DOS Multi-tasking Environment?

[Harry Potter]

I am looking to run multiple programs at the time on a DOS laptop. What program online can do that, and where can I find it?

[T. Ment]

Post by Harry Potter
I am looking to run multiple programs at the time on a DOS laptop.
What program online can do that, and where can I find it?

Maybe this:

https://winworldpc.com/product/real-32/7x

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Harry Potter
I am looking to run multiple programs at the time on a DOS laptop.
What program online can do that, and where can I find it?

MS-DOS Shell had a multi-tasking feature.

I don't recall the particulars. Something about task switching and / or
task swapping. I think one was time slicing between multiple programs
in a way that seemed like they were running concurrently and the other
switched to only the selected program while suspending the other programs.

Quarterdeck had DESQview.

IBM had TopView.

I'm sure there were others.

[Kerr-Mudd,John]

On Sat, 23 Nov 2019 23:28:01 GMT, Grant Taylor

Post by Grant Taylor

Post by Harry Potter
I am looking to run multiple programs at the time on a DOS laptop.
What program online can do that, and where can I find it?

MS-DOS Shell had a multi-tasking feature.
I don't recall the particulars. Something about task switching and /
or task swapping. I think one was time slicing between multiple
programs in a way that seemed like they were running concurrently and
the other switched to only the selected program while suspending the
other programs.
Quarterdeck had DESQview.
IBM had TopView.
I'm sure there were others.

I suspect that Mr Potter's requirements would be best met with a newer
laptop; one capable of running a multi-tasking OS.

[Harry Potter]

Post by Kerr-Mudd,John
I suspect that Mr Potter's requirements would be best met with a newer
laptop; one capable of running a multi-tasking OS.

Well, it *does* run Win3.1. I will try T. Ment's suggestion. I used to have DOS shell. It can do what I need it to do: switch between tasks. I don't think I have it anymore. :(

[Harry Potter]

Post by Harry Potter
Well, it *does* run Win3.1. I will try T. Ment's suggestion. I used to have DOS shell. It can do what I need it to do: switch between tasks. I don't think I have it anymore. :(

I downloaded DOSSHELL. I can't get graphics mode or change colors, though, and prefer Star Commander, a Norton Commander clone.

[Harry Potter]

Post by Harry Potter
I downloaded DOSSHELL. I can't get graphics mode or change colors, though, and prefer Star Commander, a Norton Commander clone.

When I try to open a program with muti-tasking enabled, I get an error message stating that the computer couldn't load command.com or dosswap.exe. What's wrong?

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Harry Potter
When I try to open a program with muti-tasking enabled, I get an
error message stating that the computer couldn't load command.com
or dosswap.exe. What's wrong?

Unknown.

I would suspect a PATH issue. I've not run into that particular
problem. Though I've not used DOS Shell, much less it's multi-tasking
ability, in 20ish years.

[Sjouke Burry]

Post by Harry Potter

Post by Harry Potter
I downloaded DOSSHELL. I can't get graphics mode or change colors, though, and prefer Star Commander, a Norton Commander clone.

When I try to open a program with muti-tasking enabled, I get an error message stating that the computer couldn't load command.com or dosswap.exe. What's wrong?

It belongs to a certain dos version.
Searching old disk images, i found one with dos5.00, together with
about 8 support files.
That image was from an old computer, not installed by us.
We never installed that piece of shell software.

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Harry Potter
Well, it *does* run Win3.1. I will try T. Ment's suggestion.
I used to have DOS shell. It can do what I need it to do: switch
between tasks. I don't think I have it anymore. :(

I believe that DOS Shell is included with MS-DOS 6.22. It may be on the
4th optional utilities disk.

It's my understanding that DOS Shell was introduced in MS-DOS 4.0 and
included through 6.22.

[Paul Bartlett]

Well, it *does* run Win3.1. I will try T. Ment's suggestion. I used to
have DOS shell. It can do what I need it to do: switch between tasks. I
don't think I have it anymore. :(

I believe that DOS Shell is included with MS-DOS 6.22. It may be on the 4th
optional utilities disk.
It's my understanding that DOS Shell was introduced in MS-DOS 4.0 and
included through 6.22.

I had an MS-DOS 5 machine, and DOS Shell was included already
installed. I never really used it, but I got the idea that it was task
switching, not truly multitasking. But that was years ago, and I could
be wrong.

[Harry Potter]

Post by Paul Bartlett
I had an MS-DOS 5 machine, and DOS Shell was included already
installed. I never really used it, but I got the idea that it was task
switching, not truly multitasking. But that was years ago, and I could
be wrong.

AFAIR, it *was* task-switching, but that's good enough for me. :)

BTW, I don't like DOSShell: it looks kind of ugly, and the UI is not the best.

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Harry Potter
AFAIR, it *was* task-switching, but that's good enough for me. :)

See previous reply.

Post by Harry Potter
BTW, I don't like DOSShell: it looks kind of ugly, and the UI is not the best.

To each his / her own.

You asked about ""multi-tasking options. MS-DOS Shell is decidedly on
that list.

You are free to have your own opinion of each list member.

[Harry Potter]

BTW, I keep getting an error message stating that COMMAND.COM or DOSSWAP.EXE is not found whenever I try to multi-task. :( Also, I *really* want to use graphics mode and change color schemes, but the options are not available for some reason. :(

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Harry Potter
BTW, I keep getting an error message stating that COMMAND.COM or
DOSSWAP.EXE is not found whenever I try to multi-task. :( Also,
I *really* want to use graphics mode and change color schemes, but
the options are not available for some reason. :(

That sounds like a PATH variable problem.

The graphics aren't much different than the text. The main thing that I
recall is the disk drive buttons may have a little disk next to them. I
think the arrows for things might be slightly different. The program
groups / icons may be slightly different. I don't recall it being
anything fancy.

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Paul Bartlett
I had an MS-DOS 5 machine, and DOS Shell was included already
installed. I never really used it, but I got the idea that it was
task switching, not truly multitasking. But that was years ago,
and I could be wrong.

I seem to recall that MS-DOS Shell had two modes of multi-tasking; task
switching, and task swapping. I don't recall the specifics of the
differences.

I think one would time slice between programs (switching?) and the other
would simply change between the foreground program when the user changed
(swapping?).

I'd have to dig out my MS-DOS book to look it up. Or check the help
included with MS-DOS Shell.

[Paul Bartlett]

Post by Grant Taylor

Post by Paul Bartlett
I had an MS-DOS 5 machine, and DOS Shell was included already
installed. I never really used it, but I got the idea that it was
task switching, not truly multitasking. But that was years ago,
and I could be wrong.

I seem to recall that MS-DOS Shell had two modes of multi-tasking; task
switching, and task swapping. I don't recall the specifics of the
differences.
I think one would time slice between programs (switching?) and the other
would simply change between the foreground program when the user changed
(swapping?).
I'd have to dig out my MS-DOS book to look it up. Or check the help
included with MS-DOS Shell.

I found an old DOS 5 manual and looked in the chapter of DOSShell.
There is a section on emabling and using Task Swapper, but I don't see
anything on task switching. To be honest, I'm not sure just what the
difference is, if any. But it does not seem to b e multitasking.

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Paul Bartlett
I found an old DOS 5 manual and looked in the chapter of DOSShell.
There is a section on emabling and using Task Swapper, but I don't
see anything on task switching. To be honest, I'm not sure just what
the difference is, if any. But it does not seem to b e multitasking.

Okay.

I'm going to take your word for it. It's been WAY TOO LONG and I could
be conflating the modes with something else.

[T. Ment]

Post by Harry Potter

Post by Kerr-Mudd,John
I suspect that Mr Potter's requirements would be best met with a newer
laptop; one capable of running a multi-tasking OS.

Even a lowly 386 laptop should run IMS REAL/32. It worked for IBM, they
licensed it for POS terminals.

Post by Harry Potter
Well, it *does* run Win3.1. I will try T. Ment's suggestion.

Windows 3.11 is stable when configured right. A virtual memory bug hit
Pentium and later chips. They fixed it in Windows 98. I can't find the
reference now, but it was online at one time. Probably gone now.

For me, Windows 3.11 is stable without virtual memory. With plenty of
RAM it's not a problem. If you only have 4 MB, that may not work.

[Kerr-Mudd,John]

Post by T. Ment

Post by Harry Potter

Post by Kerr-Mudd,John
I suspect that Mr Potter's requirements would be best met with a newer
laptop; one capable of running a multi-tasking OS.

Even a lowly 386 laptop should run IMS REAL/32. It worked for IBM, they
licensed it for POS terminals.

Post by Harry Potter
Well, it *does* run Win3.1. I will try T. Ment's suggestion.

Windows 3.11 is stable when configured right. A virtual memory bug hit
Pentium and later chips. They fixed it in Windows 98. I can't find the
reference now, but it was online at one time. Probably gone now.
For me, Windows 3.11 is stable without virtual memory. With plenty of
RAM it's not a problem. If you only have 4 MB, that may not work.

Back then the mantra was: 4M good 2M bad.

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Harry Potter
Well, it *does* run Win3.1.

If Windows (3.x) is an option, then I'd also consider OS/2 as an option.
As IBM said "OS/2 is a better DOS than DOS and a better Windows than
Windows."

[Grant Taylor]

Post by Kerr-Mudd,John
I suspect that Mr Potter's requirements would be best met with a
newer laptop; one capable of running a multi-tasking OS.

Likely.

But he asked a legitimate question in a reasonable manner. Seeing as I
had an answer to his question, I saw no reason to withhold it.

[Steve]

Post by Grant Taylor

Post by Harry Potter
I am looking to run multiple programs at the time on a DOS laptop.
What program online can do that, and where can I find it?

MS-DOS Shell had a multi-tasking feature.
I don't recall the particulars. Something about task switching and / or
task swapping. I think one was time slicing between multiple programs
in a way that seemed like they were running concurrently and the other
switched to only the selected program while suspending the other programs.
Quarterdeck had DESQview.
IBM had TopView.
I'm sure there were others.
--
Grant. . . .
unix || die

Hi,

I used TopView, and liked it better than some contemporary
products. Probably text based. It's been quite a while.

WordPerfect also had a shell program. Also text based?

Later products were Windows 3.x and GEM.

OS/2 can run with a pentium and 16 megabytes of
memory. And from version 3 on, is probably the best
MS-DOS multitasker.

Cheers,

Steve N.

[T. Ment]

Post by Steve
OS/2 can run with a pentium and 16 megabytes of
memory. And from version 3 on, is probably the best
MS-DOS multitasker.

OS/2 is like Frankenstein. A monster. Don't go near it.

[Grant Taylor]

Post by T. Ment
OS/2 is like Frankenstein. A monster. Don't go near it.

Why do you say that?

I've had quite good luck with OS/2 (Warp 4(.52)).

I'm also forced to choose between OS/2 and AIX for something I'm doing.
Seeing as how I don't have an RS/6000 to run AIX on, I'm sort of forced
to run OS/2.

[T. Ment]

Post by Grant Taylor

Post by T. Ment
OS/2 is like Frankenstein. A monster. Don't go near it.

Why do you say that?

Just look at config.sys.

Post by Grant Taylor
I've had quite good luck with OS/2 (Warp 4(.52)).

I've wasted enough time on OS/2 to know better. Never again.

[Grant Taylor]

Post by T. Ment
Just look at config.sys.

That's a non-answer.

Why do you think OS/2 / it's config.sys file is like Frankenstein?

I've personally had effectively no problems with OS/2's config.sys file,
or editing it.

At least it's a text file that can be simply edited compared to the
Windows registry.

Post by T. Ment
I've wasted enough time on OS/2 to know better. Never again.

To each his / her own.

[Grant Taylor]

Hi,

Hi,

Interesting. What sort of project?

I have an old PCI card that is an IBM System/390 Processor Complex (CPU
& main memory). It is highly specialized and was only supported under
OS/2 Warp (3 / 4) and AIX 4.<something>.

The card and software go very much hand in hand.

I am still using OS/2 at times, so if I can add support?

The software seems to be happy in OS/2 Warp 4.52 (Warp Server for
e-business). I'm guessing it would also be happy in eComStation and /
or ArcaOS. (I've not tried … yet.)

[Grant Taylor]

… GEM.

I forgot about GEM.

I don't think about it, or really know anything about it, as I've never
run it myself.