.. _vdosplus: ############################# WARES Execution Alternatives ############################# The move to 64-bit Windows 7, 8, and 10 eliminates running WARES natively on a Windows operating system. There are other options, however. These are: * DOS emulation using :program:`vDosPlus` on Windows 7, 8, and 10 * :program:`VmWare` or similar virtual machine execution of DOS/WARES * Microsoft's :program:`Virtual Windows XP` emulation (32-bit Windows only) * Remote desktop access to WARES on an ADDS Server (32-bit Windows only) * Linux Ubuntu desktop operating system, and :program:`DOSEMU` Of these options, the easiest and most effective solution is the first one, :program:`VDosPlus`. vDosPlus Emulation Program ============================= :program:`VDosPlus` addresses the following concerns with running DOS applications today: * DOS programs cannot run on 64-bit Windows systems * DOS uses Windows Short File Names (SFN) and not Long File Names (LFN) * DOS does not print directly to Windows printers * DOS characters do not scale, the resulting display may be illegible * Programs requiring EMS memory (e.g., :program:`WARES`) may not work * NETBIOS networking (SMBv1) is deprecated and may not work :program:`vDosPlus` is an emulation, and therefore it runs more slowly than native DOS would. The other benefits of :program:`vDosPlus` far outweigh the performance cost when using :program:`WARES`. :program:`vDosPlus` is freeware, but its developers would appreciate any donation you would make when registering the program. Installing vDosPlus ============================= * Download `vDosPlus.zip `_. Windows will probably save this file in your :file:`Downloads` folder. * Open the download link in the browser, or open your :file:`Downloads` folder in File Explorer and right-click file :file:`vDosPlus.zip`. * Choose :guilabel:`Extract` from the file menu, and use :file:`C:\\vDosPlus` as the :guilabel:`Destination Folder`. * Open folder :file:`C:\\vDosPlus` in :program:`File Explorer`, Right-Click program :file:`vDosPlus.exe`, and select :menuselection:`Create shortcut` to create a desktop icon. * In :program:`File Explorer`, copy Consolas font files from folder :file:`C:\Windows\Fonts\Consolas` to the new :file:`C:\\vDosPlus` folder created above. .. Note:: Program :program:`vDosPlus` is documented at http://www.vdosplus.org; the download revision is at http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/vdosplus.html. There is also a program installer download available on sourceforge at https://sourceforge.net/projects/vdosplus/. Configuring vDosPlus ============================= In the same way as traditional DOS programs, :program:`vDosPlus` uses two files to set the system configuration: :file:`config.txt` and :file:`autoexec.txt`. :program:`vDosPlus` ships with a default files :file:`config.txt` and :file:`autoexec.txt`, and these files must be replaced to run :program:`WARES`. The following sample files have been tested to work with :program:`WARES` for most installations. (Call support if these do not work correctly.) Install these files as follows: * Open Windows :program:`File Explorer`, and navigate to folder directory :menuselection:`This PC --> Local Disk (C:) --> vDosPlus` * :kbd:`Right-click` file :file:`config.txt`, and rename it something like :file:`config_orig.txt` * :kbd:`Right-click` file :file:`autoexec.txt`, and rename it something like :file:`autoexec_orig.txt` * Download :download:`config.txt <../resources/_downloads/config.stxt>`, saving it to the :file:`C:\vDosPlus` folder * Download :download:`autoexec.txt <../resources/_downloads/autoexec.stxt>`, saving it to the :file:`C:\vDosPlus` folder * Start :program:`WARES` from the desktop icon for :program:`vDosPlus` Modifying the Configuration ============================= If the message appears, "The WARES.BAT command program cannot be found", then either: #. there is a mistake in your :file:`config.txt`, or #. your :program:`WARES` installation is non-standard. Change either the *AREVSHARE* or the *AREVLOCAL* entry in :file:`autoexec.txt` to match the location where :program:`WARES` is installed. If you are running in a multi-user environment, each :program:`WARES` user should have a unique identifier. Edit file :file:`autoexec.txt` and change the *AREVUSER* entry to USER01, USER02, ... as desired. There are many other display options in :program:`vDosPlus`, some of which are included in the configuration files but commented out (lines starting with '#' or 'rem'). If you are good with DOS, change these settings to your liking. But read the :file:`README.TXT` file for :program:`vDosPlus` before making changes. The sample text for :file:`config.txt` follows:: XMEM = 32 XMS USEDRVS = ON # BLINKC = OFF MOUSE = ON FONT = CONSOLA # ITALFONT = CONSOLAI # BOLDFONT = CONSOLAB # BOITFONT = CONSOLAZ FRAME = ON PADDING = 1 TITLE = WARES Warehousing ICON = W:\AREV.ICO # ICON = C:\ATLAS\AREV.ICO LPT1 = SEL:"HP-LaserJet" RAW The sample text for :file:`autoexec.txt` follows:: @ECHO OFF SETLOCAL SET AREVUSER=WARES SET AREVSHARE=W: SET AREVLOCAL=C:\ATLAS\ PATH %PATH%;C:\4DOS;C:\DOSZIP;C:.;.. SET TEMP=%%TEMP%% IF NOT EXIST %TEMP%\NUL SET TEMP=C:. EMSMAGIC.COM /RAM=MAX IF NOT EXIST %AREVLOCAL%WARES.BAT GOTO SHARED CD %AREVLOCAL% GOTO RUN :SHARED IF NOT EXIST %AREVSHARE%\WARES.BAT GOTO MISSING %AREVSHARE% :RUN CALL WARES.BAT %AREVUSER% GOTO EXIT :MISSING ECHO The WARES.BAT command program cannot be found PAUSE . :EXIT EXIT Change Desktop Icon ============================= * On the desktop, :kbd:`` the :program:`VDosPlus` icon and click the :guilabel:`Change Icon` button * Search either :file:`C:\\Atlas\\` or :file:`W:\\` to find the icon file :file:`arev.ico` * Click :guilabel:`Apply` and :guilabel:`OK` to save the changes Configuring Printing ============================= Notice the last line of :file:`config.txt` above. :program:`vDosPlus` ditches printer sharing and the old :file:`netprint.bat` printer mapping, printing directly to named Windows printer devices on your workstation instead. You can map *LPT1*, *LPT2*, and *LPT3* to Windows printer names in :file:`config.txt` as shown, and then :program:`WARES` will print to those printers without having to display the Windows print dialog. If your default Windows printer is :guilabel:`Microsoft print to PDF`, printing to a WARES printer not mapped in :file:`config.txt` will display the Windows print dialog, defaulting to *Microsoft print to PDF*. For example: #. Copy the :guilabel:`HP-Laserjet` profile to :guilabel:`PDF-Printer` in WARES at :menuselection:`Tools --> Reports --> Printer Driver` #. Associate :guilabel:`LPT3` with the :guilabel:`PDF-Printer` driver in WARES at :menuselection:`Tools --> Reports --> Setup Printers` #. DO NOT assign :guilabel:`LPT3` to a Windows printer in the :program:`vDosPlus` :file:`config.txt` file #. Optionally, set printer :guilabel:`Microsoft print to PDF` as the default printer in Windows, assuming the workstation is used primarily for WARES #. Simplify PDF printing of specific WARES forms or reports by copying the report definition in :menuselection:`Tools --> Processes --> Report Setup` to a new name, and adding :guilabel:`LPT3` to the :guilabel:`Driver` entry.