Category : Utilities for DOS and Windows Machines
Archive   : DOSMAX21.ZIP
Filename : SHELLMAX.DOC

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SHELLMAX.COM : Ver. 2.1, Copyright (1992,93) by Philip B. Gardner
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SHELLMAX.COM is a utility which loads the primary shell high from the
SHELL= line in your CONFIG.SYS.

Support is provided for:

* Loading the primary SHELL into high memory
* Creating a primary SHELL stub in low memory
(improves compatability with some configurations)

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(Requirements)::

* Requires MS-DOS Version 3.10 or better

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(Installation)::

(CONFIG.SYS)::

Installation of SHELLMAX.COM requires modifying the contents of
your CONFIG.SYS file.

SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM [options] COMMAND.COM /P

Insert SHELLMAX.COM in your SHELL= line of your CONFIG.SYS.
SHELLMAX.

(Safety)::

When installing SHELLMAX, it is best if you copy SHELLMAX.COM and
COMMAND.COM (the primary shell), to the root directory of your boot
drive. If SHELLMAX fails to function properly with the parameters
in your SHELL= command line, it will issue a series of error messages,
and then try and load COMMAND.COM from the root directory. This will
give you a chance to edit the CONFIG.SYS and correct the problem.
You should exercise caution and have a boot floppy available.

SHELLMAX is compatible with full SHELL= command line specifications.
In the following example, neither SHELLMAX.COM or COMMAND.COM is
required in the root directory after installation is successful, as
indicated by no error or warning messages.

SHELL=C:\BOOT\SHELLMAX.COM /R- C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS /E:512 /P

All switch options and possible messages for SHELLMAX are detailed
below:

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(Compatibility)::

(4DOS)::

If you are using Version 4.x 4DOS from J.P. Software, you should
add the path to 4DOS.COM to the 4DOS command line.

SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM C:\4DOS\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS /p

If this parameter is not added, 4DOS may not set the environment
variable "COMSPEC=" properly.

(DOS 3.x & 4.x)::

Some versions of DOS incorrectly truncate the command line to 35
characters for the SHELL= statement in the CONFIG.SYS or fail to
pass a command line at all if the line is over 35 characters.
This bug is circumvented by a special algorithum in SHELLMAX. If
SHELLMAX does not work for you, and you suspect that this is the
problem, please contact me for assistance.

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(Syntax)::


The only thing to remember about syntax for the command line is
that just about anything works. What this means is that you
should be able to type in the options on the command line the
way they make sense to you.

To illustrate this point, the following command line example
is mutated several different ways.

SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM /R- /P+ /S+ C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P
SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM -R- -P+ -S+ C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P
SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM /R-/P+/S+ C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P
SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM -R--P+-S+ C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P

... and so on.

SHELLMAX 2.0 and above adds optional full word syntax. The new
syntax looks like this:

SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM /REPORT:- /PAUSE:+ /FAKESTUB:+ C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P
SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM -REPORT:- -PAUSE:+ -FAKESTUB:+ C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P
SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM /REPORT:-/PAUSE:+/FAKESTUB:+ C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P
SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM -REPORT:--PAUSE:+-FAKESTUB:+ C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P

Obviously when using full words, it is easier to keep the words
separated so that is clear to read. The optional [:] is used
for toggle switches (i.e. REPORT:+). These optional delimiters
can also be used with the single letter switches. Exact spelling
is required because the single letter interface is still intact.

(Switch Options)::

The following list of switch options is organized by:

- Control of SHELLMAX Reports (/R:/P:/N:)
- Control the Configuration of a Fake Low Memory Stub (/S:)
- Response file for SHELLMAX (@)

(Control of SHELLMAX Reports)::

(REPORT):: R[+ or -] (toggle: default +)

Use /R- or /REPORT:- to disable the report after you are
satisfied with the configuration of STOPMAX.SYS

(PAUSE):: P[+ or -] (toggle: default +)

Use /P- or /PAUSE:- to disable the pause after the report as
long as there are no errors or warnings.

(NOPAUSE):: N[+ or -] (toggle: default -)

Use /N+ or /NOPAUSE:+ to never pause after the report, even if
there are errors. This switch can be used if your configuration
generates a warning or error message which you choose to ignore.

(Control the Configuration of a Fake Low Memory Stub)

(FAKESTUB):: S[+ or -] (toggle: default -)

If you use SHELLMAX to load the shell high, then some programs
(environment editors and some networks), are confused that no
portion of the primary shell is is low memory. Use /S+ or
/FAKESTUB:+ to tell SHELLMAX to create a fake stub, which looks
like the primary shell, in low memory. This stub tracks changes
to the Master Environment segment pointer by monitoring the real
stub high (each "get exit code of sub-program" INT 21h, 4Dh).
The stub size is 256 bytes, so if you use 4DOS, and find that
you need the low stub, it is better to just let 4DOS do it and
not use SHELLMAX.

(Response file for SHELLMAX)::

Parameters for SHELLMAX may be read from a response file by using the
@pathname syntax:

SHELLMAX.COM @RESPONSE.FIL C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:512 /P

Notice that the path to the SHELL is cannot be in the response file.

Response files may be commented by using a ";","#",or "*" character
before the comment.

* everything in square brackets "[]" is optional

(CONFIG.SYS Line)::

SHELL=SHELLMAX.COM [/R-/P+/N+/S+] COMMAND.COM /P

default: /R+/P-/N-/S-

* Report status messages
* Don't Pause after report
* Pause on errors or warnings
* Don't Fake stub low

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(Report Format)::

SHELLMAX.COM (8086): Ver. 2.1, Copyright (1992,93) by Philip B. Gardner
ERROR : (Error Messages)
WARNING : (Warning Messages)
ADVICE : (Advisory Messages)
: (Report Messages)
: (Allocation Status)
PAUSE : Press any key to continue...

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(Error Messages)::

MS-DOS version 3.10 or above is required
Bad or missing program specification
Use SHELLMAX.COM only as CONFIG.SYS SHELL=
Not enough memory to execute
Fatal Error, program halted

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(Warning Messages)::

Unknown option in command line
Unknown option on line #0000
Extra characters on command line
Missing or invalid option file XXXXXXXX.XXX
Line length overflow at line #0000
Unable to load high, loading low

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(Advisory Messages)::

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(Report Messages)::

Processing option file XXXXXXXX.XXX
Effection section is [XXXXXXXX]

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(Allocation Status)::

SHELL loaded at 0000
Not enough Hi Memory for SHELL
STUB faked at 0000

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(Changes)::

(Version 1.7)::

(1) Found a workaround to 4DOS 4.x initialization hang. 4DOS now will
load properly. One caveat, add path to 4DOS to the 4DOS command
line or 4DOS will not find 4DOS.INI or set the COMSPEC variable
correctly.

(2) Corrected problem with DOS 3.x and DOS 4.x when the standard handles
were getting closed by mistake.

(3) When COMMAND.COM path argument was a different drive then the boot
drive, COMMAND.COM was looking for the AUTOEXEC.BAT on the drive
of the argument instead of the boot drive. Fixed so COMMAND.COM
processes the AUTOEXEC.BAT from the boot drive.

(4) Version bumped to match DOSMAX

(Version 1.8)::

(1) Added /S+ option to create a fake primary shell stub in low memory.
This works around environment editor and network compatability
problems.

(2) Improved error recovery with the goal of trying every way of at
least loading some shell in the event the algorithum of SHELLMAX
encounters multiple errors.

(Version 1.9)::

(1) Reorganized code to enable an overlay method of module selection
to automate processor selection and split up .SYS and .EXE modules
to reduce the initialization memory to minimum.

(2) SHELLMAX now automatically detects the processor type and chooses
separate code modules if appropriate. The 186 processor require-
ment of previous versions is no longer applicable.

(3) Added optional full word syntax to argument parser. The old style
single letter switch interface is still intact. The switch lists
now show the optional word with the switch.

(Version 2.0)::

(1) Completely rewritten. Added feature to edit command line if
the SHELL is bad or missing.

(2) Added option response file input with @filename.opt syntax

(Version 2.1)::

(1) Fixed problem with finding DOS 6.0 CONFIG variable for machines
whose bios'es don't intialize memory properly.

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