Advanced - FreeDOS specific - CONFIG.SYS processing

a new command ECHO
ECHO does ECHO its argument (surprised ?-) and is executed at
the time the DEVICE= lines are executed.
use it similarly to

	ECHO loading driver 1
	device=Driver1.sys
	ECHO driver1 successfully loaded

an undocumented command SCREEN=xx
SCREEN= switches into videomode xxx  (INT10/11xx/000)
useful 
	SCREEN=0x11   -- 28    lines
	SCREEN=0x12   -- 43/50 lines (on EGA/VGA)



the following advanced config.sys processing options are available:

normal
	FILES=20
	DEVICE=MyNetWorkDriver.sys

'?' - ALWAYS ask if a single line shall be executed

	FILES=20
	?DEVICE=MyNetWorkDriver.sys


'!' - NEVER ask if a single line shall be executed, even if single stepping

	!FILES=20
	!DOS=HIGH,UMB
	!BUFFERS=30
	DEVICE=MyNetWorkDriver.sys



configuration management - you may compose several configurations,
using following special commands:

MENU
MENU  select your configuration
MENU
MENU  use (0) for basic configuration
MENU  use (1) for CDROM operation
MENU  use (2) for NETWORK configuration
MENU
MENUDEFAULT=0,1				( configuration 0, wait 1 second)


1?  rem CDROM
1?  device=CDROM.SYS

2?  rem NETWORK
2?  device=MyNetworkDriver.SYS


Although this is definitively worse then MSDOS menuing possibilities,
IMHO it's better then nothing. Unfortunately your MENU text gets completely 
uppercase..

It's also possible to combine menu options, to avoid writing thing every 
time again.
constructions like 0?devicehigh?=cdrom.sys are also possible
("if menu option 0 chosen, ask if you want to load this driver")

the selected configuration can be determined in AUTOEXEC.BAT in the
environment variable CONFIG like

        if %CONFIG% == 0 echo configuration 0 selected

however, if you have no menu's in config.sys, then %config% has no value,
thus resulting in "IF == 0 echo configuration 0 selected."
(which causes syntax errors as there's nothing on the left side of == )

That's why you better use something like:
if [%config%]==[0] echo configuration 0 selected.        -or-
if "%config%"=="0" echo configuration 0 selected.

then if there is no menu you have: "IF []==[0] echo configuration 0 selected."
(which will of course output nothing)

thus my config.sys now looks like


!files=20
!dos=high,umb
!break=off
!buffers=30
!screen=0x12
!lastdrive=z
!shellhigh=a:\command.com /p /e:512 /MSG

MENU
MENU 0 - SoftIce+HIMEM+Network (default)
MENU 1 - SoftIce+HIMEM
MENU 2 -         HIMEM+EMM386
MENU
MENUDEFAULT=0,0


01? DEVICE=C:\NUMEGA\S-ICE.EXE /TRA 3000 /SYM 400
012?DEVICE=himem.exe
01? DEVICE=UMBPCI.SYS
2?  DEVICE=EMM386.EXE NOEMS

0?device=c:\ntclient\ifshlp.sys

DEVICE=CDROM.SYS /D:MSCD000






2002-11-28 - Tom Ehlert