Some help with MS-DOS 7.10 Boot disk

[ramian]

I found a MS-DOS 7.10 boot disk at the following site

http://newdos.yginfo.net/msdos71/index.htm

With reference to the Super MS-DOS 7.10 Boot Disk, I have some questions about it's autoexec.bat.

@ECHO OFF
KPUSH 27 27
KPUSH>NUL
REM Made by Wengier. China DOS Union.
REM All rights reserved. 2002-2003.
TM /F
LH KILLER
LH DOSKEY
LH CTMOUSE
::Note: The following line is for the compatibility on some systems:
LH CTMOUSE>NUL
IF %CONFIG%#==M6# GOTO SHUT
IF NOT %CONFIG%#==M5# GOTO BOOT
ECHO.
ECHO Now preparing to open README with Chinese support...
XMSDSK 80 /Y>NUL
FINDRAMD>NUL
IF %RAMDRIVE%#==# ECHO Can't create RAM disk!
IF %RAMDRIVE%#==# GOTO SHUT
EXTRACT /E /L %RAMDRIVE%\ DOSET.CAB EDIT.COM>NUL
XZL
%RAMDRIVE%\EDIT README.TXT
CLS
XZL /Q
:SHUT
CLS
WBAT BOX "Please enter your choice:",Shutdown the computer,Restart the computer
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO ANS
WBAT BOX (RED ON YELLOW) "Note: Please make a choice!",OK
GOTO SHUT
:ANS
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO RES
ECHO Now trying to shutdown the computer..
ECHO.
SHUTDOWN S
ECHO.
ECHO Shutdown failed. Your computer may not have an ATX power.
:RES
ECHO Now restart the computer..
ECHO.
SHUTDOWN R
GOTO END
:BOOT
SET SM=
DREADY C:
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 ECHO Warning: Can't find any valid hard drives!
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO NOHD
ECHO Y|LOCK C:>NUL
ECHO.
ECHO Now trying to load the hard disk cache to speed the drives up...
WBAT BOX "Please choose the hard disk cache you like in 8 seconds:",PC-CACHE,SMARTDRV,Cancel #1,8
IF ERRORLEVEL 3 ECHO Cancelled.
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 2 PCCACHE /SIZEXT:4096 /WRITE:OFF /WIN /MINI
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 3 SET SM=Y
:NOHD
LH SHSUCDX /D:?IDE-CD /D:?USB-CD
XMSDSK 4096 /Y
ECHO Now setting up the RAM disk...
FINDRAMD>NUL
IF %RAMDRIVE%#==# GOTO NORAM
IF NOT EXIST %RAMDRIVE%\TEMP\NUL MD %RAMDRIVE%\TEMP
SET TMP=%RAMDRIVE%\TEMP
SET TEMP=%RAMDRIVE%\TEMP
IF NOT EXIST %RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM\NUL MD %RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM
COPY COMMAND.COM %RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM>NUL
IF NOT EXIST %RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM\COMMAND.COM ECHO Warning: Failed to copy files!
IF NOT EXIST %RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM\COMMAND.COM GOTO COPYERR
SET COMSPEC=%RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM\COMMAND.COM
EXTRACT /E /Y /L %RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM DOSET.CAB>NUL
EXTRACT /E /Y /L %RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM VC.CAB>NUL
ECHO The necessary tools have been successfully loaded to drive %RAMDRIVE%.
:COPYERR
PATH=%RAMDRIVE%.;%RAMDRIVE%\SYSTEM
IF %SM%#==Y# LH SMARTDRV 4096 2048 /X
GOTO NEXT
:NORAM
ECHO Warning: Can't create RAM disk!
IF %SM%#==Y# ECHO          Can't load SMARTDRV!
SET COMSPEC=A:\COMMAND.COM
:NEXT
SET SM=
SET DIRCMD=/OGN /4
SET PROMPT=$P$G
PATH=%PATH%;C:.;A:.;..
LH ZENO /Q
LH MOUSCLIP /M
WBAT BOX "Please choose the code page for LFNs you want to use:",CP437(English),CP936(S.Chinese),Disable LFN #1,8
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 2 LH DOSLFN /C- /Z:CP437UNI.TBL
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 3 LH DOSLFN /C- /Z:CP936UNI.TBL
IF %CONFIG%#==M3# IF %RAMDRIVE%#==# ECHO Warning: Can't load NTFS drives support!
IF %CONFIG%#==M4# IF %RAMDRIVE%#==# ECHO Warning: Can't load NTFS drives support!
IF %CONFIG%#==M3# IF NOT %RAMDRIVE%#==# NTFSDOS /U
IF %CONFIG%#==M4# IF NOT %RAMDRIVE%#==# NTFSDOS /U
LH ESCAPE
FINDCD /Q
CLS
WRITEXT 1 1 -f15 Note:
ECHO.
IF NOT %CDROM%#==# ECHO For accessing CD/DVD drive, use the drive letter %CDROM%(1st).
IF NOT %RAMDRIVE%#==# ECHO For accessing RAM drive, use the drive letter %RAMDRIVE%.
IF NOT %CONFIG%#==M3# IF NOT %CONFIG%#==M4# ECHO For accessing NTFS drives(if any), type NTFSDOS on the command line.
ECHO At any time, you can press F12 key to return to DOS, or use the mouse.
BREAK ON
LFNFOR ON
IF %RAMDRIVE%#==# GOTO END
ECHO.
ECHO Press ENTER in 2 seconds if you want to start Volkov Commander..
WAIT 2
SET VC=
IF ERRORLEVEL 13 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 14 SET VC=1
IF %VC%#==# ECHO Skipped.
ECHO.
ECHO Now you're in MS-DOS 7.10 prompt. [Made by Wengier, China DOS Union]
ECHO.
ECHO For more information, please look at README.TXT on this disk.
ECHO To start Chinese system for Chinese, type XZL on the command line.
WRITEXT 0+ 1 "Any comments, please come to the forum at: " -f15 http://dosbbs.2ya.com/ -f7
ECHO.
IF %VC%#==# GOTO END
SET VC=
ECHO.
ECHO Starting Volkov Commander...
ECHO.
SET DIF=
STRINGS UMB=UMBLARGE >NUL
STRINGS DIF=SUB %UMB%,30720 >NUL
SET UMB=
IF NOT %DIF%#==# GOTO LH
VC
GOTO END
:LH
SET DIF=
LH VC
:END
ECHO.

I'd like to find out which part of the above autoexec.bat is for the following 2 menus.

and

I'd like to get rid of these 2 menus and have the default option run on every boot.

I would also like to know which part of the autoexec.bat file is required to create the RAMDRIVE, the necessary temp folders and get volkov commander over to the RAMDRIVE and have the 2 sec message to start vc. i've tried almost everything and i think i'm almost at my wits end.

Also, if someone is able to translate the Simple-Chinese Readme file (in the file image from the site posted on top) and post it here, that would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance.

cheers!

[neosapience]

Whoa, it's like, DOS man... whoa.

It's been a while, but I'll take a crack at this.

Ok, I see references to another batch file - WBAT

I also see other programs being loaded - KILLER, DOSKEY, CTMOUSE, SHSUCDX, EXTRACT, XMSDSK, ZENO, MOUSCLIP, ESCAPE, FINDCD, VC... holy cow.

Other ones, either batch files or programs - DREADY, XZL, SHUTDOWN, WRITEXT...

It looks like WBAT is creating the first menu that you have shown. The second menu looks like a CONFIG.SYS menu, you'll have to check out that file for the menu options.

There's a lot going on in that batch file, the only way you'll figure it out is by learning DOS better.

[Noise]

God, what a mess that autoexec.bat is. Anyhow, the 1st menu is from not from any part of the autoexec.bat - it's from a modified boot partition on the floppy, more info can be found here.

The second "menu" is from a standard DOS Multi-Boot config.sys file. Have a look at the config.sys file on that floppy of yours. You'll find more information on the web about how to make a menu'ed config.sys file in later versions of DOS.

If this all sounds like greek to you, then you're in trouble.

[ramian]

Hi,

thanks for all your replies.

Grub looks easy enough to configure (with only a menu.lst file to edit). But is there a way of getting rid of grub all together and just booting it like a normal boot disk? Or will I be able to change that in the config.sys? I've done some basic searching (I'm still at work) and I've only been able to find specific changes to the config.sys file. Is there a database of all possible contents in the config.sys file?

Also need some help with the business of the RAMDRIVE. I don't understand all the commands which refer to RAMDRIVE. I've used RAMDRIVE on other bootdisks before and I've never seen it so complicated.

thanks!