This message is a reply to Arkady, who had a big look at OpenGEM for me.
I'm getting ready for OpenGEM Release 4 at the moment, and preparing OpenGEM
Release 4RC1.
As most of you know, OpenGEM is intended to provide a complete 16bit
singletasking GUI for the FreeDOS community. You can find out more about it
at http://gem.shaneland.co.uk
1. opengem3.zip: if pack ogem3.zip (inside distributive) with zero
compression, then its size become 9235k (instead 4550k), but resulting
distributive become 4395k (insted 4533k - gain -3%). But after packing
all tree into .RAR, result become 3279k (gain -28%).
Okay, so perhaps I should move to RAR compression? It's something I would
like other opinions on. Do most people have RAR compression tools, or would
such a transfer potentially confuse users?
2. opengem3.zip" distributive contains a lot of directories (9) and some
files, and all of them unpacked into root directory. All of them should
be installed _inside_ _one_, sensible directory (like GEM3) or, better,
into asked directory. Simplest way, how to do this (insde install.bat)
without external dialog utilities:
@echo off
if "%1"=="" goto ask-if-install
rem %1 is a user specified path
rem check if it exists and try to create it if not
if not exist %1 md %1
if not exist %1 echo Error creating target path...
if not exist %1 goto end
...continue...
goto end
:ASK-IF-INSTALL
echo ...
choice /c:1234
if errorlevel ...
...
if errorlevel 2 %0 d:\gem3
if errorlevel 1 %0 c:\gem3
...^C pressed...
Some batches, which depends on path of GEM, may be created on the fly by
install.bat.
There is a problem with GEM, in that often paths are hard-coded into
applications.
3. install.bat: allowed to install only C: and D:.
In fact, in the new OpenGEM Release 4 people will only be able to install to
C: I was getting messages of errors when people tried to install to another
drive. There is no way that I can fix that myself at the moment, as it
appears to be inside the GEM code itself (GEM.EXE perhaps?).
4. install.bat: before asking about installed Windows, should be _also_
checked %win% variable. But in any case install.bat assumes, that Start
menu resides in the C:\Windows\Startm~1\Programs, and this is far from
reliable suggestion.
This is another feature I am removing from OpenGEM. In Release 4, my focus
is entirely on FreeDOS, and Windows support is being dropped. This is
especially true because WindowsXP et al are causing all sorts of problems
using OpenGEM. The shell is just not really compatible with real mode dos I
guess.
5. all batch files currently contains absolute path (like setup.bat):
CD\GEMAPPS\GEMSYS\CHOICE
choice /c:12345
if errorlevel 5 goto 5
[...]
if errorlevel 1 goto 1
CLS
:1
ECHO OFF
REM Change the video driver
CD\GEMAPPS\GEMSYS\SETUP
VIDEO
GOTO CHOOSE
CLS
First, I don't understand why to use multiple "echo off", also as
unreachabled "goto" and "cls" after _jump_ to video.bat. Ie., you may
remove those lines. Second, you not process ^C after CHOICE (which
return
zero errorlevel). Third, jumps should be relative (this allows to
install GEM into any subdirectory):
CD ..\CHOICE
choice /c:12345
[...]
if errorlevel 1 goto 1
...process ^C...
:1
REM Change the video driver
CD ..\SETUP
VIDEO
The multiple ECHO OFF is because on some versions of DOS I noticed something
weird. It appeared to start ECHOing inside large batch files even though
ECHO OFF had been stated at the beginning of the file.
I'm not sure what you mean by "you not process ^C after CHOICE."
Erm...Please expand on that for me. I'm not a great programmer at all (even
batch files are largely a mystery to me).
Relative jumps will not be necessary because OpenGEM Release 4 can only go
into one place.
And even shorter:
apps\sys\choice\choice.exe /c:12345
if errorlevel 5 goto exit
if errorlevel 4 goto help
if errorlevel 3 apps\sys\setup\printer.bat
if errorlevel 2 apps\sys\setup\sound.bat
if errorlevel 1 apps\sys\setup\video.bat
goto exit
Now, this is interesting. I didn't know that we could do this (I told you I
was a bad programmer). I guess that the OpenGEM batch files can be made a
lot smaller and easier to read by using this. Will this work on all
versions of DOS past 3.3?
6. whcarts\: there is .bak file; some timestamps (agenda.wch, chill.wch)
are
broken.
I will remove the BAK file in any future release of OpenGEM, and fix these
timestamps.
7. gemapps\gemsys\chooice\doc\copying duplicates
gemapps\helpzone\license.txt, and choice.exe itself is hidden too
deeply.
CHOICE is moved into GEMAPPS\GEMSYS for the new releases of OpenGEM.
LICENSE.TXT is going to stay in HELPZONE, as all documents associated with
OpenGEM are stored here. However, LICENSE.TXT is also included on the first
level of the downloadable ZIP file, so it's one of the first things people
see, along with README.TXT.
This is may impressions about setup and run process. If you wish, I
continue
my remarks about working insid GEM. Also, if you wish, I may rework batch
files for you.
I will be releasing OpenGEM Release 4RC1 on the 20th of June. It would be
wonderful if you could have a look at this substantially different version
of OpenGEM (which will included some of the changes you have suggested), and
let me know what you think! I will post to the FreeDOS list when the new
version of OpenGEM is online.
Thank you so much
Shane
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
gem.shaneland.co.uk
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