DOS ain't dead

loading of command.com (Users)

posted by ecm  , Düsseldorf, Germany, 30.07.2009, 08:50

> Variant of this trick use various file managers like Norton commander. In
> this case you can by specifying the COMSPEC variable define which
> secondary shell will be used.
>
> However I am not sure whether secondary shell completely overtakes the
> work of the primary command interpretter or if they work together in some
> way.

This only works with file managers or other programs that "shell to DOS" by actually executing the file specified as COMSPEC. The resident part of COMMAND.COM however reloads its transient part from that file so you can't load another shell by setting COMSPEC to a "wrong" file (which doesn't contain the transient part of the running COMMAND.COM), unless the new shell is compatible to the running COMMAND.COM. Pointing COMSPEC to a wrong file might raise an error if the running shell tries to use that file.

---
l

Complete thread:

• loading of command.com - Vehudis, 29.07.2009, 10:30 (Users)
  • loading of command.com - Laaca, 29.07.2009, 20:36
    • loading of command.com - Vehudis, 29.07.2009, 20:48
      • loading of command.com - Rugxulo, 29.07.2009, 21:47
      • loading of command.com - ecm, 29.07.2009, 23:45
        • loading of command.com - Laaca, 30.07.2009, 08:21
          • loading of command.com - ecm, 30.07.2009, 08:50
            • loading of command.com - Ninho, 08.08.2009, 13:37