How do I extend 'PATH' in autoexec.bat
Vinod Malhotra
Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
applications?
Thanx.
Vinod
Anthony S Chow
: Dear Netters!
: Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
: anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
Not 120 exactly, I think. I should be 128 - "path=" = 123
: file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
: the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
: applications?
What version of DOS are you using? If you own MSDOS 6.XX (not quite sure
if MSDOS 6.0 or any PCDOS 6), two solutions are available:
1. move the path assignment from AUTOEXEC.BAT to CONFIG.SYS, or
2. instead of doing path=%path%, do: set path=%path%.
--
I have no pager, no mobile phone, no office number, and other personal data
that I can put on this signature file. So, I just type something to use up
some of my disk space. However, it just seems like a nonsense to me. But,
I am wondering, now, why you are so curious about this junk. :') - Anthony
st...@mble.philips.be
Here is THE solution to enhance your batch files.
I used to work on systems owning a very much powerful shell language
(UNIX, VMS,...) and I had to write a lot of batch files for automating
PC use. Due to the limitation of COMMAND.COM I write a very general
program that manipulate the environment variables. I now couldn't live
without it.
Try XSET (version 4.02), it is available
at SIMTEL : /pub/msdos/batutl/xset402.zip
at garbo.uwasa.fi: /pc/envutil/xset402.zip
or on Compuserve : CIS:MSDOS xset402.zip (shareware library)
XSET allows you to put EVERYTHING you want in a variable of the
current DOS environment and use it as if you assigned it the value
with the standard DOS command 'SET'. You will be able to write very
efficient batch files including string manipulation, calculation,...
XSET is an amazingly powerful environment variables manipulation.
It also has a very easy and intuitive user interface (very close to
the DOS 'SET' command). It is almost immediate to use for every user,
even for a non-programmer. It is not a resident program; it so cannot
interfere with any of your other applications.
XSET is fully compatible with MS-DOS (from 3.30), PC-DOS, DR-DOS,
4DOS, NDOS, Windows & OS/2 DOS boxes, ...
XSET has seven major features:
=============================
- XSET permits to catch the output of any command (internal or
external) or program and put it into an environment variable.
- XSET has several built-in commands to modify the output of a
program or a string given on the command-line (extract a part of a
string,...)
- XSET has a built-in full floating-point calculation functionality:
You can program incremental loops, input a calculation string and
output the resulting number,...
- XSET can manage variable contents of more than 128 characters (your
path can now be as long as you want)
- XSET has some other built-in commands to give you access to some
system data (date, time, ...)
- XSET has built-in commands to clear all environment or restore a
previously saved one.
- XSET gives you access to high-level user interface input/output
(line-editing, colors, windows, boxes,...).
More than 60 commands to do all what you need.
Marc Stern -- st...@mble.philips.be (internet)
>INTERNET:st...@mble.philips.be (compuserve)
John Savage
: Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
mar...@netcom.com (Jared Martinsen) writes:
>I can only have up to 150 or so characters in the line that sets up my
>path statement. Is there a way to have a bigger path then this? Many
>programs add to your path and mine is full now.
You will see that not all of these will allow an install program to add more
directories to your path, e.g., for rbsetnv1 you will have to do it manually.
Garbo: envutil/rbsetnv1.zip
This archive provides a collection of utilities that you will find useful.
It creates and works with a PATH >128 - I don't know if there is a limit
apart from that imposed by the environment space (I haven't explored it to
the point of discovering its limits).
ADDPATH
CHGPATH
DELPATH
INCR
INSPATH
SETENV
EVAL
These allow you to append something to PATH, to replace a directory located
somewhere within PATH, to delete a directory from PATH, etc.
If a UNIX user, you should feel quite at home with the ` ...` construct.
Example: to append a directory to the current PATH:
setenv path `addpath c:\maths\tools\excel_4`
Caveat: The SET and PATH commands (without args) in DOS only print out the
first 127 chars of PATH, so are not a lot of help when PATH >128.
Other suggestions:-
Garbo: envutil/
bigpath.zip Make Dos path command almost twice as big
desetp12.zip Sets path variables longer than 128 bytes
SimTel: /msdos/pathutil/
cpath20.zip B 12357 900413 Extend PATH to more than 128 characters
setpth14.zip B 13325 900406 Set PATH to more than 127 characters
spoon1a.zip B 48087 881008 Spoon Path v1a: menued 4.5k TSR path extender
xpath39.zip B 20389 911224 Xpath 3.9, DOS Path Extender for DOS 5.0
Garbo and SimTel are both mirrored at wuarchive.wustl.edu
Let me know how you make out.
__ __
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| (_|_|_) | { }
. | (_|_) | '~. `[ ]` .~' Australia,
_--_|\ |---------' John Savage (visitor) (.__=-- ) beautiful
/ \| Sydney guest account courtesy: _/ ~~~~~ \_ one day -
\_.--._/^ 2000 Macquarie University (w w) perfect
v OLYMPICS Sydney Australia ( ) the next.
\__ _ __/
===========internet: jo...@macadam.mpce.mq.edu.au===== \_) (_/ =============
Mark A. Lynch
: : Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
: : anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
: : file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
: : the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
: : applications?
Use the SUBST command from MS-Dos... it will allow you to make your path
very large...
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mark Lynch | Note: By sending private mail to me you are granting|
| | me the right to repost it in public. |
| m...@infinet.com | (Help! I've fallen and can't reach my beer) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
danny burstein
>: v...@cypress.com (Vinod Malhotra) writes:
>: : Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
>: : anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
>: : file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
>: : the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
>: : applications?
>Use the SUBST command from MS-Dos... it will allow you to make your path
>very large...
having had the same problem myself, i solved it by changing the space of
the variable by using the command:
(in first line of config.sys)
shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /E:1024
the "e:1024" sets the allowable size of the variable. I don't recall
offhand what the "c:\" and "/p" were for.....
--
----------------------------------
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
-dan...@panix.com (or dbur...@mcimail.com)
Lou Arruda
>In <35lmbk$3...@rigel.infinet.com> m...@infinet.com (Mark A. Lynch) writes:
>>: v...@cypress.com (Vinod Malhotra) writes:
>>: : Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
>>: : anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
>>: : file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
>>: : the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
>>: : applications?
>>Use the SUBST command from MS-Dos... it will allow you to make your path
>>very large...
>having had the same problem myself, i solved it by changing the space of
>the variable by using the command:
>(in first line of config.sys)
>shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /E:1024
>the "e:1024" sets the allowable size of the variable. I don't recall
>offhand what the "c:\" and "/p" were for.....
Actually, the best way may be to set the path in CONFIG.SYS (I think you need
at least DOS 6 for this to work) by using the following command:
SET PATH=C:\whatever\you\want\your\path\to\be;
This lets you have a path of unlimited length.
kym...@xconn.com
ID>(in first line of config.sys)
ID>shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /E:1024
ID>the "e:1024" sets the allowable size of the variable. I don't recall
>offhand what the "c:\" and "/p" were for.....
According to my reference book, the syntax is
shell=[drive:\path\]command.com [switches]
The /p switch sets this statement as the primary command processor,
otherwise upon exiting a program, command goes back to the processor
loaded at bootup.
In the above example, I don't believe either c:\ is necessary, since the
shell statement is only being loaded to set the environment size.
| Kymberleigh Richards | Internet: kym...@xconn.com |
| Co-Sysop, Cross Connection | Fax: (818) 347-4190 |
| Publisher/Managing Editor, "Cross-Talk" | Voicemail: (818) 907-3053 |
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| For info netmail ... To: arc...@xconn.com Subject: Request XCNEWS |
John D. Dawson, P.E.
>>: : anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
>>: : file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
>>: : the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
>>: : applications?
>>
>>Use the SUBST command from MS-Dos... it will allow you to make your path
>>very large...
>>
>>--
>You may also want to look at just what is is you want to do. Maybe a batch file
>or doskey macro is a more appropriate way to get at your applications rather
>than a mammoth PATH; remember, a typo will cause DOS to search your _entire_
>path before returning a file not found error ---- could be quite time consuming.
I agree. I use BAT files to start almost all of my applications. The BAT
file directory is the first location on my PATH and each BAT file modifies
and then restores the PATH environment variable as required for each
application. I also use short names for directories, such as UT instead of
UTILS, etc., so they don't make for a long path. Good luck.
Pat Crean
>: v...@cypress.com (Vinod Malhotra) writes:
>
>: : Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
>: : anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
>: : file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
>: : the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
>: : applications?
>
>Use the SUBST command from MS-Dos... it will allow you to make your path
>very large...
>
>--
You may also want to look at just what is is you want to do. Maybe a batch file
or doskey macro is a more appropriate way to get at your applications rather
than a mammoth PATH; remember, a typo will cause DOS to search your _entire_
path before returning a file not found error ---- could be quite time consuming.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Pat
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In case of scrambled mail headers, use this return address:
pcr...@zds-oem.zds.com
home: (616) 925-5329 work: (616) 429-0505 fax: (616) 429-6630
Jerzy Tarasiuk
: Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
: anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
: file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
: the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
: applications?
Look SimTel:/pub/msdos/pathutil, there are about 20 programs,
probably half or more of them can be used to solve the problem.
Try e.g. cpath20.zip, apath23.zip, bigpath.zip,...
Kendall Beaman
:
I saw some good alternatives to having a path longer than 120 characters but
to actually answer your question, if you have DOS 5 or above (I think it starts
at DOS 5) You can simply put your path statement in your config.sys file instead
of the autoexec.bat and voila (sp) you have a long path statement but you
really should look into some of the alternatives.
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't mind what Congress does, as long as they don't do it in the
streets and frighten the horses. -- Victor Hugo
bea...@andrews.edu
D.R. Smith
You know, one way I get around this limitation is to create a
batch directory and put that dir. in the path. Next, I remove all I
reliably can from the path statment, and create a batch file for each
program I need to run. If it is absolutely necessary, I can change the
path variable in the beginning of the batch file and reset it when I
exit( believe it or not, you can do this in such a way that changes to
the path in the autexec.bat will not require changes to your batch files
also ). This way, my path and my environment variables are kept from
growing out of control every time I add another utility to the system.
Darrin
"The only interfaces which are truly intuitive are rocks and mud"
- John Dvorak
A Gluey Clamp
>>: file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
>>: the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
>>: applications?
> You know, one way I get around this limitation is to create a
>batch directory and put that dir. in the path. Next, I remove all I
A _much_ more efficient way to do this if you're using DOS 5 or better is
to use the doskey command to create macros like
doskey wp=\apps\dos\wp51\wp
Then when you type wp, doskey will automatically replace it with the
complete path. Fun!
This means the path doesn't have to be searched for your batch file. Also
(and this is a biggy) hard drives tend to have big allocation units so
for every little 20-byte batch file you create in your batch file
directory you may be using (for example) 8k of disk space. And lots of 8ks
add up very quickly to waste a whole lot of space.
Paul.
--
Who needs a signature?
Anders Uhl Pedersen
>In article <JT.94Sep...@albert5.fuw.edu.pl> j...@zfja-gate.fuw.edu.pl (Jerzy Tarasiuk) writes:
>>v...@cypress.com (Vinod Malhotra) writes:
>>: Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
>>: anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
>>: file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
>>: the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
>>: applications?
>>
>>Look SimTel:/pub/msdos/pathutil, there are about 20 programs,
>>probably half or more of them can be used to solve the problem.
>>Try e.g. cpath20.zip, apath23.zip, bigpath.zip,...
> You know, one way I get around this limitation is to create a
>batch directory and put that dir. in the path. Next, I remove all I
>reliably can from the path statment, and create a batch file for each
>program I need to run. If it is absolutely necessary, I can change the
This is pretty much what I did, but I have then encountered another problem.
It is not as irritating as the long path so I have tried to cope with it. But
I figured that somebody here might be able to give some clue as to get rid
of this second problem: When running a batch file how do you make it return
you to the original directory that you were in before you started the batch
file? I.e. if you have a file called f.bat in order to run foo.exe in
c:\tools and the file looks like this:
c:
cd\tools
foo.exe
The c: obviously in order to be sure to be on the right drive, but even
without that the major problem is the cd line. Don't tell me to just change
the file to
c:\tools\foo.exe
because a lot of programs *need* to be in the directory (or have it as path)
in order to run properly. So how do I make the programs run fine and still
return to the right directory afterwards?
Best regards,
Anders
--
=============================================================
Anders Uhl Pedersen |"Information is not knowledge
| Knowledge is not wisdom
a...@ddci.dk or a...@adm.ku.dk | Wisdom is not truth." -FZ
J Michael Hayes
your program call
c:
cd\
cd program location
program
cd \
cd where ever you like
Mike Hayes
Linux Mac Daddy
: You know, one way I get around this limitation is to create a
: batch directory and put that dir. in the path. Next, I remove all I
: reliably can from the path statment, and create a batch file for each
: program I need to run. If it is absolutely necessary, I can change the
: path variable in the beginning of the batch file and reset it when I
: exit( believe it or not, you can do this in such a way that changes to
: the path in the autexec.bat will not require changes to your batch files
: also ). This way, my path and my environment variables are kept from
: growing out of control every time I add another utility to the system.
Set it in the CONFIG.SYS instead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Internet: hens...@po.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
Bilbo: 137.112.200.75
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A Gluey Clamp
>I figured that somebody here might be able to give some clue as to get rid
>of this second problem: When running a batch file how do you make it return
>you to the original directory that you were in before you started the batch
>file? I.e. if you have a file called f.bat in order to run foo.exe in
>c:\tools and the file looks like this:
>c:
>cd\tools
>foo.exe
This is off the top of my head, so there may be better ways:
create a file which just says 'cd ' by doing the following:
C:\> copy con c:\somedir\justcd.bat
cd ^Z -- (keystrokes <c> <d> <space> <ctrl-z> <return>)
Then in your batch file do
cd > c:\somedir\tmp.bat
copy c:\somedir\justcd.bat+c:\somedir\tmp.bat c:\somedir\restore.bat
del c:\somedir\tmp.bat
... (your commands including any cd's)
call c:\somedir\restore.bat
del c:\somedir\restore.bat
NOTE: This will not leave you back on the same _drive_ you started on -
that's not so easy.
Paul.
--
Who needs a .sig?
irfan saif
Hi,
If you do not wish to have additional software tackling the problem
you can use the DOs Subst command to do the trick.
pick an unassigned drive letter, and use subst to refer to a path.
For example (sorry, but I forget the exact syntax for subst)
subst g: c:\symantec
now, in your path statement, just add g: and it will refer to whatever
you assigned to drive g.
hope this helps
-Irfan
Andrew Whyte
>Hi,
>subst g: c:\symantec
This is a perfect solution except that it won't work when running windows
for workgroups. (well at least it didn't for me)
According to the books and the .txt files with WFWG3.11 you _should_ be able
to use the subst command, so long as its substituted BEFORE you load window
and that you don't add or change them while using WFWG. only thing is that
when you load WFWG with a subst drive in chucks a hissy fit, and decides not
to work.
Does anyone know how to get around this?? I'd love to know.
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew Whyte, | Email: ba...@cq-pan.cqu.edu.au
Bachelor of Info. Tech. | why...@jasper.cqu.edu.au
Central Queensland University | why...@topaz.cqu.edu.au
-----------------------------------IRC: Holo, Holodeck,Cry-------------------
Peter Hayward
a...@ddci.dk "Anders Uhl Pedersen" writes:
| This is pretty much what I did, but I have then encountered another problem.
| It is not as irritating as the long path so I have tried to cope with it. But
| I figured that somebody here might be able to give some clue as to get rid
| of this second problem: When running a batch file how do you make it return
| you to the original directory that you were in before you started the batch
| file? I.e. if you have a file called f.bat in order to run foo.exe in
| c:\tools and the file looks like this:
| c:
| cd\tools
| foo.exe
|
| The c: obviously in order to be sure to be on the right drive, but even
| without that the major problem is the cd line. Don't tell me to just change
| the file to
| c:\tools\foo.exe
| because a lot of programs *need* to be in the directory (or have it as path)
| in order to run properly. So how do I make the programs run fine and still
| return to the right directory afterwards?
|
You do it by using an excellent little replacement for the DOS SET command
call SETENV. It can be obtained by ftp from the simtel archives, current
file is SETENV23.ZIP. One of it's many options is place the current drive and
working directory into an eniviroment variable. Then at the end of your batch
file you can do some thing like
%drv%
cd %cwd%
rem delete local variables
for %%a in (drv, cwd, ...etc...) do set %%a=
I hope this helps
--
Peter Hayward Cambridge Digital Systems Ltd
email: pe...@cdsl.demon.co.uk snail: 108, Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 2BD, UK
voice: +44 1223 312 923 alternate +44 1223 316 506
MR M CLASQUIN
>>In article <JT.94Sep...@albert5.fuw.edu.pl> j...@zfja-gate.fuw.edu.pl (Jerzy Tarasiuk) writes:
>>>v...@cypress.com (Vinod Malhotra) writes:
>>>: Excuse me if this question has been asked before. By default, DOS ignores
>>>: anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
>>>: file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
>>>: the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
>>>: applications?
>>>
What I did for a while was to SUBSTitute fictitious drive letters for my
directories and then put those drive letters in the PATH statement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
MR M CLASQUIN (Email: CLA...@alpha.unisa.ac.za)
University of South Africa
Pretoria, RSA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The views expressed above are not necessarily those of the University
Wei-Hwa Huang
>cd %cwd%
>rem delete local variables
>for %%a in (drv, cwd, ...etc...) do set %%a=
>I hope this helps
Hmmm... I thought it was sufficient just to do something like
PATH = C:\ ; C:\DOS ; C:\UTILS ; C:\APPS
PATH = %PATH% ; C:\WINDOWS ; C:\OS2
Does this not work? I'm confused because I think that's what I do...
-- Wei-Hwa
Russell S Goldin
: |> : anything after 120 characters in the path statement in the autoexec.bat
: |> : file. Is there a way I can avoid this limit so that I do not have to type
: |> : the whole path name or switch to particular directories to run some of my
: |> : applications?
All of those other programs suggest to extend your path are nice, but
not necessary. Adding %path%; to your path will add what is already there
plus whatever else... i.e.
path c:\dos;c:\;c:\windows;
path %path%;c:\norton;c:\qemm;
equals:
"path c:\dos;c:\;c:\windows;c:\norton;c:qemm;"
That is all you need.
Russ
-----
Russell Goldin
University@Buffalo (Suny)
gol...@acsu.buffalo.edu
-----
Richard R. van Meurs
Why bother if 4DOS can do all this (and much much more) without little utility
programs? 4DOS is a COMMAND.COM replacement, and it has many usefull features
(like aliases, user definable executable extensions, filename completion etc etc).
You can find a fully functional shareware version on wustl and probably on garbo
too (not to mention the numerous mirrors) in /pub/msdos/4dos (I think).
Check it out,
Richard van Meurs(vme...@cs.utwente.nl)
Eugen Woiwod
> You're missing the point - you can't keep on adding additional
> directories
> for ever. Once you reach 120 characters, the PATH variable is truncated,
> and you do need a special program to extend it.
>
> Regards,
>
> Granville
>
> ========================================================================
> Granville Moore g...@nemesys.com
> Nemesys Computer Consultants Ltd
> I am not an accountant! I am a free man!
> ========================================================================
If your using 4DOS instead of COMMAND.COM, then you can get past that
stupid 120 characters limit in path :)
Ttul
Ali A. Bukhari
have as long a PATH statement as you want is to type it in the config.sys.
This will work as long as you have MS-DOS 6.x.
Simply type your PATH statement as below.
SET PATH=C:;C:\DOS;.....etc
This will effectively give you as long a PATH statement as you want.
If I am misinformed please forgive me, but I am currently doing this
with no problem (and so are many of my colleagues).
Thank you for listening.
--
Ali Bukhari
a...@ee.duke.edu
___
| | / \ | "I want to give a message to the | ____ ___ ___
| | / | young people of America: We will | / / \ / \
| | / | continue to abuse our position and | / | T || V |
|____| <_____ | fuck up the mainstream." --BONO | /____ \___/ \___/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Huss
>> All of those other programs suggest to extend your path are nice, but
>> not necessary. Adding %path%; to your path will add what is already there
>> plus whatever else... i.e.
>> path %path%;c:\norton;c:\qemm;
>You're missing the point - you can't keep on adding additional directories
>for ever. Once you reach 120 characters, the PATH variable is truncated,
>and you do need a special program to extend it.
I believe the problem is COMMAND.COM's input line buffer is only 128 bytes
or so, and therefore you only have 120 after the 'SET PATH=' bit. If you
(by hook or by crook) make the path longer in COMMAND's environment, however,
DOS has no problem (that I've found in versions 3.3 .. 6.22). There are
programs that allow you to do this -- I've even written one, which I can
send you if you can find no other (mine sets the whole environment, not
just the PATH.)
--mark
--
/\_/ _ /_ /__/
__/ /_(/_/~_/\____/ /_(_/_/)_/)___________________
Mark E. Huss :: m...@bis.adp.com :: New Jersey, USA
David Gjessing
I would think that you would only want the absolute minimum of
directories in the path - only those that contain files that you would
call directly from the command line. That is why the path statememt is
there, as I understand it. Unless you are a real advanced computer
techi-nerd type, and know that what i'm saying is not right for what you
are doing, I'd say you ought to have another look at your path, and prune
some stuff from it. I believe that a very long path will just slow
things down...
*****************************************************************************
D. Gjessing Ohio
no organization whatsoever
*****************************************************************************
Yanming PENG
>I would think that you would only want the absolute minimum of
>directories in the path - only those that contain files that you would
Not necessary! You can have longer than 128 char PATH without any
help from external program:-)
Here is how:
1. set p1=C:\DOS;....;C:\ANY
2. set p2=d:\more;...;d:\more2
...
3. set pn=n:\more;...;n:\more2
4. PATH %P1%;%p2%;...;%pn%
5. delete temporary variables p1...pn if you wish.
Note: each set pn=... are less than 128 chars
Get it?
Michael Ronn Marcelais
|> gjes...@infinet.com (David Gjessing) writes:
|>
|> >I would think that you would only want the absolute minimum of
|> >directories in the path - only those that contain files that you would
|>
|> Not necessary! You can have longer than 128 char PATH without any
|> help from external program:-)
|>
|> Here is how:
|> 1. set p1=C:\DOS;....;C:\ANY
|> 2. set p2=d:\more;...;d:\more2
|> ...
|> 3. set pn=n:\more;...;n:\more2
|> 4. PATH %P1%;%p2%;...;%pn%
|> 5. delete temporary variables p1...pn if you wish.
|>
|> Note: each set pn=... are less than 128 chars
Bzzzzt. The path variable in step 4 will be clipped to 128 characters.
--
+--------------------------+---------------------------+
| Mike Marcelais | mrma...@eos.ncsu.edu |
| The Moonstone Dragon | Fourth Bryan Productions |
| -==(UDIC)==- | Author of ChrHack 2.3 |
+------------------Signature-Virus-Shield-v1.0-enabled-+
Erik Laan
>From: mrma...@eos.ncsu.edu (Michael Ronn Marcelais)
>Subject: Re: how do I extend 'PATH' in autoexec.bat
>Date: 4 Nov 1994 20:56:53 GMT
>In article <39dfuu$l...@nyx10.cs.du.edu>, anon...@nyx.cs.du.edu (Yanming PENG) writes:
>|> gjes...@infinet.com (David Gjessing) writes:
>|>
Hi,
As far as i know a long path slows things down....
Make a batches directory, place it in your path, and start every program from
a batch-file. Nearly every install programs places the path to it's program in
your autoexec but it's not needed. Even Windoze doesn't need it path in
autoexec.
Erik
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Erik Laan, E-mail: el...@duteisp.et.tudelft.nl (preferred), elp...@tpd.tno.nl
"The whole thing stinks like yesterday's dipers!"
Baby Herman in "Who framed Roger Rabbit?"
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Istvan Csiszar
01 Nov 94 Mark Huss waking up from his favourite dream, said this to All:
MH> From: m...@igthost.bis.adp.com (Mark Huss)
MH> Organization: Brokerage Information Services Group, ADP, Mount Laurel, NJ
MH> [snip]
>>> All of those other programs suggest to extend your path are nice, but
>>> not necessary. Adding %path%; to your path will add what is already
>>> there plus whatever else... i.e.
>>> path %path%;c:\norton;c:\qemm;
>> You're missing the point - you can't keep on adding additional directories
>> for ever. Once you reach 120 characters, the PATH variable is truncated,
>> and you do need a special program to extend it.
MH> I believe the problem is COMMAND.COM's input line buffer is only 128 bytes
MH> or so, and therefore you only have 120 after the 'SET PATH=' bit. If you
MH> (by hook or by crook) make the path longer in COMMAND's environment,
MH> however, DOS has no problem (that I've found in versions 3.3 .. 6.22).
MH> There are programs that allow you to do this -- I've even written one,
MH> which I can send you if you can find no other (mine sets the whole
MH> environment, not just the PATH.)
This is all nonsence! If you have the PATH statement in the autoexec.bat,
then your path is limited to 127 characters minus the 'path' word. If you
put the SET PATH statement into config.sys, then you have as long path as
your invironment space allows it. You don't need any bloody program to
extend the path, just put the 'set path' into config.sys. BUT, make it
sure, that there is no %PATH% variable in the autoexec.bat file, because
that will truncate the path to the default 127 characters. This is all
there is to it! And of course you have to have DOS 6.0 at least, but who is
that moron, who hasn't upgraded yet!
Adios, Istvan