__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Instructional Manual __________________________________________________________________ The ConIX(tm) Operating System Shareware Version 0986 __________________________________________________________________ A powerful user-interface enhancement designed exclusively for use with CP/M(tm)-80 compatible computers. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ A product of: Computer Helper Industries Inc. Post Office Box 680 Parkchester Station, N.Y. 10462 Tel. (212) 652-1786 ``Helping your computer work better for you!'' Notice of Copyright Copyright (C) 1986 Computer Helper Industries Inc. in New York. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, photocopied, transcribed, translated into any human or computer language, stored in an information retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, optical, or otherwise, without the express prior written permission of Computer Helper Industries Inc., Post Office Box 680, Parkchester Station, New York, 10462, telephone (212) 652-1786. Disclaimer Computer Helper Industries Inc. makes no representations and provides no warranties with respect to the contents of this product, and hereby disclaims any implied warranties, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Any statements about this product made by salespersons, either spoken or written, do not constitute warranties and should not be relied upon by Customer in deciding whether to purchase this product. Furthermore, Computer Helper Industries Inc. reserves the right to revise this product and to make changes from time to time to the contents of this product without obligation to notify any person or organization of such revision or changes, and without obligation to supply such revision or changes without payment. Trademark Acknowledgements The following trademarks are hereby acknowledged and may be referenced throughout this publication without further notice: CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research Inc. UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories WordStar is a trademark of MicroPro International dBase II is a trademark of Ashton-Tate ConIX, ExpanDisk, and ConIX Library are trademarks of Computer Helper Industries Inc. First printing: September 1986 __________ ConIX(tm) Shareware License Agreement ------------------------------------- License below is granted by: for the product: Computer Helper Industries Inc. ConIX(tm) Operating System Post Office Box 680 Special Shareware Version Parkchester Station, NY 10462 Distribution #0986 CHI hereby grants a License to the User of this Software package to use Software on a trial basis for a period no greater than 6 months from the date that User acquired Software. During this trial period, User may make as many copies of Software as is reasonably necessary for usage by User. If after the 6 month trial period, User wishes to obtain a License for indefinite use of Software, such License can be acquired from CHI for a fee. User understands that Software is a commercial product for which CHI is entitled to a fee for its usage, and if User does not wish to pay CHI said fee, User hereby agrees to cease usage of Software after 6-month trial period and agrees to delete all but the original copy of Software as obtained by User on the date of this License. This License does not include the right for User to attempt to in any way decipher or modify the coded machine instructions which are part of Software and which are proprietary and considered a trade-secret of CHI. Software is provided AS-IS without support or warranty as to performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Any statements about Software made by CHI or Salespersons, spoken or written, do not constitute warranties. User is advised to test Software thoroughly before relying upon it or using it in connection with any valuable computer data and that User frequently utilize backups so as to prevent any significant loss of data. The entire risk as to the results and performance of Software is assumed by User. CHI shall not be held liable in any way for any indirect, special, or consequential damages resulting from use of Software. CHI hereby authorizes User to distribute copies of Software to other end-user parties on a not-for-profit basis and not in connection with any Company or any commercial product or for any commercial reasons and provided that Software as distributed is retained entirely in its original form as initially received by User. Distribution of Software in any other manner is not granted by this License except by special arrangement with CHI and with the express written permission of an officer of CHI. This License takes effect immediately upon receipt of Software by User. If User does not wish to be obligated by the terms of this License, user should immediately delete all copies of Software in User's possession or pass such copies on to other interested parties under the conditions as outlined in the above paragraph. CHI understands that identity of User is unknown to CHI and as such CHI is not capable of enforcing this License under normal circumstances. User should therefore feel morally as well as legally obligated to abide by the terms of this License as provided above and to the extent as is required by State, Local, and Federal laws, and Copyright laws of the United States as Software is a Copyrighted proprietary product of CHI. CONTENTS __________________________________________________________________ Chapter 1. Foreword The Implementation, About the Manual, The Distribution Files Chapter 2. Getting Started Installing ConIX, Loading ConIX from CP/M, Notes Chapter 3. The Command Line The System Prompt, Changing the Default Directory, The Warm Boot, Command Line Editing, Entering Commands, Executing a Program in Memory (!), Aborting Command Execution, Multiple Commands Per Line, Command Arguments, Backslash (Non- Interpret) Character, Forced Case Mapping, Control Characters, Data Type Conversions Chapter 4. Memory Management Management Levels, ConIX System Memory Map, Memory Usage Rules, Notes Chapter 5. Files User Areas, Standard CP/M Filenames, Standard ConIX Filenames, Automatic File and Extension Searching, ExpanDisk Drive Management, Notes Chapter 6. Variables Disk-Based Variables, Hexadecimal Variables, Memory Variables, Filename Expansion, Programmable Function Keys, Programmable Character Keys, Notes Chapter 7. Redirection Input File Redirection, Console Output File Redirection, Printer Output File Redirection, Print Spooling, Multiple Redirections, Pipe Redirection, Disabling Redirection Chapter 8. Utility Commands Set Disk Variables, Get/Set File Attributes, Convert Binary to Decimal, Print Bottom Address of ConIX, Print BDOS Top Address, Exit to CP/M, Convert ASCII to Hex, Output Clear Screen Sequence, Copy a Disk File, Convert Decimal to Binary, Delete Files with Confirmation, List Directory, Print Arguments, Erase Files, Examine Memory, Execute Arguments, Fill Memory with a Constant, Find File in Search Path, Empty the Print Spooler, Convert Hex to ASCII, Input Data From a Port, Find String, Log-In a Drive, Copy Memory, Enter ConIX Options, Output Data to a Port, Read a File into Memory, Rename a Disk File, Reset Disks, Search for a Byte in Memory, Read Text with Editing, Print Top Address of ConIX, List File Contents, List Files Through User Areas, Write Protect Disks, Write Memory to a File, Print Exit Status, Modify Memory, Command Name Conflicts