Z
!BUFFERS=20
!FILES=40
!MENUCOLOR=7,0
MENUDEFAULT=1,5
MENU 1 - Load FreeDOS with JEMMEX, no EMS (most UMBs), max RAM free
MENU 2 - Load FreeDOS with EMM386 (Expanded Memory) and SHARE loaded
MENU 3 - Load FreeDOS without drivers (Emergency Mode)
MENU 4 - Load FreeDOS low with some drivers (Safe Mode)
124?DOS=HIGH
12?DOS=UMB
124?DOSDATA=UMB
1?DEVICE=C:\FDOS\BIN\JEMMEX.EXE NOEMS X=TEST I=TEST NOVME NOINVLPG
234?DEVICE=C:\FDOS\BIN\HIMEMX.EXE
2?DEVICE=C:\FDOS\BIN\JEMM386.EXE X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF NOVME NOINVLPG
34?SHELL=C:\FDOS\BIN\COMMAND.COM C:\FDOS\BIN /E:1024 /P=C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
12?SHELLHIGH=C:\FDOS\BIN\COMMAND.COM C:\FDOS\BIN /E:1024 /P=C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT}
I found `!' and `?'.
{? (DR DOS 3.41 and higher, Embedded DOS[nb 2] and FreeDOS only)
Displays a Yes/No query and (since DR DOS 5.0) optional message to
ask the user for confirmation to execute the following CONFIG.SYS
directives.[14] (FreeDOS does not support optional messages, but
optional conditions in conjunction with boot menus defined with MENU and
MENUDEFAULT.) (DOS 6.0 and higher supports a similar feature by adding a
? after the corresponding CONFIG.SYS directive, f.e. DEVICE? or DEVICE?=
instead of ?DEVICE. This variant is also supported by DR DOS.)}
{! (FreeDOS only)
Unconditionally execute the following CONFIG.SYS directive.}
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONFIG.SYS
Whereas in your FD_NET, CONFIG.SYS contains this.
{device=DOS\JEMMEX.EXE X=TEST NOEMS
files=40
break=off
buffers=30
lastdrive=z
stacks=0,0
dos=high,umb
SHELLHIGH=C:\COMMAND.COM /E:4096 /P}
But I am unfamiliar with interpreting .SYS files. And so I need to do
some reading!
I take it that I am to merge the contents of your CONFIG.SYS into my
FreeDOS PC's FDCONFIG.SYS. But I am shy of doing so, and request
hand-holding guidance!
Bryan.
--
members.iinet.net.au/~kilgallin/
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Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS and screen readers for blind users
Hi Joseph, > On May 11, 2021, at 1:37 PM, Joseph Norton wrote: > Jerome, if you’re seeing this, can I still follow the same instructions to > update my build to the latest RC? Mostly... Since RC3, the Release Build Environment (RBE) has been redone. You will need to pull the latest RBE source. Then run install again as super user. Put (or leave) your assistance packages in the same place. After that as a normal user, Just run “make clean” then just “make" (or… run the just run the build script) Everything else should be the same. Since I don’t personally use the assistance stuff built into the RBE, there may be a few minor issues I’ll need to correct. Just let me know if you have any problems, let me know. We will get them sorted out. :-) If you only want it building a couple types of media instead of the entire set, let me know and I’ll add a custom make command for that. :-) Jerome ___ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS and screen readers for blind users
Hi Felix: Wish I could chime in on this with a great solution, but, I’m still stuck in about the same place. When I talked with Jerome Shidell, he pointed me to the build environment and told me how to do the build. The only option was to build 1.3 RC2, I believe. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea, since there were some weirdnesses with the “stable” version, which the release candidate fixed. Jerome, if you’re seeing this, can I still follow the same instructions to update my build to the latest RC? On a totally unrelated thing, I’ve been in communication with some developers of a different project based on DosBOX, and one of the folks there is talking about incorporating adding speech support which would be configurable as a serial port, but, that isn’t here yet, and, there’s no hurry on the person’s side I’m talking with. Still, that doesn’t get you native support. If your box has a physical serial port on the motherboard, or through an ISA card, I know ASAP can work with that. I don’t think anyone’s made a DOS driver that works with one of those USB adapters. However, it might work with a VM, since Windows will make the USB device into a comport which the VM will see as if it’s an old-style port—I think. Someone was going to ship me his old DoubleTalk, but, he hasn’t done that yet, so I cannot do testing on that. Sorry I can’t be of more help, but, I am wanting to update my ISO image, which I will ask Jerome about. Thanks! Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Felix G.Sent: Monday, May 10, 2021 6:06 AMTo: Discussion and general questions about FreeDOS.Subject: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS and screen readers for blind users Hello dear community!It's been a long time since I contributed here. Some of you mightremember me as a blind text adventure enthusiast trying to get veryold DOS text games to run in a blind-accessible manner. Long storyshort, I made it.Long story long: Joseph Norton put together a FreeDOS bootableinstallation ISO with a DOS screen reader, becoming my hero in theprocess, and using this I was able to install FreeDOS on a virtualmachine using a Windows-hosted speech synthesizer emulator listeningon a virtual serial port. ASAP, from deep within DOS, sends its outputto a serial port of my vm which is mapped to one end of a pair ofCOM0COM ports. On the other end I have a speech synthesizer emulatorpicking up that output and transforming it into actual speech usingESpeak. It's a wild construction but it works beautifully. If anybodyelse here would like to try it and is running into problems, pleasecontact me and I'll try to help.Two follow-ups:1. My installation is based on FreeDOS 1.3 RC3. Is there a stableversion incorporating ASAP somewhere?2. I'd love to go native with DOS, preferrably booting from a USBflash drive. Of course insodoing I lose my speech synthesizer emulatoras this is Windows-hosted. This leads to the following sub-problems:a) Can FreeDOS boot from a flash drive?b) Can it subsequently have write access to that drive?c) Is there a software speech synth for FreeDOS for contemporaryon-board sound hardware?Thanks in advance for any clues, and all the best,Felix ___Freedos-user mailing listFreedos-user@lists.sourceforge.nethttps://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user ___ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS and screen readers for blind users
Hi Felix, > The primary reason is that I want to keep Windows on my hard > drive and I don't feel confident about using a boot manager. Disclaimer: The following only works if your Windows C: drive is NTFS! It does not work with ancient Windows on FAT C: drive. You could try the following: Use Windows itself to resize the NTFS Windows partition and add a FAT16 or FAT32 one for DOS, which you format also using Windows. Note that the FAT partition should be a primary one if you want it to be bootable. You can now boot a DOS installer and verify that it only sees the empty FAT partition, but not the Windows drives. Make sure that the installer does NOT change partitioning or MBR boot settings. You can also skip formatting steps. Once you have installed DOS in that way, you can either use a boot manager on USB, floppy, CD, DVD or similar to start the installed DOS, or you can use a simple DOS boot disk (for example USB stick again) and enjoy having all the apps and space on your DOS C: drive, which you will also be able to access from Windows. Note that it will be called another letter, not C:, when you access your DOS drive from Windows. This avoids possible speed and stability issues which you would get by working only with USB. It also avoids having to push a boot manager before Windows, risking that Windows would not start properly. Of course the "recipe" above only works for the newer Windows versions: Those use NTFS for themselves, which is conveniently invisible to DOS, so it will not mess with your Windows files. And they already include the tools to resize and add partitions, so you can insert a FAT partition with less risk of damaging your Windows. As Linux user, I would probably use a bootable CD, DVD or USB distro and the graphical gparted tool to resize my existing partitions and add new ones. Not sure whether that can be done in a screen reader friendly way, but of course I do not know whether the tools included with the newer Windows versions are screen reader friendly either. >> that is what your ASAP app does. > > Yes, that's exactly what it's for. It's the Automatic Screen Access > Program, a sophisticated tsr for blind users that actually lets me > navigate graphics memory like a text file, and that also intercepts > console output in many cases. It's a masterpiece of assembly language Cool, thanks for the explanation! Best, Eric ___ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS and screen readers for blind users
Hi Eric, Am Di., 11. Mai 2021 um 14:08 Uhr schrieb Eric Auer : > given that you have a hardware serial port speech synthesizer, > there is a lot more optimism now! By the way, why do you want > to boot from USB? While many PC can boot from USB, the access > speed can be quite low and a few BIOS fail to support writes. The primary reason is that I want to keep Windows on my hard drive and I don't feel confident about using a boot manager. > I assume you also have the right DOS software to fetch the > on-screen text and send it to the serial port, but I guess > that is what your ASAP app does. Yes, that's exactly what it's for. It's the Automatic Screen Access Program, a sophisticated tsr for blind users that actually lets me navigate graphics memory like a text file, and that also intercepts console output in many cases. It's a masterpiece of assembly language programming. Best, Felix ___ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS and screen readers for blind users
Hi Felix, given that you have a hardware serial port speech synthesizer, there is a lot more optimism now! By the way, why do you want to boot from USB? While many PC can boot from USB, the access speed can be quite low and a few BIOS fail to support writes. I assume you also have the right DOS software to fetch the on-screen text and send it to the serial port, but I guess that is what your ASAP app does. Eric ___ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS and screen readers for blind users
Yay! I knew why I posted here. That's exactly the kind of data I'm collecting. I'm going to try and create a FreeDOS bootable flash drive with the help of Rufus or some such, and put a screen reader on it. Then I'm going to dig out my old Juno speech synthesizer, connect it to COM1 of my old pc, and see if I can get it to speak. From there, the sky's the limit. It'll probably fail in a dozen unexpected ways and if you folks are interested I can keep you updated. In any case it's nicely adventurous. Best, Felix Am Di., 11. Mai 2021 um 13:16 Uhr schrieb tom ehlert : > > > > Two follow-ups: > > 1. My installation is based on FreeDOS 1.3 RC3. Is there a stable > > version incorporating ASAP somewhere? > as ASAP seems to have commercial license: no. > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screen_readers > > > > 2. I'd love to go native with DOS, preferrably booting from a USB > > flash drive. > good luck with that. > > > Of course insodoing I lose my speech synthesizer emulator > > as this is Windows-hosted. This leads to the following sub-problems: > > > a) Can FreeDOS boot from a flash drive? > yes. every BIOS for the last 15 years can. > however, good luck if you have to tweak some BIOS options should this > be needed. > > in some cases the BIOS does not allow to boot from USB automatically > (to prevent booting from (intentionally?) forgotten USB sticks), and > you have to press some key first, then select the USB disk from a > menu. good luck with that either. > > > b) Can it subsequently have write access to that drive? > most likely, yes. > > > c) Is there a software speech synth for FreeDOS for contemporary > > on-board sound hardware? > almost definitively no. there is exactly zero support for contemporary > anything in anyDOS (that is not supported by the BIOS itself), > > > > Thanks in advance for any clues, and all the best, > > > Tom > > > > ___ > Freedos-user mailing list > Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user ___ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS and screen readers for blind users
> Two follow-ups: > 1. My installation is based on FreeDOS 1.3 RC3. Is there a stable > version incorporating ASAP somewhere? as ASAP seems to have commercial license: no. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screen_readers > 2. I'd love to go native with DOS, preferrably booting from a USB > flash drive. good luck with that. > Of course insodoing I lose my speech synthesizer emulator > as this is Windows-hosted. This leads to the following sub-problems: > a) Can FreeDOS boot from a flash drive? yes. every BIOS for the last 15 years can. however, good luck if you have to tweak some BIOS options should this be needed. in some cases the BIOS does not allow to boot from USB automatically (to prevent booting from (intentionally?) forgotten USB sticks), and you have to press some key first, then select the USB disk from a menu. good luck with that either. > b) Can it subsequently have write access to that drive? most likely, yes. > c) Is there a software speech synth for FreeDOS for contemporary > on-board sound hardware? almost definitively no. there is exactly zero support for contemporary anything in anyDOS (that is not supported by the BIOS itself), > Thanks in advance for any clues, and all the best, Tom ___ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
