Exploration Archivist V3. Windows 2000/, NT and 9x variations
This memo discusses solutions to problems which may occur due to operating system variations when running Lynx 3-S and LEA programs. Here, "3-S" refers to older Lynx software running under MS-DOS. "LEA" means Lynx Exploration Archivist programs running under various MS-Windows operating systems, ie Windows 95, 98, ME, NT and 2000.
To achieve a full range of functions, LEA Seismic Scanning and Vectorizing (SSV) packages and MapScan still incorporate some MS-DOS based 3-S programs. Some of these are hidden behind a "front end" window and some run as naked MS-DOS programs in an MS-DOS window. Each MS-DOS window, opened from MS-Windows, is like an MS-DOS "virtual machine". For MS-DOS programs to function properly, the virtual machine must appear to the program as a real computer, running under MS-DOS.
All the various releases of MS-Windows behave slightly differently in this respect. Windows 9x, that is the various releases of Windows 95, 98 and ME, is a direct descendent of Windows 3, which in turn is descended from MS-DOS. Microsoft tried, in the development of Windows 9x, to retain MS-DOS compatibility, whilst eliminating the lack of stability which results from allowing programs direct access to system resources through the BIOS, as required in MS-DOS. Successive versions of Windows 9x became more stable as MS-DOS harware dependencies were made more crash-proof.
Windows NT was introduced as a "grown-ups" operating system, which eliminated the problems inherent in having an MS-DOS type kernel, by throwing out MS-DOS altogether and redeveloping it from scratch. It appears to a user like a true windowing operating system, with a command line capability added as an afterthought. This is in contrast to Win 98 or Unix systems which are the other way around, i.e. a command line system with windowing added on top.
A decision was also apparently made not to bother to support MS-DOS compatibility properly in NT, because commercial users would not want to run their old MS-DOS based games etc. As a result, many useful MS-DOS programs will not run at all, or will not run properly under Windows NT .
Windows 2000 is an NT based operating system, but Microsoft obviously realised that a lot of people would not switch to it, if it did not support all their older software. This includes Windows 3 programs, which coexist with Windows 9x, but require an MS-DOS type kernel to run. In Windows 2000, much of the MS-DOS functionality missing in Windows NT, has been reinstated, but the MS-DOS window is now truly "virtual", ie will probably not crash all tasks running on the same machine if something goes horrbly wrong. This has implications for MS-DOS programs, which have to share devices with other programs, via an appropriate device driver, instead of accessing hardware directly.
(Win2000 and NT). The MS-=DOS command processor, command.com may be found in the root directory C:\ or in the main windows directory. In releases before LEASetup 2.5, the installation does not modify the file Launcher.ini to account for the different location of command.com. Modify Lynxsys\Launcher.ini file, [startup] section for actual location of command.com, e.g.
MSDOS=C:\WinNT\system32\command.com
The MS-DOS command line can only contain up to 128 characters. (all versions) This shows up mainly in SEISPLOT, which generates an MS-DOS command internally and runs SEISPLOT.BAT, which in turn runs TRCPLOT.EXE, the trace plotting program. If the full file path name is too long, no plot will be generated. Use shorter directory paths for your data directory, less than about 30 characters.
Environment space (memory) is allocated to MS-DOS to hold the contents of the PATH and other environment strings. If it is not large enough, path or environment information will be lost or truncated. Different versions of Windows behave differently, but the memory tab in MS-DOS window properties contains an "initial environment" field. Set this to 4096 if your path statement is very long or there are a lot of environment varibles. In extreme cases, you may have to eliminate unnecessary paths, set in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the root directory C:\.
Some MS-DOS programs, eg SSV, LOCDIG, TRCPLOT, BASEPLOT require the expanded memory (EMM) capability of MS-DOS. This has to be explicitly enabled by a device driver EMM386.EXE. The PC's C:\CONFIG.SYS file should contain the line
device=c:\windows\emm386.exe
This installs the EMM device driver
For programs such as SEISPLOT, the MS-DOS window closes automatically when the MS-DOS program terminates. This means that you cannot see error messages which may have been generated if the program terminates abnormally. To find out what is going wrong, open (any) MSDOS window and right click on the bar at the top, to go into MS-DOS window properties. Select the "program" tab and remove the tick from the "close on exit" box. Next time an MS-DOS window is opened, for example from the SEISPLOT program, that window will stay open if an error occurs, allowing you to see any error messages that may have been generated.
"Terminate and Stay Resident" programs, such as the Metashel graphics device driver used in 3-S SSV and 3-S TRCPLOT, are not supported under the Windows NT command window. These programs will not run at all under Windows NT. They should run OK under other Windows versions.
When running SEISPLOT, it will fail if file names deviate from the MS-DOS "8.3" filename standard. Both file and directory names should therefore be less than or equal to 8 characters and extensions less than or equal to 3 characters in length. This is because SeisPlot calls the MS-DOS based TRCPLOT program.
Pentium-2 and later computers often have on display hardware on the motherboard which emulates the separate VGA graphics card used on older systems. The drivers do not always behave exactly as in "native" MS-DOS, causing MS-DOS programs (compiled under Turbo Pascal) to crash on startup. 3-S programs which exhibit this problem have been recompiled for running under LEA.
Windows 9x systems. SCSI type tape drives will work OK on through the normal Adaptec device driver installed in CONFIG.SYS at startup, or through the Windows version of the same. Overland Data drives, usinging the older Overland ISA bus cards will probalby not work.
Windows NT. 3-S programs cannot access SCSI tape drives under Windows NT.
Windows 2000. At the time of writing, we are in the process of testing 3-S programs for correct operation under Windows 2000
The parallel port software keys used by Lynx rely on normal MS-DOS style parallel port behaviour. LEASetup Versions 2.4 and above will install the appropriate drivers for Win2000 and NT. All LEA programs should function normally.
Under Windows NT and 2000, 3-S programs sometimes cannot "see" the dongle. This affects LOCDIG, SEGYLOAD, SEGYSAVE and SSV, which require a dongle. LOCDIG and SSV will not in any case run under NT because of the TSR problem above. For Windows 2000, we may be able to find a solution for this, but the best solution for everyone is obviously to eliminate the need to run these programs under MS-DOS by providing proper Windows versions.
Under Windows 9x, dongles should work normally without a device driver, however if you wish to use a printer plugged ito the back of the dongle, the LoclBaby.VXD device driver should also be installed, to avoid contention on the shared port. This is done automatically in LEASetup V2.4 and above
To install by hand, copy the LOCLBABY.VXD file to the Windows\System
directory. Then edit the file system.ini, in the section headed [386Enh], to
contain the line. :-
device=loclbaby.vxd
Then restart windows.