Olk Getting Started

With

OS-9

About This Manual

Using Your OS-9 Handbook

If you feel that starting a new computer operating system is a "scary business," relax. This handbook is designed to put you at ease when using OS-9. It is divided into two parts--each part has a different purpose.

What is in Part 1

"Part 1" of this handbook is designed to show you, step by step, how to set up and use your computer with OS-9. Follow the steps as they are described, and OS-9 is your obedient servant. The few instructions in "Part 1" are all that many OS-9 users ever need.

What is in Part 2

"Part 2" is for the more adventurous. OS-9 has an extensive repertoire of commands and functions to create and manage data and to make use of peripherals (devices you can connect to your computer, such as disk drives and printers). If you want to learn more about the operating system, and if you like to explore, "Part 2" is for you. You learn other useful OS-9 commands that prepare you to make use of all the functions and commands described in OS-9 Commands.

Contents

Part 1 / What You Need to Know About OS-9

Chapter 1 What is an Operating System? . . . . . . . .1-1 Instructing Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-1 Using Application Programs and Computer

Languages ........................... Using Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why Use OS-9? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How Much Do You Need to Know

.1-2 .1-3 .1-4 .1-5

Chapter 2 How to Start and Exit Your System . . .2-1 Booting OS-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-2 Rebooting OS-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 Exiting OS-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 Upper- and Lowercase Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-4 OS-9 Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-4

Chapter 3 What You Need to Know to Use

Floppy Drives . . . . . . . . .

Write Protection for Diskettes . . . . . . . .
Disk Drive Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making Copies of Diskettes . . . . . . . . . .

Formatting With One Disk Drive . . . . .
Formatting With Two Disk Drives . . . .
Using the Backup Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making Copies With One Disk Drive
Making Copies With Two Disk Drives

Part 2 / Organization, Commands, and Keys

Chapter 4 Files and Directories . .
About Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multiple Directories . . . . . . .
About File and Directory Names
Examples of Filenames . . . . . . . . .

About Pathlists . . . . . . .

Anonymous Directory Names

About Device Name

. 3-1 . 3-2 . 3-2 . 3-3 . 3-3 . 3-4 . 3-5 . 3-5 . 3-7

. 4-1 . 4-1 . 4-1 . 4-4 . 4-4 . 4-4 . 4-5 . 4-6 . 4-6

Chapter 5 Commands and Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-1
Typing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-1

Editing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1 ,--

Command Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2

Using Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Using Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Accessing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

Commands from Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-5

Changing the Execution Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Changing the Data Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Changing System Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-7

Video Display and Keyboard Functions . . . . . . . . .5-8

Special Keys 5-8

Chapter 6 OS-9 Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-1
Viewing Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Creating Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-1
Deleting Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Displaying Current Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-2

Copying Files 6-3

Deleting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

Renaming Files 6-4 '^''''

Looking Inside Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Loading Command Modules into Memory . . . . . . .6-5

Listing The Command Modules in Memory . . . . . .6-5

Deleting Modules from Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-6

Using Other Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-6

Chapter 7 Customizing Your System . . . . . . . . . . . .7-1
Creating a New System Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-1
Monitor Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Using Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Establishing a Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Changing Window Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-11
Eliminating a Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-12
Using Startup to Establish a Window . . . . . .7-13

Index