Hi Andy,
Hi Ray,
About "Arachne on a parallel zip disk?" and related posts and "DMA
Buffer Allocation Failure Error", both of November 6, respectively:
A> ...my HD has gotten full of DOS apps and arachne e-mail... I'm
A> about to give up... ...here is my memory map with my new
A> autoexec.bat and config.sys... ...the compressed drive is called
A> H:... I disabled NWCACHE... Conventional 571,232 Upper 94,064
A> High 18,184 Extended 32,505,856... ...autoexec.bat...
Disk-space limitations have been a cause of struggle for me since a
long time (and even lately). I used to solve the problem with help from
`InterLnk'/`InterSvr', this pair was included in `MS-DOS v6' and happens
to be downward-compatible with v3.3 or above, given my remote drive(s)'s
geometry(ies) is/are within the limits imposed by the OS itself. I read
the series about ~PCMCIA~ FlashCards with interrest (i once considered a
few external storage devices myself). I already accumulated many LEGACY
PCs so i sort of came to the solution from above quite naturally (and it
offers its own advantages, one of them being cost). In terms of size, a
LEGACY LapTop isn't too impractical and it may fit nicely in the present
case if it's equiped with enough memory and a sufficient amount of disk-
space to hold `Arachne'. I can turn one of mine into a remote ~RAMDisk~
which retains its data (and keeps it safe) even when my client system is
prone to crashes... This should provide one with a unit that's reliable
and which may feel close enough to a Zip drive, as far as i'm concerned.
Euh... But i understand that your HardWare seems to have plenty of
memory for creating a ~RAMDisk~ and you're free to rely on the Zip drive
for storage so i must appologize for i can't comment about compatibility
since i don't own a Zip drive. Well, `Arachne' doesn't require too much
Hard-Disk space anyway and i happen to have managed with the rest of the
problem: i once faced memory limitations similar to yours; perhaps you
can use what i got and complete your setup starting from there? At this
moment, i've been testing the memory manager pair which is found in `Win
95/98/Millenium' (i found all these OSes use the very same)! I combined
`DOSMax' to that and obtained satisfying/reliable results, try top this:
*********************************************************[ Config.SYS ]*
[MENU]
MENUITEM=DOS_WIN,DOS v6.2x or Win 9x
MENUITEM=GAMES,DOS SoftWare *ONLY*
;This is for colour screens only, the timeout delay is 10 seconds:
MENUCOLOR=15,1
MENUDEFAULT=DOS_WIN,10
[COMMON]
[DOS_WIN]
NumLock=Off
DOS=High,UMB
Buffers=45,4
Files=60
FCBS=16,8
REM The `DR-DOS' memory manager gets more at the expense of reliability.
REM I copied all three managers to C:\DOS (from `DR-DOS' & `Win 9x')!...
Device=C:\WIN9x&ME\HiMem.SYS
Device=C:\WIN9x&ME\EMM386.EXE NoEMS RAM Auto D=64
REM Feel free to load `DOSMax.EXE' if not runing `MS-DOS v7.x' or above;
REM `ShellMax' would be safe in the `MS-DOS v7.x' ONLY (GAMES) section.
rem DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\DOSMax.EXE /c+ /p- /x+
rem Shell=C:\DOS\ShellMax.COM /R- C:\Command.COM C:\ /E:3072 /P
Shell=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:3072 /P
REM The Future Domain `PowerIDE! v2.20 F/W Rev. 1023' driver does fine
REM here and worked elsewhere too (CD unit: a 4 x Hitachi CDR-7930).
DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\FDATACD.SYS /D:CD1
REM DOS doesn't need `IFSHlp', this is from `WfWG v3.11' and `Win 9x':
DeviceHigh=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHlp.SYS
REM Speed up the browser's cache a bit with one of these ~RAMDisks~:
REM - `RAMDrive v3.06' is `DOS v3.30'/8088 to `Win 32' compatible.
DeviceHigh=C:\WINDOWS\RAMDrive.SYS 16384 /E
REM - `TDsk v2.42' is 8088+ compatible, RESIZEABLE and can define its
REM DRIVE LETTER. Too bad `Win 32' systems will complain and fall
REM back to compatibility mode, which reduces GLOBAL performances!
rem DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\TDsk.EXE
rem DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\TDsk.EXE
REM - `SRDXMS v2.08' is 80386+ compatible, RESIZEABLE and can define a
REM DRIVE LETTER too. Though, `Win 9x' complains about it as well.
rem DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\SRDXMS.SYS
REM Given the cost of an `InterLink' cable (10 $ Can. when i came across
REM the driver) i use to get it installed in every single `Config.SYS';
REM except on `Win 98/ME' systems where it's incompatible, as i recall.
REM
REM LEGACY PCs like a `GridCase II' 8088 or FlyTech `Carry-I' 80286 turn
REM into external diskette/Hard-Disk units and the data is safer there!
DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\InterLnk.EXE /Drives:6 /LPT:378 /COM:1 /V /Auto
REM The location for these driver varies depending on the OS being used.
REM
REM There's no need (that i know of) to remove one's `Country.SYS' line:
REM this driver doesn't even list when i do a memory consumption check.
DeviceHigh=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Display.SYS Con=(ega,863,1)
Country=002,863,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Country.SYS
[GAMES]
REM The only difference from the above is the memory manager and the
REM absence of most of the comments, disable any unnecessary lines.
NumLock=Off
DOS=High,UMB
Buffers=45,4
Files=60
FCBS=16,8
Device=C:\DOS\DREMM386.EXE NoEMS RAM Auto DMA=64
rem DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\DOSMax.EXE /c+ /p- /x+
Shell=C:\DOS\ShellMax.COM /R- C:\Command.COM C:\ /E:3072 /P
DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\FDATACD.SYS /D:CD1
DeviceHigh=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHlp.SYS
DeviceHigh=C:\WINDOWS\RAMDrive.SYS 16384 /E
rem DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\TDsk.EXE
rem DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\TDsk.EXE
rem DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\SRDXMS.SYS
DeviceHigh=C:\DOS\InterLnk.EXE /Drives:6 /LPT:378 /COM:1 /V /Auto
DeviceHigh=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Display.SYS Con=(ega,863,1)
Country=002,863,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Country.SYS
************************************************************************
********************************************************[ AutoExec.BAT]*
@Echo Off
IF EXIST C:\Win.BAT DEL C:\Win.BAT>Nul
Cls
Echo `AutoExec.BAT' is now executing...
LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ScanDisk.EXE /Custom
PROMPT $p $g
SET DirCmd=/O:N /P
GOTO %CONFIG%
:DOS_WIN
SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\DOS;C:\SB16;C:\
SET SOUND=C:\SB16
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H1 P330 T6
C:\SB16\CTCM\CTCM.EXE
REM `NWCDEx v2.81' seems to disable `QCD v2.03' (no music under DOS) but
REM that given driver is probably compatible with ~LAN~ environments...
REM The `SHSUCDX v1.4b' driver is going fine for me now. Only, i didn't
REM have the opportunity to test the later on a LAN yet. Any comments?
rem LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEx.EXE /S /D:CD1 /L:E
rem LH C:\DOS\NWCDEx.EXE /D:CD1 /L:E
rem ECHO.
LH C:\DOS\SHSUCDX.EXE /S /D:CD1 /L:E
ECHO.
REM The `SmartDrv' "/L" flag is handy if a driver won't fit otherwise...
REM Beware, `NWCache r1.02' is about twice the size of `SmartDrv v5.02'!
rem LH C:\DOS\NWCache.EXE
LH C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE /U /X 512 256
REM
REM * C A U T I O N ! *
REM
REM I'm a French Canadian and as such i must have this line installed, i
REM had to FOLD it in TWO so that i can be certain it will fit in here:
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Mode.COM CON CodePage Prepare=((863) ...
... C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EGA.CPI)
REM The following line is complementary to the above:
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Mode.COM CON CodePage Select=863
ECHO.
REM The next part is about ~RAMDisks~, a way to speed things up a bit...
REM Since i use this configuration on a `Win 9x' system, `TDsk'/`SRDisk'
REM are both absent from my actual setup so i must uncomment this line:
GOTO RAMDrive
SET TurboDsk=?:
C:\DOS\TDsk.EXE 16384 /m>Nul
rem ECHO.
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 255 GOTO TDskOn
SET TurboDsk=
GOTO SRDsk
:TDskOn
IF NOT EXIST %TurboDsk%\TEMP\Nul MKDIR %TurboDsk%\TEMP>Nul
IF NOT EXIST %TurboDsk%\CACHE\Nul MKDIR %TurboDsk%\CACHE>Nul
SET TEMP=%TurboDsk%\TEMP
GOTO RDskDone
:SRDsk
REM N.B.: `SRDisk.EXE' needs `SRDXMS.SYS' to be loaded in `Config.SYS'!
C:\DOS\SRDisk.EXE 16384 /E /V0>Nul
ECHO.
IF (%SRDISK1%) == () GOTO HardDsk
SET SRDISK1=%SRDISK1%:
MKDir %SRDISK1%\TEMP
Set TEMP=%SRDISK1%\TEMP
MKDir %SRDISK1%\CACHE
GOTO RDskDone
:RAMDrive
REM In my particular case i have to define the drive's letter, manually:
SET RAMDrive=E:
IF NOT EXIST %RAMDrive%\TEMP\Nul MKDIR %RAMDrive%\TEMP>Nul
SET TEMP=%RAMDrive%\TEMP
IF NOT EXIST %RAMDrive%\CACHE\Nul MKDIR %RAMDrive%\CACHE>Nul
ECHO.
GOTO RDskDone
:HardDsk
REM These values may be modified by `Win 9x' after `AutoExec' is done...
IF NOT EXIST C:\TEMP\Nul MKDIR C:\TEMP>Nul
IF NOT EXIST C:\TEMP\Nul SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
IF NOT EXIST C:\CACHE\Nul MKDIR C:\CACHE>Nul
:RDskDone
REM After a while `DOSKey' should make sense if you're a DOS person...
LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DOSKey /BuffSize=256>NUL
REM Since i'm a French Canadian, this configuration makes sense too...
LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Keyb.COM CF,863,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Keyboard.SYS
REM `PTSMouse v1.13' is the less memory-consuming driver i have found, i
REM can use it with `List v9.4v' (but not `QCD v2.03', i'm afraid). If
REM i dare trying `CTMouse v1.0', the mouse won't be seen and the MoDem
REM will even vanish on this P-133 Mhz machine! `Mouse' seemed OKay...
rem LH C:\DOS\PTSMouse.COM /C1 /T:PS2
rem LH C:\DOS\CTMouse.COM
LH C:\DOS\Mouse.COM
ClS
REM Batch files often require an ~ANSI~ driver - this one is quite slim:
LH C:\DOS\VMANSI.COM>Nul
REM I can be lazy at times so i like `AutoExec' to "type" instead of me:
C:\DOS\InterSvr.EXE
REM Since it's nice to see what drives we got lets display them again...
ECHO Remote drives found:
C:\DOS\InterLnk.EXE
ECHO.
ECHO Now ready to launch Windows...
ECHO.
ECHO Press [Ctrl]+[C] to cancel.
PAUSE
Win
GOTO End
:GAMES
REM The only difference from the above is the memory manager and the
REM absence of most of the comments, disable any unnecessary lines.
SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\DOS;C:\SB16;C:\
SET SOUND=C:\SB16
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H1 P330 T6
C:\SB16\CTCM\CTCM.EXE
LH C:\DOS\SHSUCDX.EXE /S /D:CD1 /L:E
ECHO.
LH C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE /U /X 512 256
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Mode.COM CON CodePage Prepare=((863) ...
... C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EGA.CPI)
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Mode.COM CON CodePage Select=863
ECHO.
SET RAMDrive=E:
IF NOT EXIST %RAMDrive%\TEMP\Nul MKDIR %RAMDrive%\TEMP>Nul
SET TEMP=%RAMDrive%\TEMP
IF NOT EXIST %RAMDrive%\CACHE\Nul MKDIR %RAMDrive%\CACHE>Nul
ECHO.
LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DOSKey /BuffSize=256>NUL
LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Keyb.COM CF,863,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\Keyboard.SYS
LH C:\DOS\Mouse.COM
ClS
LH C:\DOS\VMANSI.COM>Nul
C:\DOS\InterSvr.EXE
ECHO Remote drives found:
C:\DOS\InterLnk.EXE
ECHO.
REM Here's how i make certain the user would be strictly limited to DOS:
REM >Win.BAT
:End
************************************************************************
**********************************************************[ MSDOS.SYS ]*
[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C
[Options]
BootMulti=1
;
; Prevent Windows from loading automatically
BootGUI=0
;
; Prevent the Windows logo from hiding the startup sequence
Logo=0
;
; Prevent Windows from hiding the 1st boot menu (F8)
BootMenu=1
BootDelay=0
BootMenuDelay=3
BootMenuDefault=1
;
; Prevent loading compression drivers when not in use
DblSpace=0
DrvSpace=0
;
; Load DblBuff.SYS automatically to ensure compatibility with some
; hard-disk controlers
DoubleBuffer=1
;
Network=1
;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs
************************************************************************
********************************************************[ ScanDisk.INI]*
[ENVIRONMENT]
Display = Auto
Mouse = On
ScanTimeOut = Off
NumPasses = 1
LabelCheck = Off
LfnCheck = On
SpaceCheck = Off
Mount = Prompt
[CUSTOM]
DriveSummary = Off
AllSummary = Off
Surface = Never
CheckHost = Always
SaveLog = Overwrite
Undo = Never
DS_Header = Prompt
FAT_Media = Prompt
Okay_Entries = Prompt
Bad_Chain = Prompt
Crosslinks = Prompt
Boot_Sector = Prompt
FSInfo_Sector = Fix
Invalid_MDFAT = Prompt
DS_Crosslinks = Prompt
DS_LostClust = Prompt
DS_Signatures = Prompt
Mismatch_FAT = Prompt
Bad_Clusters = Prompt
Bad_Entries = Prompt
LostClust = Prompt
************************************************************************
The last configuration files are optional, depending on one's need.
On my P-133 Mhz, the MicroSoft `HiMem'/`EMM386' set frees up to 619.8 Kb
of conventional memory, with a 13.4 Kb penalty for using `InterLnk'; it
provides me with a continuous high memory bloc of 14.2 - 18.7 Kb. For a
boost i can select DR-DOS `EMM386' instead... I believe i read this one
may be less stable/reliable but conventional memory jumps to 624.1 Kb, i
get a continuous high memory bloc of 9.2 - 14.7 Kb of and there has been
no significant penalty for using `InterLnk'. I hope that's good enough.
Of course, the results will vary if that's transposed to another PC
but that set of configuration files is intended to cover a large span of
needs. Compromizes have to be made, depending on the OS and ressources;
i don't know if `Guest.EXE' is comparable to `InterLink' but that should
be sufficiently close to get an idea of what sort of tricks you can use.
`DOSMax v2.1' works wonders under most cirmumstances, the ~URL~ is:
ftp://ftp.telusplanet.net/pub/simtelnet/msdos/sysutl/ ...
... dosmax21.zip
`VMANSI v2.70' is from `VMix285.ZIP', a link on the `DRWebDem' page
of my ~WEB~ site (which moved) should lead one to this archive directly.
A> SET PATH C:\DRDOS;C:\C:\WINDOWS; ... C;\
^------------------^----------------.
Oh, by the way, i'm afraid i couldn't but see the typos right here!
I didn't try to sort out the matter of `DPMS.EXE' but is it similar
to `CWSDPMI.EXE 0.90+ (r4)'? I had it copied to C:\DOS a long time ago;
i believe it won't support the 16-Bit mode and must create a swapfile on
C: - i seen mention of "VDISK" in the executable but that's as much as i
i can tell!... Now, relatively to `SetVer.EXE', it slipped thru somehow
but i do see it here - i'd suppose it's built right into `Win 9x' now...
One must revise the `Blaster' DOS environment if he intends to test
this on his equipment, one may have to replace `CTCM' with `CTM20A3.EXE'
if i'm not mistaking this for what it's not... and `Guest.EXE', well...
;->
RW> I use a version of Lynx with rlfossil to dial up my ISP, and then
RW> I use Commo in order to telnet into my shell account. Although this
RW> resource depleting setup works, it is rather problematic to say the
RW> least. ...commo has a shell feature which is accessed by alt-s.
RW> How can I avoid the DMA buffer allocation failure error message, so
RW> that I can use wordperfect in a shell?
Hummm... I bet that's what the "D" flag on the `EMM386' line would
be about, i do recall having to add this but that happened months ago...
I'm a `{Commo}'/`RLFossil' guy who likes ~TelNet~ BBSes (and interactive
~E-Mail~ sessions, on top of it). I hope that the above can be of help.
I wonder how bad `WordPerfect' is on memory consumption. Lets see:
*************************************************[ Memory consumption ]*
System 12752+34544/?+? FDATACD 0+15376/0+15360
IFS=O.SYS ?+?/1024 IFSHlp 0+2864/544+2848+608
HiMem 1120/1104 RamDrive 0+1456/0+1440
EMM386 4096/4080 InterLnk 0+9888/0+9872
DblBuff 2448/2432 Display 0+8304/0+8288
Mouse 13984+304/13968+288 SetVer 0+1040/0+1024
RLFossil 88528/88,496 SHSUCDX 0+11280/0+11264
LSPPP 28224/28,208 SmartDrv 0+26816/0+26800
Command 80+12752/64+12720 DOSKey 0+4688/0+4672
Commo 81952/81872 Keyb 0+7440/0+7424
Edit 136640/136592 VMANSI 0+1744/0+1728
Command 4128+5536/4112+5520 Command 0+9664/0+9632
List 93088/93008
Command 10368/10320
Conventional memory (largest executable): 177168/177264
Upper memory bloc: 3392/4464
Extended memory (XMS): ?/31490048
************************************************************************
That's as close to reality as i could get. Two different utilities
give pretty close values and in some cases one completes the other. The
"Shell" from `List' from `Edit' from `{Commo}' from `RLFossil' (and with
a ~PPP~ packet-driver loaded) is quite peculiar but that would mimic the
use of `WordPerfect' in whatever manner you imagined, euh... i'm not so
shure what you mean, actually. Anyway, that should do so... Good luck!
Salutations, 8-)
www.iquebec.com/dos-inet
a/s Bicephale
... Any ~TelNettable~ BBS sugestion for .QWK Xfers using Kermit in 2003?
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