Command Prompt DOS

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Command PromptDOS Linux/UNIX

• David Turton
• Conestoga College
• Institute of Technology Advanced Learning
• http//www.conestogac.on.ca/dturton
• Doon 1D17 x3610

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Accessing a Command Prompt(Windows)

• Start?run?cmd.exe
• 32-bit XP command shell
• Start?run?command.com
• DOS 7 closer to true DOS, simulated real
  environment
• May be able to run older programs here
• Start?programs?accessories?command prompt
• Same as cmd.exe
• Bootable diskette or CD
• Win 9x
• "restart in MS-DOS mode"
• Hold F8 key while booting, select command prompt

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File/Folder Names(Windows, mainly)

• long names names with spaces
• enclose in quotes
• to keep together as one name
• can use truncated DOS 8.3 equivalent
• "My long ugly file name.doc"
• mylong1.doc
• use in DOS (vs XP) command-prompt

• syntax
• max 255 characters
• any character except
• \ / ? " gt lt
• UNIX/Linux
• Max 255 characters
• anything except /
• file extension (Windows)
• everything after last period
• denotes file type
• program to handle it
• executable extensions
• .exe .com .bat .sys

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Addressing

• working directory
• your current location in the directory tree
• Assumed target for all of your commands
• DOS prompt shows current directory C\utilitiesgt
• If not, enter the command prompt pg
• relative addressing
• relative to the working directory
• absolute addressing
• from the root of the file system
• Path starts with \ (after drive letter, if used)

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Prompt shows working (or "current") directory
Command (del) relative reference to a file
Command (copy) with absolute reference to source
file, relative reference to target directory
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Absolute Addressing

• Always starts with \
• May be preceded by a drive letter (C)
• Otherwise current drive assumed
• the working directory is irrelevant
• used when you
• know where the file is, but not sure of what the
  working directory on that drive is
• want a specific instance of like-named files

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Relative Addressing

• oriented relative to the working directory
• assume working directory c\tom
• docs\resume
• the resume file in my (toms) docs directory
• .. means the parent (prior) directory level
• ..\carol\docs\resume
• go up 1 level, then down to carols docs
  directory to get the resume file
• . means this directory the current working
  directory
• copy docs\resume .
• Copies resume file from docs directory to current
  working directory

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DOS Wildcards

• placeholders used to shorten names
• zero or more of any character
• ?
• 1 only 1 of any character
• dir txt
• list any file-name that has zero or more
  characters followed by "txt"
• dir .txt
• List any file-name ending with the file extension
  ".txt"
• cd my
• change directory to one that starts with "my"
  followed by zero or more of any character such
  as "My Documents" or "mylar.2005"
• Won't work if 2 directories fit pattern.

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DOS redirection

• normally output is to console, input from
  keyboard
• can redirect output of a command to
• a printer
• dir c\davestuff gt lpt1
• or a file
• type mySpecs.txt gt \temp\anotherFile.txt
• can pipe output to
• another program's input queue
• dir c\ /s more

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DOS Command Syntax

• command filelist options
• file-names are space-delimited
• destination file-name is always last
• copy a.txt c\myDir
• options denoted by "/"
• xcopy c\accounts e\backup /s /c /y
• options may have own parameters
• Separated from option by
• format a /f1.44 /vlabel

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Getting help(Windows/DOS)

• help
• Lists all supported commands
• help xcopy
• Get help on xcopy command
• xcopy /?
• Get help on xcopy command
• Most commands support the /? option
• Windows XP start?help
• Search for command-line reference a-z
• When you don't know which command to use

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DOS Commandsnote these are NOT case sensitive

• c
• Make c drive current location
• cd \utilities
• Change current working directory to utilities
  folder
• mkdir or md
• make a directory
• rmdir or rd
• remove directory, if empty
• /s remove sub-folders files as well
• exit
• terminate command prompt

• dir c\utilities
• List directory utilties
• default current directory
• options
• /p
• pause after each screen
• /w
• "wide" format names in columns
• /s
• subdirectories too
• /x
• show 8.3 filename too

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DOS commands cont'd

• edit myFile.txt
• nice text editor
• erase myFile
• erase all files that start with "myFile" in
  current folder
• ren myFile.txt memo.txt
• rename myFile.txt to memo.txt

• copy x y
• if only 1 file-name
• copy file into current folder
• 2 names
• last name is the target
• if "y" is folder copies file "x" into it
• else creates a copy of file "x" called "y"
• gt2 names
• last name had better be a folder
• same if source name is a folder
• DOS need "" between source names

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DOS commands cont'd

• xcopy
• more options than copy
• /s
• copy subfolders as well
• /d03/14/04
• only files modified on 14Mar04
• /y
• don't prompt when overwriting
• /a
• only files with archive bit set
• etc.

• attrib a myFile.txt
• display or change file attributes
• h -h
• add/remove "hidden"
• r -r
• add/remove "read-only"
• a -a
• add/remove "archive"
• del a b
• Delete files a and b

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Batch Filesaka scripts in UNIX/Linux

• files with extension .bat
• in current folder or folder on PATH
• contains DOS commands
• executed sequentially
• have conditional commands
• for, while, if
• can jump sequence
• goto

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scheduled tasksgood use for batch files

• from control panel
• tasks run
• daily
• weekly
• weekdays
• monthly
• etc.

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Disk error checks

• chkdsk c /f
• check c for errors and fix them
• from DOS prompt
• scandisk c
• older only Win 9x
• like chkdisk
• better with windows up
• defrag
• defragment a drive
• debug
• try it!
• well, try the help prompt for it first

• Win XP facility
• chkdsk still works
• Via a clean boot
• need to disable some things
• else chkdsk restarts

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Clean Boot for Windows XPMs article 310353

• run ? msconfig
• general tab
• ? selective startup
• clear
• system.ini,
• Win.ini,
• startup items,
• load system services
• services tab
• check
• Hide all Microsoft Services, Disable All
• OK ? restart Windows

• chkdisk defrag
• keep restarting
• never finish
• need to disable
• startup programs
• settings
• drivers
• reset from clean boot
• general tab ? click Normal startup

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Networking

• ipconfig /all
• win NT/2000/XP/2003
• IP info address, default g/w, etc.
• /renew /release
• contact DHCP for IP address
• winipcfg
• win 9x
• IP info

• ping 142.156.121.13
• ask for echo response
• used to check if up accessible
• ping www.tse.com
• find IP of URL
• see if DNS is available
• ping the IP address