🚀 go-pugleaf

On 2001-11-09 j__ross@hotmail.com.zzzzz said:

   >I have tried solutions 1 and 2 but they don't do what I'm after, as
   >there is a program running which writes the stdout and stderr stuff
   >to a file and I want to be able to acces that over the com port
   >while the program is running.
   >
   >what I'm after is some way to do a 'tail -f' but in dos, so I can
   >see or at least access the file over the com port.

Will you be accessing the file from a second computer?

If so, all you need is a simple peer-to-peer network which
uses a COM port for I/O.  Even a simple master/slave set-up
might work.

You'll need a null modem cable, and the appropriate software.
              ^^^^
There are several peer-to-peer COM port network programs for
DOS available for download from any Simtel site.

WEAKLINK, COMMIX and EASYNET are three that spring to mind.
I've used WEAKLINK; it's fast, easy and free.

Or, if you download DR-DOS (ftp://ftp.lineo.com/pub/), it
includes a program named FILELINK...which is a master/slave
file access program.  You don't have to be running DR-DOS
to use it, and it's also free.

Any of these should give you what you need.

Bottom line?  You =WILL= have to install some specialized
software (and cabling).  There's no way to accomplish your
goal from raw, unadorned DOS.