🚀 go-pugleaf

ttak@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Timothy Takahashi) writes:

>In article <1121@fang.dsto.oz> hjh@aeg.dsto.oz.au (H.J.Harvey-AEG) writes:
>>I have been running DR-DOS V3.41 for several months and have been very pleased
>>with it.  Sure, there are a few differences, but the only real problem has
>>been its inability to work 100% with PC-NFS.

>I've heard of Dr-DOS, but never actually seen anybody run it. What are the
>"few differences?" Is it better/faster/smaller than MS-DOS?

>Just curious,

>tim

I have had two computers running CR-DOS V3.41 since February.  I was originally
attracted to it because:
(1)	It was a cheap upgrade from MD-DOS V2.11  It cost only A$70 per copy
(2)	It was upgradable without the hassles of going back to the supplier
(3)	It provided >32Mb capability without having to be saddled with MS-DOS
	version 4.0 
(4)	It provided password protection

I wrote a 4 page review for our local computer club (South Australian Micro-  
processor Group) and could put it on this board if interest is shown.  That 
article goes through my experiences in installation, operation and evaluation.
Briefly, in comparison to MS-DOS:

It runs about 12% slower than MS-DOS V3.3
It will NOT run all networking packages.  It is only "guaranteed" (if that is
the right word) to run with Novell.  I was told that this is because Novell
represents 80% of the total PC networking environment, so Digital Research
concentrated on that package first.  I believe that this problem has been
fixed in V5.0
DR-DOS takes longer to load at boot time
Doing DEL *.* seems to take forever.  This is because each file has to be
checked for protection violation before deletion.
When working down in a protected subdirectory, running a program which is in
one of the PATH subdirectories makes you have to re-enter the password.  The
cure for that is to specify the path with the program name, or to use a 
global password.

	They are the bad points - now the good ones

It takes less room (about 20K) than MS-DOS V3.31 and although it signs itself
on as DR-DOS V3.41 at boot time, it identifies as DOS V3.31 with INT 21H/30h
It handles partitions up to 512Mb
It provides password protection of files to 3 levels (delete,write+delete or
read+write+delete) and subdirectory protection.  Passwords are appended to
files or directories by using the format "filename;password" or may be prompted
at the command line.  There is no global protection right up to the root 
directory, but that has been included in the V5.0 release.
I have not detected any other problems with running programs.
The SID86 debugger is supplied.  I consider this to be a much better low level
debugger than DEBUG.  It has PASS points which are ideal for debugging code  
which may branch or pass through a particular point many times.  Sure, it is
not a replacement for debuggers like CODEVIEW, but you don't need to be an
expert in SID86 before you use it!
Installation is a breeze - just follow the questions in the installation
program.
EDLIN is gone!!!!! A Word* non-document mode full screen type editor is
provided with the package.
etc., etc. ...

There are 4 of us in our club running DR-DOS V3.41 and we are now awaiting the
arrival of DR-DOS V5.0 - due in about 3 weeks here in OZ.
V5.0 can put its OS up in extended/expanded RAM, giving a TPA of about 620K.
It provides a shell a la MS-DOS V4 and gives root directory password protection
as well.  It also includes a file download program for transfers.           

Howie

--

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Howard Harvey                                 | I work at the speed of light
Aeronautical Research Laboratory              | But so does a snail!