JP Software 4DOS v. 5.95 Pre-Release README.TXT -- May 27, 1997 Greetings, and thanks for trying this pre-release! PLEASE NOTE: This file accompanies a pre-release software product (4DOS 5.95, 4NT 2.95, Take Command/16 1.95, or Take Command/32 1.95). These versions EXPIRE on July 31, 1997, as does your license to use them (for the full license, see LICENSE.TXT). The software will warn you when expiration is getting close; once the pre-release has expired you will be subject to reminders and significant startup delays each time you use it. You will be able to download a fully released copy (or an updated pre-release version) before expiration of this pre-release. This file contains a variety of information you should read before using the pre-release, including: Files Included with the Pre-Release Installation Instructions Technical Support Ordering the Final Release Legal Notices FILES INCLUDED -------------- The following files are included with 4DOS 5.95: 4DOS.COM 4DOS program file 4DOS.HLP 4DOS help text 4HELP.EXE 4DOS help program FILE_ID.DIZ Description file for BBS and other uploads HELPCFG.EXE Color configuration program for the help system INTERNAT.TXT Shipping rates and dealer list for international customers KSTACK.COM Memory-resident program used by the KEYSTACK command LICENSE.TXT Pre-release license agreement OPTION.EXE Program used by the OPTION command ORDFORM.TXT New customer order form PRODUCTS.TXT Product and ordering information README.TXT This file UPGFORM.TXT New customer order form INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS ------------------------- [NOTE to current JP Software command processor users: If you are running an earlier version of our software you may be used to "branding" new versions with your name and serial number. However, you can NOT brand this pre-release software; as a pre-release, it cannot be used permanently, and therefore does not accept branding. Your brand program will still work on the final release if you are entitled to upgrade to it at no charge.] Here's how to install your pre-release software: (1) Create a new directory for the pre-release software. Do not install it in the same directory as any other JP Software product, including one of the other pre-release products. The directory can be on any hard disk drive. When installing 4DOS under Windows 95 we recommend that you do NOT use a "long" directory name. If you do, you will have to know and use the equivalent short name to load 4DOS if the Windows 95 GUI is not loaded (e.g., when loading 4DOS in CONFIG.SYS). (2) Decompress the downloaded files into this directory. You can print any documentation (.TXT) file by copying it to the printer with the COPY command. (3) Add this line to your DOS, Windows 95, or OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file: SHELL=d:\path\4DOS.COM d:\path /P "d:\path" means the drive and directory where 4DOS.COM is stored. The second "d:\path" on the SHELL= line should be the same as the first, and is used to set the COMSPEC environment variable properly. Be sure to delete or REMark out any old SHELL= line for COMMAND.COM (or a previous version of 4DOS) after you add the new SHELL= line. You can add any command line options to the end of the line. See the online help for information on command line options. If you are running 4DOS under DOS 4.01 or earlier, you must make sure that the portion of the SHELL= line beginning with the second "d:\path", through the end of the line, does not exceed 31 characters, due to a bug in DOS. For details, see the Compatibility section in the online help. (4) If you are running 4DOS under OS/2, change CONFIG.SYS as described above (don't forget to find and REMark out or delete the old SHELL= line). Once you reboot, 4DOS will be used automatically for all DOS objects which use the default DOS_SHELL settings. (5) Next, if you are running under DOS, OS/2, or Windows 3.x, add the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: d:\path\KSTACK.COM where "d:\path" is the drive and directory where your 4DOS files are stored. KSTACK.COM is a memory-resident program used to support the KEYSTACK command. It requires about 1K of memory, and can be left out of AUTOEXEC.BAT if you do not use KEYSTACK. Do not add the KSTACK line to AUTOEXEC.BAT if you are using Windows 95. Under Windows 95, KSTACK should be loaded separately for each 4DOS session; see the Windows 95 information in the Compatibility section of the online help for details. If you have a line in AUTOEXEC.BAT which sets the COMSPEC environment variable to point to COMMAND.COM, remove it or REMark it out. If you set up the CONFIG.SYS file properly, 4DOS will set this variable automatically; setting it in AUTOEXEC.BAT is likely to cause trouble later on (for example, if you install an update to 4DOS in a different directory, but forget to change the COMSPEC setting). (6) 4DOS requires a 4DOS.INI file with at least two lines in it: [4DOS] InstallPath = d:\path where "d:\path" is the drive and directory where your 4DOS files are stored. This will help 4DOS locate its auxiliary files, such as the help files and OPTION.EXE. The [4DOS] section header should be the first line in the file, and the InstallPath setting should be the second line. If you are upgrading from a previous version of 4DOS, you should copy any 4DOS.INI file you have in the old directory to the new one. Then add or modify the [4DOS] section head and InstallPath directive at the beginning of 4DOS.INI, remove any HelpPath directive in the file (HelpPath is obsolete and has been replaced by InstallPath), and update any paths in the file which point to the old program directory (e.g. 4StartPath). (7) If you are updating from a previous version of 4DOS you should also copy any 4START or 4EXIT files kept in your old 4DOS directory to the new directory. (8) When you've finished modifying CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, and updating your other files, you can reboot your system to start 4DOS. (9) If you are running Windows 95, you will need to create a new shortcut on your desktop to run 4DOS (the "MS-DOS Prompt" shortcut which comes with Windows 95 will run COMMAND.COM, even after 4DOS is installed). Simply create a new shortcut as you would for any program (right-click on the open desktop, click New, then Shortcut), and enter the Command Line as: d:\path\4dos.com d:\path where "d:\path" is the directory where your 4DOS files are stored [this is the same entry as described for the SHELL= line in step (3) above, but without the final "/P"]. Once you have 4DOS running, be sure to look through the material on Windows 95 in the Compatibility section of the online help. It explains in detail how to configure 4DOS and Windows 95 so that they work well together. TECHNICAL SUPPORT ----------------- We support our products via two electronic methods: * In the JP Software CompuServe area, section 10 of the PC Vendor B forum (GO PCVENB). For support leave a message in this area addressed to user ID 75300,1215. * On the Internet, via email to support@jpsoft.com. When possible, we also read messages posted on the Usenet comp.os.msdos.4dos newsgroup, and in the 4DOS conference on the FidoNet BBS network (these conferences are named for 4DOS, but carry messages related to all JP Software products). These areas offer valuable information and discussions with other users, but are not managed by JP Software, and are not official support channels. To be certain of a direct answer from our support staff use our CompuServe forum or Internet email as listed above. Because this is a pre-release version, NO TELEPHONE SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE. Limited electronic support is available through CompuServe or the Internet as noted above, and support questions may be answered from time to time in the newsgroup or BBS conferences listed above. However, this is a pre-release product and may contain bugs or other limitations. We cannot promise specific answers to all problems encountered with this version, offer a definite response time for questions on the pre-release, or provide projected dates for updates or fixes. Downloading JP Software Files To download JP Software files, including a trial version of the final release of this software (when it is available), visit: * Our web site at http://www.jpsoft.com/ * Our CompuServe forum (GO PCVENB or GO JPSOFT, library 10 / JP Software) * Channel 1 BBS, Cambridge, MA, 617-349-1300 for 28.8K, 617- 354-3137 for 33.6 K. Join the "free files" conference (J FREE or J 5 at the main menu) for JP Software file downloads. We recommend that you use our web site for Internet downloads. However, if you prefer (or if you do not have web access) you can connect directly to our ftp site at ftp.std.com, directory /vendors/jpsoft. Product subdirectories are located below this; for example 4DOS files are in /vendors/jpsoft/4dos, and pre-release files are in /vendors/jpsoft/prerel. ORDERING THE FINAL RELEASE -------------------------- No date is currently available for the final release. Current users can place advance upgrade orders using the upgrade order form distributed with the pre-release, or using electronic order entry via our web site at http://www.jpsoft.com/ (web-based order entry system is not available at this time, but will be ready shortly). All current users will also be notified by mail when the final release is available. Orders from new customers, and add-on orders from existing customers, which are placed prior to the final release of this upgrade will be filled immediately with our current version of the product(s) ordered. The new version will then be shipped automatically when it is ready. Single-product upgrades for owners of 4DOS 5.0 or above, 4OS2 or 4NT 2.0 or above, or any version of Take Command will be priced at $29.95 for the first product and $19.95 for each additional product, plus shipping, through August 31, 1997, and will increase after that date. (Upgrades from earlier versions -- 4DOS 4.02 or below, 4OS2 or 4NT 1.x -- are $39.95 plus shipping, also through August 31.) We are also offering attractive pricing for those who want to convert to the JP CD Suite with all six products -- $89.95 for owners of one product, and just $69.95 for those who own two or more JP Software products -- this means if you are upgrading three or more products you can convert to the CD Suite for the same amount you'd pay for your upgrade, or less! If you already own the CD Suite, upgrades are $49.95 if you have CD Release 2 with all six products, and $59.95 if you have Release 1 with 5 products. LEGAL STUFF ----------- Copyright 1997, JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved. Published by JP Software Inc., P.O. Box 1470, E. Arlington, MA 02174, U.S.A., phone 617-646-3975, fax 617-646-0904. Take Command and 4DOS are registered trademarks of JP Software Inc. 4DOS, 4OS2, and 4NT are JP Software Inc.'s trademarks for its family of character-mode command processors. JP Software, jpsoft.com, and all JP Software designs and logos are also trademarks of JP Software Inc. Other product and company names are trademarks of their respective owners. All prices and terms subject to change without notice. This pre-release version may be incomplete, and may contain errors or omissions which would not be present in a final release product. It is distributed AS-IS and without warranty of any kind. See the license agreement accompanying the pre-release files (in the file LICENSE.TXT) for details.