Subj : Re: How to detect RAM disks (Was: how to detect cdrom?)
To   : Outsider
From : Jasen Betts
Date : Sun Feb 17 2002 07:22 am

From: Jasen.Betts@p42.f531.n640.z3.cereal.mv.com (Jasen Betts)
Subject: Re: How to detect RAM disks (Was: how to detect cdrom?)

Hi Outsider.

14-Feb-02 17:28:56, Outsider wrote to Steve


 O> From: Outsider <noreply@nowhere.com>

>> FreeDOS is NOT MSDOS. Programs that run only in a pure MS environment
>> are irrelevant to both FreeDOS and 4DOS users.

 O> Irrelevant? That cannot be so.

it is...

 O> In fact, it is the other way around, because 4DOS users can use
 O> standard batches by running command.com, whereeas standard DOS users
 O> cannot run 4DOS batches

If 4dos users want command.com solutions they're easy enough to get
elsewhere... abd 4dos solutions are often much smaller and almost always
faster, often many times faster.

>> > > 3) Why must a second instance of the command processor be invoked? All
>> > > command processors sold for the last 15 years included the internal
>> > > command CALL, since before the availability of MEM.EXE  /D?
>> >
>> > Because batch file output in MSDOS cannot be redirected.

 It can be with 4dos :)

>> WHAT SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VIRTUAL DISK IS DETECTED BY YOUR
>> PROGRAM? And how isit detected?

 O> MEM.EXE/D |FIND.EXE "=RAMDRIVE" >%temp%.\ramdrv1.dat

so it detects the name of the execuatble "ramdrive"
If you use a different ramdrive program (one with a different filename)
mem/d will report the new filename.

> I have not tested the algorithm on non-MSDOS RAM drives; I
> believe it may work, but am not sure about it (since I
> have not tested).

>>> BTW, Do you mean to say that it is disallowed for 4DOS users to
>>> run a command.com shell and run MSDOS batches?

no... but running command.com to set an environment variable is kind of
pointless if you want the variable in 4dos... you'd have to use a temporary
file to transfer the result back to 4dos, by whiuch time a pure 4dos
solution starts to look better...

 O> 1) Perhaps you should consider that many 4DOS users may need standard
 O> batches
 O> so they have solutions that are portable to other systems w/o 4DOS

If they want them they generally ask for them...

 -=> Bye <=-
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