# Command: buffers

      BUFFERS tells FreeDOS how many disk buffers it should allocate.
      BUFFERS is a CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS command.

## Syntax:

      buffers=nn[,m]
        nn  is the number of primary disk buffers, in the range 1-99.
        m   is the number of secondary disk buffers, in the range 1-8.

#### [Main menu] [top] (Syntax) [Options] [Comments] [Examples] [See also] [File]

## Options:

      Usage:

      The default setting depends on the amount of conventional memory
      your system has:

      Memory (KB)                Primary Buffers           Secondary Buffers
      ----------------------------------------------------------------------
        < 128                           3                         1
      128 - 255                         5                         1
      256 - 511                        10                         1
      512 - 640                        15                         1

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] (Options) [Comments] [Examples] [See also] [File]

## Comments:

      Increasing the number of BUFFERS can improve the speed of programs
      that work with a large number of files, but also uses up more
      memory resources.
      The secondary buffer option is available for compatibility with
      other DOS kernels, but is ignored by the FreeDOS kernel. In MS DOS,
      a secondary buffer can used to read-ahead data. FreeDOS does not do
      this. Buffers are stored in HMA by FreeDOS, unless you select nn to
      allocate more buffers than fit in HMA. If nn is smaller, unused HMA
      space will be used for further buffers until something else allocates
      the HMA space for something else. Even then, at least nn buffers will
      always be available.  You can set nn to a negative value to disable
      the use of unused HMA space: BUFFERS=-10 only uses 10 buffers, further
      free space in the HMA will just stay unused.
      BUFFERS is a command internal to kernel.sys and needs no other file
      in order to work.

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] [Options] (Comments) [Examples] [See also] [File]

## Examples:

      IN CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS:
        buffers=3,1

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] [Options] [Comments] (Examples) [See also] [File]

## See also:

      buffershigh
      config.sys
      fdconfig.sys

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] [Options] [Comments] [Examples] (See also) [File]

## File:

      Please read this command's lsm file also.
      You will find the updated version (internet) here and
      the version described in this manual page here.
      The lsm file contains information about the name of the programmer,
      the download site, and some other command related information.

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] [Options] [Comments] [Examples] [See also] (File)

      Copyright © 2003 Robert Platt, updated 2008 by W. Spiegl.

      This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
      See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.