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DOS programs won't run from command shell

Posted: 04 Apr 2018, 17:59
by therube
DOS (as in a real DOS) programs won't run from command shell opened from within Salamander (using / shortcut).
Is that expected?

Win XP.
Salamander 3.08 x86.

I'm wondering if I don't have something else going on?
As in I'm in need of a reboot... ?

I'm sure I've dropped to a C: prompt before & typed in, CAL(.exe) to display a calendar.


As things stand, currently...
From a Salamander shell to C:, CAL causes a file access & then the C:\> prompt is returned.
(All DOS programs do this currently; CRC, LHA, TEXT, SNIF, ASK, ...)
From within that same shell, or a shell opened from a different drive, say E:, I get, "The system cannot execute the specified program.".
Now that shell opened into, "E:\Documents and Settings\RUBEN\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\firefox\updates>", so maybe that has something to do with it?
And while there, if I CD \, then run CAL, it works.
And change back to C:, & it still works.


What I think is happening, is something like...

Start Salamander
Left panel: C:\TMP
Right panel: C:\USR\therube

Run a DOS command.
Works, everywhere.

Change to E:
As it is, it happened to open to, E:\Documents and Settings\RUBEN\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\firefox\updates.

Now run your DOS command, from either panel window, C: or E:.
Fails everywhere.

In E:, switch to some shorter path, say, E:\Windows\.
Now open your shells & run your DOS programs - works.
Likewise, from that shell to long path on E:, E:\Documents and Settings\RUBEN\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\firefox\updates>, again change to a shorter path, E:\Windows\ (CD \Windows\), & with that your DOS program works.

So once at least 1 panel is in a long path, DOS doesn't work in either.
Once shortened up, DOS programs again work.
Whatever the issue, it has to be more then just the path length.


Odd that I've never run into similar before.

Re: DOS programs won't run from command shell

Posted: 05 Apr 2018, 03:57
by maroon
The path you listed is 95 characters in length. The 16-bit DOS max length for path+filename is somewhere around 64 excluding the C:\ part.
You'll run into that problem by trying to have a DOS file manager like NC or VC trying to change directory into longer paths. Eventually you'll find folders that you can see but can't CD into, or folders where you're limited to how long a filename it lets you create.
Not sure why a long path in the opposite panel has an effect, though. This part of the problem I can't reproduce in win7-32