           DosMan: The Complete Online AmigaDos Reference Manual


                               By:

                           Peter Bagnato 
       


            If you want to know the evolution of DosMan. As well 
        as latest additions and changes to this program, see the 
        History.Doc.

            DOSMan is the definitive and complete online AmigaDOS 
        Manual. 

            Even though many many months of research went into 
        this project it probably still has some errors. The only 
        way DOSMan may hope to survive and become more accurate 
        is through feedback. If you find anything here is 
        incorrect please contact me so I can update it.

            I've received many requests from people to get rid of 
        all references to anything that is pre-Workbench 2.0. I 
        simply will NOT do this. Despite all the awesome 
        improvements with Workbench 2.0, there are still people 
        out there who still use 1.3. Plus, there are people who 
        run both operating systems with Rom switchers. This 
        DosMan is for EVERY Amiga user!!!

            Many moons ago, Commodore came up with the ARP 
        (AmigaDos Replacement).  There are many unique commands 
        and keywords that were introduced here and never saw the 
        light of day in future AmigaDOS versions. Since ARP is 
        not an official AmigaDOS / Workbench release, those 
        unique keywords and commands will not be found here.


            DOSMan is FreeWare-Ware... this means, if you like it 
        (or at least appreciate the work put into it) please send 
        the author your favorite pd software... or $5.00 so I can
        go and buy some. If you don't do this, you can't use my
        program 8-() Many many long days were put into this, I'm
        not being unreasonable! (Commodore was unreasonable when
        they didn't include AmigaDOS docs witht their A1200's,
        but that is another story). If this plea for your hard
        earned money is not enough, see the 'Legal Stuff' section
        at the end to really get bored with more details that I
        wish were not needed.
 

            It is very easy to get ahold of me. I can be found 
        here:

            Peter Bagnato
            1025 Assisi Lane #508 
            Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233 
            United States of America

            tele: 904-246-5071

            internet: pbagnato@jax.jaxnet.com



            Special Thanks
            --------------

            Many people have given me inspiration to finish this 
        project:

            Danny Amor... for an endless supply of seals which he 
        graciously let me club :)

            Bruno... for a future endless supply of Burgandy... 
        and for keeping the Amiga flame burning in Brazil.

            Michael Pedersen... who has an identity crisis he 
        thinks he's a Danish.

            John Collett... for teaching me what little I know 
        about programming in AREXX and for the excellent HyperBook
        version of DosMan.

            Dion... the most ignored and talented Amiga 
        programmer in the world. 

            MegaDisk... for staying around when all other Amiga 
        diskmags bit the BIG ONE.

            Mathias Betheke... for making my CLI think it is a 
        UNIX shell... (he wrote the 'man' alias).

            ESCOM for buying the Amiga. Only time will tell////

            Colin and BOTH Software for inventing the fabulous 
        MUInt... as well as for getting me started on this 
        project. Colin, thanks for your cool icon too... he also
        provided me with the original Dos ARP Man Pages which were
        the groundwork for DOSMan.

            Mike Haas for creating Textra, the most versitile 
        text processor on the Amiga. It is certainly the 
        programmers best friend...


            Thanks also to the dozens and dozens of people who 
        have pointed out my mistakes and who have given me many 
        excellent suggestions to improve DosMan.



            NO THANKS WHATSOEVER GOES TO: 
            ----------------------------

            Irving Gould and Mehedi Ali... these two bastards are 
        singlehandedly responisble for running the greatest 
        computer in the world into the ground. May a thousand 
        camels find refuge in their underwears... they are lucky
        keel hauling is illegal!


            Introduction
            ------------


            What can I say? The Workbench is great! That was the 
        reason I bought my first Amiga in 1989. With her 
        pull-down menus, icons, colors, and sounds I was 
        protected from the dog-eat-dog world of MSDos (any kind 
        of Dos for that matter!).

            I have worked with computers since 1984 (the TRS-80!) 
        and after learning about my Amiga I realized how limiting 
        MS/Dos and UNIX really is. The Amiga's multitasking 
        environment does not limit you the way other operating 
        systems do. The Amiga allows you to run several programs 
        at once from any combination of the Workbench and Shell. 
        You are not limited to using one or the other.

            At first I avoided the CLI with a mad pasion. The 
        more I learned about the Workbench, though, the more I 
        realized what it could not do. I also started collecting 
        really cool pd (public domain) software which did all 
        kinds of neat things to my system. The more I started 
        altering my startup-sequence (and user-startup when I 
        picked up Release 2 of AmigaDos) and exploring the shell 
        with these little programs prompted me to learn more 
        about my working environment outside the Workbench. 

            What really pushed me to realize the Shell was 
        important was when some of those pd programs turned out 
        to be poorly written and things would crash with my 
        system in a really big way. I could only root out the 
        cause of these problems by using the CLI.

            Programs such as AutoCli, MagicICons, Tools Daemon, 
        and New Icons have made the Workbench much more useful 
        and asthetic. But, sometimes I find it easier to enter a 
        command in the CLI instead of clicking down several 
        directory drawers just to double click and icon.

            What I am attemping to accomplish with DosMan is to 
        help you understand the basics of AmigaDos. I have 
        structured DosMan to all levels of Amiga users. No matter 
        how much or how little experience you had with AmigaDos 
        you'll find something of interest here.

            DosMan is also written for all those A1200 users 
        (such as myself) who was surprised when they bought their 
        new A1200s only to discover Commodore did not include 
        directions to AmigaDos! This is the manual Commodore 
        never sent you.


        For Workbench 1.3 users:
        -----------------------

            Some people are still using Workbench 1.3. That is 
        fine, except if you take your time to examine the 
        diferences between the two Operating Systems then you'll 
        change your mind.  Here are only a few of the 
        differences:

            * There are many programs without icons that cannot 
        be run under 1.3 unless you use the CLI. You can run any 
        program from the Workbench under 2.0 and above. (note: 
        even though you can run CLI programs from the Workbench 
        it is usually better to use the CLI. Most commands need 
        keywords and/or filepaths to get them to work properly. 
        As you read DosMan and get more familiar with AmigaDOS, 
        this will all become more apparent.)

            * 1.3 only allows you to show files with icons 
        attached to them. If you want to see a file that does not 
        have an icon attached to it then you need to use your 
        CLI. After Release 2, you can use the "Show All Files" 
        selection from the "Windows" menu on the Workbench.

            * 1.3 does not let you use scripts (aka Command 
        Sequence File... MS/Dos calls them BatchFiles). The only 
        script 1.3 is set up to utilize is the Startup-Sequence. 
        Under Workbench 2.0 and above you have the "Execute" 
        command which lets you run any script you like.





            How to use DOSMan 
            -----------------




           I. If you wish to use the fabulous MUI interface



            1st of all, you must have MUI installed. MUI can be 
        found on all good bulletin boards as well as all decent 
        pd libraries.  If you look for it and still can't find 
        it, contact me and I'll see that you get it.


            If you wish to use the MUI interface, then MUInt must 
        be in your C: directory.  MUInt takes the DosMan.def 
        AmigaDos script and translates it into a code that lets 
        MUI draw the GUI Interface. Neat, no?

            You also need IconX in your C: directory.

            To install MUInt simply use the Installer script 
        provided. The Installer script only copies MUInt to your 
        C: directory, it does nothing else. If you don't have MUI 
        (or don't want to use it for DosMan) then don't install 
        MUInt and save your diskspace for more important things.  
        The DosMan directory reside anywhere you like. So, no 
        special installation is required for that drawer.

            Now you can drag the DosMan directory wherever you 
        like except for Ram:. For some reason, the MUInt script 
        will not work from Ram:. So, drag it anywhere on a floppy 
        or harddisk. I hope to fix the Ram: problem as soon as 
        possible.

            Remember! The Man directory must reside in the Dosman 
        directory along with all the other files. It will not 
        find it if it is not!

            DosMan.def is the icon to click on to get the DosMan 
        window opened.  After it is installed, go ahead and click 
        on it!



            DosMan.def Usage:
            ----------------

            It is so easy my dead dog can use it. Simply double 
        click on the icon and you are presented with an interface 
        which allows you to select the command you want to 
        examine.

            You will notice a list of radio buttons below the 
        list of DOS commands. These buttons allow you to select 
        your reader of choice.

            The reader you chose MUST be in your system's path.  
        If it is not, it will not work. (In other words, it must 
        reside in either the 'c' or 'system' or 'utilities' 
        directory of your Workbench.)

            If your reader is not in your path, it simply won't 
        work... and you will get no warning of why it did not 
        open...

            If there is a reader not there you would like added, 
        please bring it to my attention and I'll throw it in 
        there...

            If you don't have MUI installed (or want to), then 
        you can use the Amigaguide version provided.

    

 
   II. To use it with AmigaGuide.

            Many people hate MUI. Many people (still) use 
        Workbench 1.3.  That's the reason for the AmigaGuide 
        version.

            Simply make sure you have AmigaGuide or MultiView on 
        your system then double click on the DosMan.guide icon.

            If you wish to use Multiview you need to change the 
        tool types of the DosMan.guide icon.




   III. To use from the CLI.

            Add this line to your user-startup sequence (if you 
        use Workbench 2.0 or above) or to your startup-sequence 
        (if you use workbench 1.3):

        alias man [text-reader] [path to man dir]

            For instance, if you want to use Multiview to read 
        the man pages and the man directory is at 
        'Work:DosMan/Man' then you would type in your 
        user-startup: 

        alias man sys:utilities/Multiview Work:DosMan/Man

            Now, everytime you reboot the computer you can view
        any DosMan page you like by typing:

        man [command]


            For instance, if you want to view the MakeDir dosman 
        page, you would enter:

        man MakeDir

            (This smells like UNIX, ugh!)



    IV. To use with AREXX from the CLI.

            The most requested feature to be added to the 
        previous version was a CLI version.  Hence: DosMan.rx.

            This is an AREXX script which will act like an online 
        Dos helper.

            To make it work you must have RexxMast running. If 
        you don't have AREXX on your system (eg you are using 
        Workbench 1.3) then DosMan.rx will not work.

            In the CLI change directories to wherever DosMan 
        resides. For example, if DosMan is in the 'Work:Dosman' 
        directory then type 'CD Work:DosMan'.

            Now type 'rx DosMan.rx' and answer all the questions 
        as they come up on the screen.

            Several things to remember: Don't move the location 
        of the 'man' directory.  Also, if too much of the text 
        file scrolls out the window or if you want it to scroll 
        some more then change the 'i' variable in the script. I 
        clearly marked which number to change. It is defaulted to 
        20 lines, it can be any number that you like. If you have 
        any problem doing this do not hesitate to contact me, 
        I'll make sure it works for you.
           





            Future Plans:
            ------------

            If there is enough feedback from all you Amigoids out 
        there I will:

            -Correct any problems that others point out to me.

            -Add a complete description of what all the system 
        devices do.

            -Add a complete description of what all the libraries 
        do.

            -Rewrite it and compile it with HighSpeed Pascal so 
        you do not need MUI, MUInt, or iconX to run it. I feel 
        the overhead of this program is way to high the way it is 
        now.

            -Add any other feature (reasonably) which anyone 
        suggests to me.

            -I would also like to have this in multiple languages 
        (eg German, French, Italian... etc). If anyone out there 
        is multilingual and would like to do some translations, 
        please contact me...

            - I would like to add a list of 'replacement' 
        commands. That is, a list of Shareware (and commercial) 
        programs which do a good job at replacing some of the 
        shortsightedness of Commodore in creating AmigaDOS.  So, 
        if you have a command you use INPLACE of one of ones 
        included with your Amiga, then please inform me of it.

            - Any other suggestions will be greatly welcomed!




            About Me:
            --------

            I'm a 28 year old Sonar Technician in the US Navy. I 
        have been involved witht he Amiga since 1990... and will 
        stick with my Amiga (and continue developing for it) 
        until either me or my Amiga dies.

            I'm currently working on a multimedia presentation 
        about the DMZ (De-Militirized Zone) between North and 
        South Korea. It will be a complete history of the DMZ with 
        many interesting facts. This will be in Korean and 
        English.

            Also, I am designing an Amiga version of the game 
        "Doom Trooper". I scrapped the "Magic:The Gathering 
        project because that computer game is about to be 
        released.

            I have also created a program called "Guido's 
        Protection Agency" which allows you to freely and quickly 
        change the protection bits of your files. And I created a 
        1.5 meg anim of a skull doing something cool.

            These two programs are also free if you contact me 
        I'll send them to you.

            If you care about keeping me making cool programs for 
        the world's greatest computer then please register.


            The Boring Legal Stuff At the End:
            ---------------------------------

            DOSMAN.def, DosMan.guide, DosMan.rx, all the files in 
        the Dosman/man directory and all files in the DosMan 
        distribution as found on the Aminet copyright 1995 by 
        Peter Bagnato.

            MUInt is copyrighted by BOTH software. All HyperText 
        scripts are the property of John Collett. Both have 
        graciously granted permission to distribute their wares 
        with my distribution.

            This program may be distributed any way you like.  
        Permission from the author is required before it may be 
        distributed commercialy or as part of a commercial 
        package costing more that $5.00. 



