3. Modifying AutoExec.NT
Although Config.NT offers some interesting low-level methods of changing the command line environment, the AutoExec.NT
file provides far more opportunities. Any application that you can
access from the command line is also a candidate for inclusion in the AutoExec.NT
file. Adding applications that you always use can set up the command
line from the outset, so you see what you need without entering any
commands at all. You can also program the AutoExec.NT
file as you would any other batch file. This means you can add menus to
your setup so you can choose the options you want to see.
NOTE
You'll find some
older utilities that Windows installs for compatibility purposes and
then doesn't support. The KB16 utility should provide keyboard support,
but you'll find that the command line provides this support
automatically, so you don't actually need to use the KB16 utility. Even
though the KB16 utility loads into memory and appears to perform a task,
it doesn't do anything. In addition to the KB16 utility, you'll find
that Windows doesn't support the MSCDex utility.
3.1. Setting the Code Page Number with the CHCP Utility
A code page
defines language support at the command prompt. In the days of DOS, you
needed to provide a code page to obtain proper language support at the
command prompt, but Windows doesn't usually require you to set a code
page. You might need to set a code page for older character-mode
applications. Only the OEM font you installed as part of Windows
displays properly when you use a raster font in a windowed command
prompt. However, you can use any of the supported code pages in full
screen mode or with a TrueType font. This utility uses the following
syntax:
CHCP [nnn]
The following describes the command line argument.
nnn
Defines the code page to use. The standard code page numbers appear in Table 1.
Code pages 874 through 1258 are both OEM and ANSI implementations that
are only available in Windows. You can install additional code pages as
needed. The Web site at http://www.i18nguy.com/unicode/codepages.html#msftdos shows how these code pages appear.
Table 1. Standard OEM and OEM/ANSI Code Pages
| Code Page | Country or Language |
|---|
| 437 | United States |
| 850 | Multilingual (Latin I) |
| 852 | Slavic (Latin II) |
| 855 | Cyrillic (Russian) |
| 857 | Turkish |
| 860 | Portuguese |
| 861 | Icelandic |
| 863 | Canadian-French |
| 865 | Nordic |
| 866 | Russian |
| 869 | Modern Greek |
| 874 | Thai |
| 932 | Japanese Shift-JIS |
| 936 | Simplified Chinese GBK |
| 949 | Korean |
| 950 | Traditional Chinese Big5 |
| 1258 | Vietnam |
3.2. Adding DPMI Support Using the DosX Utility
The DOS Protected Mode
Interface (DPMI) is one method for a DOS application to access more
than the 640 KB that DOS (the command line) typically allows. In
addition, this interface provides protected memory access, so the DOS
application doesn't interfere with Windows operation. You can read about
DPMI at http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci213913,00.html.
To use this interface, an application developer needs to provide
special support in the application; usually as part of a third-party
add-on library. All you need to know is whether the application
(typically a game) supports DPMI to use this feature. This utility uses
the following syntax:
DosX
As you can see,
this utility doesn't require any command line switches and it doesn't
display any messages after you install it.
3.3. Enabling Graphics Character Support with the Graf Tabl Utility
Normally, the system
displays any extended characters your application needs to display as
plaintext. In some cases, this means the extended characters won't
display correctly because your system may lack the capability required
to display the extended characters properly. The GrafTabl utility helps
Windows display extended characters as graphics, which means they always
display correctly as long as you have the proper code page support
loaded. The GrafTabl utility only affects extended character display;
you need to use the Mode or CHCP utilities to change the console input.
This utility uses the following syntax:
GRAFTABL [xxx]
GRAFTABL /STATUS
The following list describes each of the command line arguments.
xxx
Specifies the code page number to use for display purposes. Table 5.1 lists the common code pages for Windows.
/STATUS
Displays the code
page that the GrafTabl has loaded for display purposes. This command
line switch doesn't reflect the Mode or CHCP utility settings.
NOTE
The GrafTabl utility won't work with Windows Itanium or Windows 64-bit versions.
3.4. Printing Command Line Graphics with the Graphics Utility
Server Core isn't
supposed to do anything when you try to use the Graphics utility,
according to the Windows help file. However, the Graphics utility does
load and apparently has some functionality. With this in mind, using the
Graphics utility is an "at your own risk" kind of utility that you
should only try as a last resort to obtain required application
functionality. The \WINDOWS\system32 directory contains the GRAPHICS.COM and GRAPHICS.PRO files mentioned in the Knowledge Base article at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q78123.
|
Using the Graphics
utility can produce some unexpected side effects when working at the
command prompt. For example, you may find that the command history
buffer no longer works. In addition, you might not be able to scroll
through the buffer to see older information. The Graphics utility tends
to restrict you to a single command mode and only one screen at a time.
|
|
Use the Graphics
utility to load support for printing graphics at the command line. Some
older applications may require this support, but generally, you don't
need to load the Graphics utility. For example, you may need to load the
graphics utility to print a screenshot of an older game. Press
Shift+Print Screen to print a graphics image with this utility loaded.
This utility uses the following syntax:
GRAPHICS [type] [[drive:][path]filename] [/R] [/B] [/LCD]
[/PRINTBOX:STD | /PRINTBOX:LCD]
The following list describes each of the command line arguments.
type
Specifies the
printer type. In most cases, you'll want to use the default type unless
you experience problems getting the default type to work. The printer
types include: COLOR1, COLOR4, COLOR8, HPDEFAULT, DESKJET, GRAPHICS,
GRAPHICSWIDE, LASERJET, LASERJETII, PAINTJET, QUIETJET, QUIETJETPLUS,
RUGGEDWRITER, RUGGEDWRITERWIDE, THERMAL, and THINKJET.
[drive:][path]filename
Specifies a file containing printer support information. You must obtain this file from the printer vendor in most cases.
/R
Prints the
output as white letters on a black background as normally displayed on
screen. Normally, the utility reverses the colors to save ink.
/B
Prints the background in color for the COLOR4 and COLOR8 printers.
/LCD
Outputs the screen using the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) aspect ratio so the output looks like the screen.
/PRINTBOX:STD | /PRINTBOX:LCD
Displays a print
box around the output. The options specify the print box size. You can
choose between the standard (STD) or LCD aspect ratios.
3.5. Saving Memory Using the LH Command
The Load High (LH)
command attempts to load a utility into high memory, instead of using
application memory. Loading the utility high saves memory that
memory-hungry applications can use to load. Generally, you should try to
load high all of the utilities that you can, including DosX and ReDir.
Windows 64-bit editions don't support this command. This command uses
the following syntax:
LH
You don't need to
provide any command line switches with this command. Simply add the
command or utility that you want to load high after LH
on the command line. The system won't display an error message if the
command fails. However, you can verify the utility's location in memory
using the Mem utility.
3.6. Adding CD Support with MSCDexNT Utility
Windows provides all of
the CD and DVD support that you need. The name of this support under DOS
is Microsoft Compact Disk (or CD-ROM) Extensions (MSCDEX). However, you
still need access to this support from the command prompt. Loading the
MSCDexNT utility loads several additional applications including VCDEX.DLL, which is the 32-bit MSCDEX Virtual Device Driver. This utility uses the following syntax:
MSCDexNT
You don't need to supply any command line switches when using this utility.
3.7. Installing the Network Redirector Using the Re Dir Utility
Use this utility to load
the VDM Virtual Device Driver (VDD) redirector. The redirector provides
virtual device access from the command prompt. Essentially, it provides
network access. This utility uses the following syntax:
ReDir
You don't need to supply any command line switches when using this utility.
|
The Program Information
File (PIF) is an addition to a DOS application that controls how Windows
interacts with the application. You don't start the application using
the PIF (although double-clicking the PIF will start the application),
but the PIF always affects how Windows works with the application. From a
command line perspective, you can use a PIF to perform two special
tasks. First, you can create custom AutoExec.NT and Config.NT
for the application so you can control the application environment.
Second, you can add command line switches to the application command
line so that the application starts with the features you want to use.
When working with a
graphical version of Windows, you simply right-click the DOS
application you want to modify and choose Properties from the context
menu. This act actually creates the PIF. Unfortunately, Server Core
lacks Windows Explorer, which means you don't have access to the usual
graphical means of creating a PIF. At one time, Microsoft also provided
the PIFEdit utility. However, this utility disappeared with Windows NT
because users found it too difficult to use and there isn't a place to
download this utility any longer online .
Consequently, if you want to work with PIF files in Server Core, you'll
have to perform the task at the client machine using the same
techniques you've always employed.
|
4. Defining Application Compatibility with the SetVer Utility
Some older applications
expect a specific version of DOS (the command interpreter) when they
execute and won't execute with any other version. Usually, these
applications won't even start; they simply display an error message
telling you to get the right version of DOS. You can overcome this
particular problem by adding an entry for the application to the Set
Version (SetVer) utility table. When you try to execute the application,
the command interpreter tells it that it's executing with the specific
version of DOS that the application needs. This utility uses the
following syntax:
Display the SetVer Information
SETVER [drive:path]
Add a New Application
SETVER [drive:path] filename n.nn
Delete an Application
SETVER [drive:path] filename /DELETE [/QUIET]
The following list describes each of the command line arguments.
[drive:path]
Specifies the location of the SetVer.EXE file.
filename
Specifies the name of the program to add to or delete from the SetVer table.
n.nn
Specifies the DOS version to report to the application.
/DELETE or /D
Deletes the application listing from the SetVer table.
/QUIET
Performs the
specified task without displaying any prompts. Use this option when
working with batch files to prevent the utility from interrupting the
user.
NOTE
You must load SetVer.EXE as a device driver in Config.NT to obtain the version-setting feature that it provides. You can check the SetVer status at the command prompt by typing SetVer
and pressing Enter. The command displays a list of applications that
appear in the SetVer table, and then displays the SetVer status. You'll
see an error message when the device isn't loaded into memory.
