HOW TO INSTALL DESQVIEW WITH SEARCHLIGHT BBS
HOW TO INSTALL DESQVIEW WITH SEARCHLIGHT BBS
For all of you who wish to try and run Searchlight BBS
(SLBBS) using Desqview (DV) I have included some instructions
for you that should facilitate you in this mind altering endeavor.
I would first like to outline the equipment I am using and for you
who have the same type of setup this should work for you as it does
me.
I'm running an AT286 10mhz with MSDOS 4.01. (non-Tandy)
Have a Phoenix Bio 3.07 and 640/384 exTENDed memory. I
use Comm Port 1 and the version of Desqview that I am basing the
below information on is
vers 2.25 of Desqview 286.
I'm going to assume that you have already installed DV from
the disks into c:\dv and we'll go right to getting this guy
going. First check and see if you have a batch file that has
the following in it:
chdir \dv
break off
xdv %1 %2 %3 %4 %5
chdir \
I have this in a batch file called DV.BAT. Make
sure you have one in your root of c:\. Next check your AUTOEXE.BAT
and put in the following statement if it is not already there:
PATH C:\DV
Now edit your CONFIG.SYS file so that it contains
the statement:
DEVICE = QEXT.SYS
If all is in order you at this point go ahead and
re-boot your computer so it reads the new config.sys and
autoexec.bat files. You might want to also make sure the QEXT.SYS
is in your root of c:\ just to be on the safe side.
Now your ready to load DV and start the setup of
SLBBS. Type DV.BAT and it should now load DV via the XDV.EXE that
resides in c:\dv. This method of loading DV will put some of the
DV program into the 384 upper memory thus saving you some useable
base memory in the 640k segment.
Assuming all is well at this point you should now
see a box in the upper right corner of your screen. Hit the key
O for open and then the letters AP for add program. Then hit the
letter O for other. At this point you will be asked to specify a
path.
For SLBBS choose
c:\bbs assuming this is the directory it resides in. You
will now be asked for the title you want to give it on your
DV menu. Type in Searchlight. Next you will be asked for the
start up key combination you wish to use to start SLBBS. Pick BB.
You will next be asked the size. Enter 256. Next you will be
asked for Program information.
Here you type in the following:
c:\bbs\slbbs
Note: you can make it c:\search.bat if you
normally load slbbs from a batch file.
Next you will be asked the parameters. Just hit
the TAB key as you don't want to enter anything here. You will
then be asked for the directory. It should already say c:\bbs so
just hit the TAB key again. If you specified a batch file, make
sure this entry has the path to the batch file.
Now you should be at the point where you have to
put Y's and N's for the next several entries and they should be
from top to bottom:
N
Y
Y
1
N
Alright, now hit the F1 key for the Advanced Options
settings. For system memory enter 0. For maximum program
size leave it alone, just hit the tab key to bypass it. For script
buffers put in 7000.
For maximum expanded memory leave it alone and
hit the tab key to
bypass it. Text pages should be 1. Graphic
pages should be 1. Initial mode leave alone and hit the tab key to
bypass it. Leave interrupts alone and bypass it with the tab
key.
Maximum height should be 25.
Maximum width should be 80.
Now bypass Starting Height, Starting Width, Starting Row,
and Starting column with the tab key.
You should now be at the shared program info block. Bypass
this also with the tab key.
You should be sitting at "close on exit". Enter
the following as I have them for both of the vertical columns:
N Y
Y Y
N 0
Y Y
N 0
Ok, now you have completed the setup for SLBBS
and to save it just press the enter key.
We will make some further changes to the CONFIG.EXE file
of SLBBS later on, but for now we'll go and setup the last window
so that you will be able to run other small programs in the
foreground while using the BBS in the background.
Now lets just start over here. Load DV again and hit O for
open and then CP for change program. You will be prompted
for which program to change. Pick D1 for DOS128K.
The first choice you need to make it the name of
the program. Since DOS (218K) is already the title just hit the
tab key to bypass it.
The key to open remains as D1 so hit the tab key
again to bypass that entry. The next item is the memory in size.
This is a little tricky since you can't be sure how much memory you
have left after loading SLBBS. So, just put 50 in this box for
now and then later on we will change it so that all of your
available memory after SLBBS is loaded, is available to this
window.
The next entry is the program name. Enter C:\.
Now you should be at the place where it asks you "writes text
directly to screen". Enter the following as shown below:
Y
N
Y
Y
N
Now hit the F1 key for advanced options. System
memory should be 1. Bypass maximum program size with the tab key.
(It is important that when I say bypass you don't type anything in
the box. If you do make a just tap the spacebar to remove it. If
it has something in it by default, just leave it there, or again
just tap the TAB key to bypass it thus not making any changes to
it.)
The next item is script buffer size. Enter 2.
Next item is maximum expanded memory. By pass this with the tab
key. Text pages are 1 and graphics pages is 0. Bypass initial
mode. Bypass interrupts. Maximum height is 25 and maximum width
is 25. Bypass starting height, starting width, starting row, and
starting column. Bypass pathname and data. Now you should be at
the Y's and N's again. Enter the following as I have it below:
EMPTY>>>>>>>>>>[ ] Y
Y Y
Y 0
Y Y
N 0
You have now completed the DV setup for our purpose.
Press the enter key to save the settings.
Now we will make some changes to the SearchLight BBS config.bbs
file by loading CONFIG.EXE. I should note that Frank LaRosa has
not ok'd these setting so use at your own risk regarding the
following settings. I do know that they work for me and were
necessary due to the fact that users that called into my bbs and
chose (C)olor and then used a script to send their name and
password would get a lockup and keyboard freeze. Also, these users
could not upload an ASCII file to Email either before I made these
changes.
The following settings show how I over came these obstacles.
Ok, I assume you are now in SLBBS config. I use SLBBS74M which is
the multi-node version so hope that if you have the single node
these options appear on your screen the same way they do on mine.
First go to the general setup #2 and change Screen Writing
Method to BIOS. Now make sure your ROM handling is set to DIRECT.
Now chose the Communications Setup and go to locked baud and
make sure it is set to NONE. Hardware Flow should be ON. Hardware
Breaks should be OFF. Output buffering should be at 0. Now exit
the SLBBS setup.
I cannot say for certain that the settings to slbbs's config file
are all necessary in the way I described them above, but will say
that it is the only way I could personally get DV to work
correctly.
Now we want to determine just how much memory you are going to have
available for the DOS128 window. To do this load DV. Now chose
Open Window and enter BB (THIS IS THE HOT KEY TO START SLBBS).
Wait a moment and let it load the bbs. Then tap the ALT key once
and you will again see the DV box in the upper right corner of you
screen. Pick Open Window and then hit D1 and this will open up
your other window. Now you have both windows open and the BBS
should be running in the background. We now want to find out how
much memory is left. So, while in the DOS 128 window hit MS(memory
status). This will show you how much memory you have left. Write
it down.
Now it Ctrl Alt DEL and this will close the Dos 128 window and you
should be in the BBS window. Tap the ALT key and choose Open Window
and then enter CP to change program and finally D1 for the name of
the program to change. Tap the TAB key two times and this will
place you over the Memory in Size box. Enter the new memory size
you wrote down. Now hit the enter key and it will save it. If
all went well you will now be able to open up this second window
now the same way as before. If you now get any error message use
the CP again and keep reducing the memory by 5k until it will open
up D1. That's it. Your finished with the basic installation.
You will now want to set the speed at which the BBS will run at
while in the background. This is called "fine tuning". This is
important because you don't want a user online at 2400bps running
at what appears to be 1200. To do this tap the ALT key once. Then
choose (R)earrange. Then choose (T)une and enter the info as I
have it below:
Y
Y
Y
N
2
3
N
You can also achieve these setup values to be your default in the
DV setup program. You might want to play around with the clicks
settings of 2 and 3 respectively. I have found these to allow the
best operation of the BBS at this time.
You are now finished. Oh boy!!!!! I really hope this works for
you. I didn't try to read any reasoning into these setting, but
instead just gave you the exact way I have it setup as I know it
works this way. After you have set it up the way I outlined just
play around with the setting if you so desire to learn how each
affect the operation. Good way to learn I suppose. If you find
any errors or omissions here, please advise me of same so that I
may correct this text file for other users. If you have any
questions about the installation here I would appreciate it if you
would call my BBS and leave me a message as I don't really call
Frank LaRosa's support board very often due the long distance phone
charges. I'll be more that willing to help you out if at all
possible.
Good luck and enjoy,
Jerry Thomson (SysOp)
Twin Star BBS I
Las Vegas, NV.
(702)458-0697
For all of you who wish to try and run Searchlight BBS
(SLBBS) using Desqview (DV) I have included some instructions
for you that should facilitate you in this mind altering endeavor.
I would first like to outline the equipment I am using and for you
who have the same type of setup this should work for you as it does
me.
I'm running an AT286 10mhz with MSDOS 4.01. (non-Tandy)
Have a Phoenix Bio 3.07 and 640/384 exTENDed memory. I
use Comm Port 1 and the version of Desqview that I am basing the
below information on is
vers 2.25 of Desqview 286.
I'm going to assume that you have already installed DV from
the disks into c:\dv and we'll go right to getting this guy
going. First check and see if you have a batch file that has
the following in it:
chdir \dv
break off
xdv %1 %2 %3 %4 %5
chdir \
I have this in a batch file called DV.BAT. Make
sure you have one in your root of c:\. Next check your AUTOEXE.BAT
and put in the following statement if it is not already there:
PATH C:\DV
Now edit your CONFIG.SYS file so that it contains
the statement:
DEVICE = QEXT.SYS
If all is in order you at this point go ahead and
re-boot your computer so it reads the new config.sys and
autoexec.bat files. You might want to also make sure the QEXT.SYS
is in your root of c:\ just to be on the safe side.
Now your ready to load DV and start the setup of
SLBBS. Type DV.BAT and it should now load DV via the XDV.EXE that
resides in c:\dv. This method of loading DV will put some of the
DV program into the 384 upper memory thus saving you some useable
base memory in the 640k segment.
Assuming all is well at this point you should now
see a box in the upper right corner of your screen. Hit the key
O for open and then the letters AP for add program. Then hit the
letter O for other. At this point you will be asked to specify a
path.
For SLBBS choose
c:\bbs assuming this is the directory it resides in. You
will now be asked for the title you want to give it on your
DV menu. Type in Searchlight. Next you will be asked for the
start up key combination you wish to use to start SLBBS. Pick BB.
You will next be asked the size. Enter 256. Next you will be
asked for Program information.
Here you type in the following:
c:\bbs\slbbs
Note: you can make it c:\search.bat if you
normally load slbbs from a batch file.
Next you will be asked the parameters. Just hit
the TAB key as you don't want to enter anything here. You will
then be asked for the directory. It should already say c:\bbs so
just hit the TAB key again. If you specified a batch file, make
sure this entry has the path to the batch file.
Now you should be at the point where you have to
put Y's and N's for the next several entries and they should be
from top to bottom:
N
Y
Y
1
N
Alright, now hit the F1 key for the Advanced Options
settings. For system memory enter 0. For maximum program
size leave it alone, just hit the tab key to bypass it. For script
buffers put in 7000.
For maximum expanded memory leave it alone and
hit the tab key to
bypass it. Text pages should be 1. Graphic
pages should be 1. Initial mode leave alone and hit the tab key to
bypass it. Leave interrupts alone and bypass it with the tab
key.
Maximum height should be 25.
Maximum width should be 80.
Now bypass Starting Height, Starting Width, Starting Row,
and Starting column with the tab key.
You should now be at the shared program info block. Bypass
this also with the tab key.
You should be sitting at "close on exit". Enter
the following as I have them for both of the vertical columns:
N Y
Y Y
N 0
Y Y
N 0
Ok, now you have completed the setup for SLBBS
and to save it just press the enter key.
We will make some further changes to the CONFIG.EXE file
of SLBBS later on, but for now we'll go and setup the last window
so that you will be able to run other small programs in the
foreground while using the BBS in the background.
Now lets just start over here. Load DV again and hit O for
open and then CP for change program. You will be prompted
for which program to change. Pick D1 for DOS128K.
The first choice you need to make it the name of
the program. Since DOS (218K) is already the title just hit the
tab key to bypass it.
The key to open remains as D1 so hit the tab key
again to bypass that entry. The next item is the memory in size.
This is a little tricky since you can't be sure how much memory you
have left after loading SLBBS. So, just put 50 in this box for
now and then later on we will change it so that all of your
available memory after SLBBS is loaded, is available to this
window.
The next entry is the program name. Enter C:\.
Now you should be at the place where it asks you "writes text
directly to screen". Enter the following as shown below:
Y
N
Y
Y
N
Now hit the F1 key for advanced options. System
memory should be 1. Bypass maximum program size with the tab key.
(It is important that when I say bypass you don't type anything in
the box. If you do make a just tap the spacebar to remove it. If
it has something in it by default, just leave it there, or again
just tap the TAB key to bypass it thus not making any changes to
it.)
The next item is script buffer size. Enter 2.
Next item is maximum expanded memory. By pass this with the tab
key. Text pages are 1 and graphics pages is 0. Bypass initial
mode. Bypass interrupts. Maximum height is 25 and maximum width
is 25. Bypass starting height, starting width, starting row, and
starting column. Bypass pathname and data. Now you should be at
the Y's and N's again. Enter the following as I have it below:
EMPTY>>>>>>>>>>[ ] Y
Y Y
Y 0
Y Y
N 0
You have now completed the DV setup for our purpose.
Press the enter key to save the settings.
Now we will make some changes to the SearchLight BBS config.bbs
file by loading CONFIG.EXE. I should note that Frank LaRosa has
not ok'd these setting so use at your own risk regarding the
following settings. I do know that they work for me and were
necessary due to the fact that users that called into my bbs and
chose (C)olor and then used a script to send their name and
password would get a lockup and keyboard freeze. Also, these users
could not upload an ASCII file to Email either before I made these
changes.
The following settings show how I over came these obstacles.
Ok, I assume you are now in SLBBS config. I use SLBBS74M which is
the multi-node version so hope that if you have the single node
these options appear on your screen the same way they do on mine.
First go to the general setup #2 and change Screen Writing
Method to BIOS. Now make sure your ROM handling is set to DIRECT.
Now chose the Communications Setup and go to locked baud and
make sure it is set to NONE. Hardware Flow should be ON. Hardware
Breaks should be OFF. Output buffering should be at 0. Now exit
the SLBBS setup.
I cannot say for certain that the settings to slbbs's config file
are all necessary in the way I described them above, but will say
that it is the only way I could personally get DV to work
correctly.
Now we want to determine just how much memory you are going to have
available for the DOS128 window. To do this load DV. Now chose
Open Window and enter BB (THIS IS THE HOT KEY TO START SLBBS).
Wait a moment and let it load the bbs. Then tap the ALT key once
and you will again see the DV box in the upper right corner of you
screen. Pick Open Window and then hit D1 and this will open up
your other window. Now you have both windows open and the BBS
should be running in the background. We now want to find out how
much memory is left. So, while in the DOS 128 window hit MS(memory
status). This will show you how much memory you have left. Write
it down.
Now it Ctrl Alt DEL and this will close the Dos 128 window and you
should be in the BBS window. Tap the ALT key and choose Open Window
and then enter CP to change program and finally D1 for the name of
the program to change. Tap the TAB key two times and this will
place you over the Memory in Size box. Enter the new memory size
you wrote down. Now hit the enter key and it will save it. If
all went well you will now be able to open up this second window
now the same way as before. If you now get any error message use
the CP again and keep reducing the memory by 5k until it will open
up D1. That's it. Your finished with the basic installation.
You will now want to set the speed at which the BBS will run at
while in the background. This is called "fine tuning". This is
important because you don't want a user online at 2400bps running
at what appears to be 1200. To do this tap the ALT key once. Then
choose (R)earrange. Then choose (T)une and enter the info as I
have it below:
Y
Y
Y
N
2
3
N
You can also achieve these setup values to be your default in the
DV setup program. You might want to play around with the clicks
settings of 2 and 3 respectively. I have found these to allow the
best operation of the BBS at this time.
You are now finished. Oh boy!!!!! I really hope this works for
you. I didn't try to read any reasoning into these setting, but
instead just gave you the exact way I have it setup as I know it
works this way. After you have set it up the way I outlined just
play around with the setting if you so desire to learn how each
affect the operation. Good way to learn I suppose. If you find
any errors or omissions here, please advise me of same so that I
may correct this text file for other users. If you have any
questions about the installation here I would appreciate it if you
would call my BBS and leave me a message as I don't really call
Frank LaRosa's support board very often due the long distance phone
charges. I'll be more that willing to help you out if at all
possible.
Good luck and enjoy,
Jerry Thomson (SysOp)
Twin Star BBS I
Las Vegas, NV.
(702)458-0697
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