IBMSIG - The Source - Updated: 2 November 1987 ProComm Distribution Disk This disk from the IBMSIG on The Source contains ProComm version 2.4.2, ARCE.COM and the SIG command files. As a special feature for COMDEX, it also contains the EASY-V1.ARC file from the WordPerfect Exchange on The Source. All of the files on the disk are stored in the ARC format except ARCE.COM and this README file. When all of the files are extracted from the ARC format files described below they will occupy more space than will fit on a single disk. You will need three 360K diskettes to hold all of the files. Before we get into the procedure to extract all of these files and set up your ProComm Program Disk, let's take a second to see what is on the disk. README This file you are now reading! ARCE.COM An executable program that will extract members from an ARC. PROCOMM.ARC This is the ProComm program along with documentation. SIG-CMD.ARC The IBMSIG command files and demonstration. You've got to use these to access The Source and use the IBMSIG to believe them! EASY-V1.ARC Larry Allen's complete set of WordPerfect Macros and ProComm command files to automate access to the message systems in the IBMSIG and WPERFEX. You should retain this disk as a back-up for these programs and files. The procedure detailed in this file will produce a ProComm program disk, a documentation disk and a Utility Disk. If your system has a hard disk, you should establish a directory for ProComm and copy to that directory the programs and files that are included on the ProComm Program Disk described below. When extracted from the PROCOMM.ARC file, the PROCOMMP.DOC file is 277,790 bytes long. It will take quite a while to print. You may prefer to read the file on your screen with LIST.COM. However, either way, you should read the documentation so that you will know the capabilities of this communication system. The same is true for the SIG.DOC file from SIG-CMD.ARC. Now, let's get down to business and get ProComm set up for running on your system. The following steps assume that you have two disk drives, A and B, and that you start with your DOS disk in drive A:. 1. Format a disk to be your ProComm Program Disk: FORMAT B:/S Respond that you do not want to format another disk. Label this disk PROCOMM Program Disk and set it aside. 2. Format two disks to be your Documentation and Utility disks: FORMAT B: After the second disk is formatted, respond that you do not want to format another disk. Label the first disk ProComm Documentation Disk and the second disk SIG Command DOC and Utility Disk and leave it in drive B:. 3. Set the DOS prompt to B:. Use the ARCE.COM program to extract the files to the SIG Command DOC and Utility Disk by using the following commands: B: A:ARCE A:SIG-CMD SIG.DOC MD WP CD WP A:ARCE A:EASY-V1 CD\ The WordPerfect macros and ProComm command files for use with them are now in the \WP directory on the floppy disk. There are too many files to be contained in the root directory of a floppy disk. If you are using the full WordPerfect system, you are probably using a hard disk already anyway. 4. Remove this disk from drive B: and replace it with the ProComm Documentation Disk. Use ARCE.COM to fill this disk too with the following commands and remember that the default drive is still B:. A:ARCE A:PROCOMM PROCOMMP.DOC 5. Place the ProComm System Disk in drive B: and use the following commands: A:ARCE A:PROCOMM PROCOMM.EXE A:ARCE A:SIG-CMD *.CMD *.BAT COPY A:ARCE.COM PROCOMM 6. The last command will start ProComm and cause it to create its support files. You can then press a key to get past the 'commercial' screen and then use the Alt-X command to exit from ProComm. You should do a lot of reading before you start the program again. However, you can now see that there is very little space left on the ProComm disk. I would copy three other files to this disk for my use: SD.COM (a sorted directory program), LIST.COM (Vern Buerg's super utility program for viewing and searching the contents of all sorts of files), and the Norton Editor which is a commercial program but it a really fantastic editor that takes VERY little space. Alternate editors could be the SIDEKICK memory resident editor from Borland, EDWIN, the ED.EXE program from the PC-WRITE package, E88 which is a very sophisticated replacement for EDLIN, or QEDIT which is a VERY capable program editor. EDWIN, PC-WRITE, E88 and QEDIT are available in the IBMSIG File Library. 7. The next thing that you should do is either print the two large documentation files (PROCOMMP.DOC and SIG-CMD.DOC) or use LIST.COM or an editor to list the documentation files to your screen so you can become familiar with ProComm and the procedures to set up and use it. Follow the instruction in SIG.DOC to set up ProComm. 8. After reading the documentation and setting up your ProComm program, you are ready to start using it. The only thing left is to decide if you want to continue using it for your communication needs. I highly recommend you do since you can get support and response for your needs from the authors of ProComm and the IBMSIG on The Source. I also recommend that you register with Datastorm Technologies so that you provide support for continued development of ProComm. The same recommendation stands for your use of the other utility programs from which we all benefit. These are user supported programs and provide us with a significant capability which we need to continue! If you did not send a disk for PC-OUTLINE and the SIG Utility programs, make sure you get PCOUTLIN.ARC and PARTIDOC.ARC from the IBMSIG File Library and any of the utility programs you need. PALERT.COM is a program used by the SIG command files but there is not enough room for it on this disk. It is on the SIG Utilities disk and also available in the IBMSIG File Library for download in the file named PALERT16.ARC. If you have questions about this procedure or the use of ProComm or ARCE or you have recommendations, bug reports or any other needs, you are welcome to contact me in the IBMSIG on The Source. Please use the IBMSIG POSTPLUS Messages and post a message in the ASK SYSOPS Category. If you use PARTI, please contact me in the "IBMSIG EXCHANGE" or "IBMSIG HELP" topics. Please do not use SourceMail since it is only for private mail and the kinds of things we do in the SIG are best shared with all of the other members! If you got this file without the programs and documentation, please feel free to send me a disk, return mailer and postage for the latest version of ProComm and the SIG command files! P.O. Box 14927 Long Beach, CA 90803-1449 213/439-6104 Mike Todd SysOp - IBMSIG Source ID: SIG003