> On Sep 9, 2015, at 8:03 PM, Eric Auer <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi Jerome, > > if you want to store temp results in your batch, you could > work with errorlevels, the FreeCOM magic errorlevel variable > or indeed a ramdrive. In the past, we often used "memdisk", > which is a BOOTABLE RAMDRIVE. That way, the installer used > a virtual floppy to boot. As you cannot natively boot DOS > from network, CD, DVD or BluRay, you have to use a virtual > boot disk for those anyway. Memdisk gives you the advantage > that the virtual boot disk is a writeable ramdrive floppy.
Most of how the FDI prototype passes data around with errorlevel processing. However, not having a functioning pipe will make some of the more advanced features of V8PT unusable in the installer. example: "vcursor | set /p START_CURSOR=“ would save the incoming cursor so when the batch exits, it can restore it to its previous state with “vcursor %START_CURSOR%". However, just doing a “vcursor small” will make the cursor visible again. ( FYI, the default cursor for FreeDOS inside vmWare is 0x0607. Assuming you could actually get an errorlevel that high. Could you imagine having 1543 if statements for that one? :’-( ) I can probably work around most or all of the issues caused by no pipe support. It’s just the installer won’t be quite as intelligent as it could be. At present, I’ve already added stuff to the installer batch that will automatically use the pipes if the TEMP var is set. If it is not set, it runs in dumb mode. This will give whoever actually makes the FD1.2 Distro Release the ability to either support it or not just by adding a ram disk or leaving it out. > > Memdisk is a bit more esotheric compared to using a floppy > image to directly make a CD or similar bootable, but both > methods work on most BIOS variants. As more and more users > have a BIOS which can boot from USB stick or SD cards, the > whole problem can be sidestepped with a bootable USB / SD. It would be nice if FD 1.2, “ships” with floppy, CD, USB and SD support. > > Disadvantage of both methods is that the files inside the > boot "floppy" are less visible and less editable to people > who want to tune the boot CD / DVD image to their needs, > they tend to overlook the floppy image and / or lack the > tools needed to edit it, although free tools are available > for all common operating systems :-) Yeah, they’re a pain. But, reliable. > > Cheers, Eric Thanks, Jerome > > > > PS: Why does FORMAT C: need pipes? You do not want to hide > messages and if you worry about confirmation requests, I > personally vote AGAINST automated saying yes to FORMAT C: Well, it was a suggestion/request that I mostly agree with. The installer asks “Do you want to format and erase this drive?” Just a little redundant for the formatter to ask again. > (also, our FORMAT has a command line option for that…). What is it? I don’t see one to have it format drive C without insisting on typing “YES” > >> If no writeable file system is present, DOS throws many errors >> and cannot redirect the data from one program to another. > > Many? Only if you try to explicitly use pipes ;-) One error message is way way way too many. :) > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Monitor Your Dynamic Infrastructure at Any Scale With Datadog! > Get real-time metrics from all of your servers, apps and tools > in one place. > SourceForge users - Click here to start your Free Trial of Datadog now! > http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=241902991&iu=/4140 > _______________________________________________ > Freedos-devel mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Monitor Your Dynamic Infrastructure at Any Scale With Datadog! Get real-time metrics from all of your servers, apps and tools in one place. SourceForge users - Click here to start your Free Trial of Datadog now! http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=241902991&iu=/4140 _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
