10 replies to this topic

[AIGuy]

I know that the command line in windows is not really DOS. So here are some questions that this fact leads to. Is MS-DOS a true form of DOS? How does one get to a true DOS shell, MS-DOS or otherwise? What are some specific advantages to one or the other?(command line and DOS)

[Guest]

AIGuy said:

Is MS-DOS a true form of DOS?

Yes.

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How does one get to a true DOS shell, MS-DOS or otherwise?

Windows doesn't have a true DOS shell with it anymore, so most people use DOSBox to emulate a DOS environment under Windows.
An alternative is to run Windows 98 or older, which runs MS DOS under the hood.

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What are some specific advantages to one or the other?(command line and DOS)

The command line in Windows is more modern and integrated with the rest of the operating system. The problem with it is that it uses a mediocre DOS emulator to run DOS programs. The advantage to actual DOS is that it can run programs made for DOS in a native environment, improving speed and compatibility.

[DarkLordofthePenguins]

Guest said:

The command line in Windows is more modern and integrated with the rest of the operating system. The problem with it is that it uses a mediocre DOS emulator to run DOS programs. The advantage to actual DOS is that it can run programs made for DOS in a native environment, improving speed and compatibility.

Not to mention the Windows command line no longer lets you go full-screen, or even make the cmd window wider. Why Microsoft has (seemingly deliberately) introduced this limitation is beyond me.

[Alexander]

DarkLordofthePenguins said:

Not to mention the Windows command line no longer lets you go full-screen, or even make the cmd window wider. Why Microsoft has (seemingly deliberately) introduced this limitation is beyond me.

Way back when computer terminals displayed characters in columns, and the standard column width for IBM-era computers were 80 columns. This was transposed for legacy reasons into the Windows command line console, so MS-DOS legacy programs would not break graphically (i.e. assembly buffered line positions assumed column 80 as end of line)

[DarkLordofthePenguins]

Nullw0rm said:

Way back when computer terminals displayed characters in columns, and the standard column width for IBM-era computers were 80 columns. This was transposed for legacy reasons into the Windows command line console, so MS-DOS legacy programs would not break graphically (i.e. assembly buffered line positions assumed column 80 as end of line)

That still doesn't explain why the DOS prompt has no fullscreen mode. I've played games full screen in DOSBox and the graphics don't get broken.

[Alexander]

DarkLordofthePenguins said:

That still doesn't explain why the DOS prompt has no fullscreen mode. I've played games full screen in DOSBox and the graphics don't get broken.

MS-DOS screen driver only runs only in 80 columns by 25 rows or 80 by 50 by spec, the Windows command prompt runs exactly 80 columns and 25 row, they are the same width and same size, different resolution. It had not changed at all since MS-DOS.

[AIGuy]

I think what he's saying is, why can't it just stretch?

[Alexander]

It is not defined in the dos.sys driver to go more than 80 columns.

[DarkLordofthePenguins]

My main problem is when it comes to programs like Vim and MySQL where text can potentially take up many columns. If I'm using Vim in a cmd window and it's got five levels of indentation in places, then half the cmd window is blank and I only see small snippets of code at a time. In MySQL, I often have tables that when printed can be over 100 characters wide. It's more convenient not to have an 80-column limit. PowerShell doesn't have a limit if I recall correctly, but I can't use Vim in that because the blue background makes it impossible to read blue text, and for some reason I can't change the text and background color in PowerShell like I can in the DOS prompt, not with the same command anyway.

[AIGuy]

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It is not defined in the dos.sys driver to go more than 80 columns.

Ok, so that's not what he meant. What I meant was why can't you stretch the columns too?

[wim DC]

You can change the width of the cmd screen in windows by right-clicking the title bar ->properties.
In the properties window you go to the Layout tab and set the window size.