MS-DOS question

[Bondish]

Just wondering, is it possible to read a .txt file in MS-DOS? If so, how do you do it? Thanks.

 

[eyeCpc]

use the "edit file name" command at the dos prompt of the drive and folder if not at the root where the file is located. On the old Fat based dos and Windows versions you could even edit the basic dos system files there as well.

 

[Bondish]

Sweet thanks man, I've been wondering how to do that forever and havn't turned up anything on google about it. Also would you tell me how to get to the root of the drive my windows is located in while in DOS? For example my windows is located in my D: drive but when I try to systemroot or type d: it just takes me to d:/windows.

 

[eyeCpc]

Are you running 95 or 98 there? When opening a dos window while in Windows you first come to the root of there "C:\Windows>" prompt. To go to the root of the drive you simply type "cd\" and press the enter key. "cd = change directory" "\ = root or top directory" is how that works.

To go from the root into the Windows folder in reverse you would type "cd C:\Windows". For getting into a subfolder you then add the \ along with the subfloler's name such as "cd C:\Windows\system".

You couldn't find basic dos commands as a search term?

Basic Dos Commands

EasyDOS Command Index

Basic overview of MS-DOS commands.

There's a ton of other links that could easily be added to the list. MSDos then Windows 1.0 then 3.1 and 3.11 and finally 9X still saw dos commands and a shutdown to dos mode over a good period of years there.

 

[Bondish]

Yeah I found DOS commands but I must've overlooked that one. In any case thanks.

 

[eyeCpc]

If you think those are fun try the Linux bash commands.

 

[Bondish]

Yeah I really want to get into Linux, need to buy another HD though because I'm crap at installing a dual boot. Although I guess that's all the more reason to try. Screwed up last time though and took me like 3-4 hours to fix without losing data.

 

[eyeCpc]

Linux uses different boot loader like Grub, Lilo, even a boot loader on a floppy where you simply choose the partition and see the OS on it load up. I had a ubuntu boot manager floppy at one time that loaded Windows as well as Linux when booting from that. Couldn't find another download page again however.

A reference of bash commands can be looked over at Linux bash commands - MAN Pages and at Bash Reference Manual

If you run a simple search with the bash commands expression you'll find quite a few sites for the commands and descriptions as well.

 

[farinha]

Nowadays every distro uses a bootloader that gives you the option to choose which SO you want to boot, you don't need a second hd.
Personally I use Ubuntu, it's very user friendly. Give it a try.

 

[DawnOfDoom]

Say you wanted to do a dual boot off 2 hdd's how'd you do that? cuz im concidering it after loosing my Ubuntu and having now havin 2 partitions in windows which can become annoying. just like boot up Ubuntu and do the install on the second hdd?