Category: Geeks r Us
I wanted to make this a separate topic so as not to impose on the one about formatting for Windows. But now I'm curious. Is there a way to create a type of batch file or even full program that would allow DOS to be installed automatically with the computer itself answering the prompts as I set them? If so, can I boot from a floppy, start the program and then either use floppies or, more likely, a cd to install DOS? If not, then can I install it with a screen reader if I first boot to a floppy or will it need to restart and make me lose speech?
Nope. A mouse doesn't have an elephant's trunk and a Honda civic don't pull a tripple trailer.
Automatic installs take swap space on the hard drive for one thing, and unless you wrote your own installation in assembly you're SOL. This is what you get when you get DOS, the supposedly simpler, supposedly less lazy operating system which is supposedly accessible. And it's accessible all because of the reader manufacturers who exploited a "bug" in the OS, the ability to run a TSR program.
And when Microsoft decided not to fix that, it had nothing whatsoever to do with readers in particular; they probably didn't even know there were such programs.
Have fun!
Well, Windows, which is supposed to be superior, didn't always have an accessible option for installation, and as we've seen, even the one it does have doesn't always work. But you've answered what I needed to know. It can be done with an installer. Of course, I don't know how to write it, but the fact that it can be done is very exciting news. It means that, if I can find someone willing to create this type of program, I can then use it for any future installs that I might need to perform, and if said programmer is willing, I could put it up for the other blind DOS users out there to make their lives easier. Fortunately, I can get some sighted assistance, either in a store or at my house, so I don't technically need this. But it would be really sweet to have it.
Correction: If it can be done at all, it would have to be done in Assembly but that's a big if.
no, the dos installer uses a script file, setup.dat or install.dat or the like; i would think it would be possible to write a similar script file following the format of the install.dat file on dos disk 1, but instead of the if statements used in the file, direct values could be given. this could perhaps be put into a batch file and piped to the dos setup program?
good god, guys lol. how about concentrating on making things people actually *use* accessible? obsessed hobbiests amuse me
Forgot about them damn dat files. Anyone else remember the annoyance of debugging through those bastards to find an error? And no, Tiffanitsa, I won't go into it because a. I'd probably be wrong on some point as I was just proven to be - it's been years! and b. you don't know enough yet to grasp it. The last poster's right, the amusement will wear off after awhile
Wow! Sooo cool! Thanks for the advice! Now that I know it's possible, I'll post it to the Blind-L list which has several DOS users on it. Perhaps, someone can help me create one for Enhanced DR-DOS, FreeDOS or even MS-DOS 7 if nothing else works. But I'm sure the first will be fine. Then, I just need to find my adapter and load up the IBM Thinkpad 310! I know it's not the perfect machine but it'll do for now.
Dos? WTF?
hmm debugging those dat files was not that difficult. It was/is tedious, but not difficult. the scripting language they use is not hard to understand. i remember in the jaws for dos install.dat file, when trying to install for a sound blaster, the jaws installation program would bomb out because there was an error. it took a while to find that the problem was a missing right parenthesis at the end of the line, though the install program did reference the line where the error occured. it was fixed in a updated install.dat which i am presently trying to locate. in some scripts, the line number identified is not always accurate (the error can be on another line related to the identified line, which can be a lot further down in the file.