NEWCOM - A better DOS prompt!

Newcom project, (c) The Kilobug Team, 1998-99.

What's Newcom ?

Mains functions

Screen shots

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What's Newcom?

William Henri Gates III says and repeats that the DOS is dead... But what do you want to use? Winbug 95? You may love rebooting, waiting, reformating often your hard drive, the Plug'n'Pray technology, but me, I use a pseudo-operating system, a pack of bugs, only when I'm forced... Linux? Yes, this system is very good... Fast, never crash, very powerfull, coded by real programmers, ... And totally free in addition... But the main problem is that only few people use it, and that most of the programs doesn't work under Linux. (yes, with WINE and DOSEmu you can run some Win and DOS programs, but they both are in beta version at the time...).
So, Billy-the-Master-of-the-World can say that the DOS kernel is 16-bits (the Winbug 95 one too, don't forget), non multi-tasking (that's true, but Zindozs isn't really too), and speaking of the 640K limit (he never heard of Protected Mode), the DOS still be the best choice, except, of course, if there is a Linux version of all your programs. And Newcom works fine with DOSEmu (version 0.64.x or greater).
That's why I created Newcom, a package to improve the DOS command line. It's like DOSKEY but with a lot of other functions. And in the earlier versions, there are utilities too.
A startup, after a fast system check-up and anti-virus control, Newcom writes it own prompt. His resident module use only 2K of memory below 640K (less than DOSKey). Justr after the loading sequence, you can use all the Newcom powerfull functions. (If you have a 486 or greater... On a 386, you may be forced to diable some options.)

Main functions

There is a lot of improvement in Newcom, and all advise/idea is welcome:
Type all your commands easier:

The TAB key, like under Linux, complete automatically the command line, and Ctrl+TAB list of all the possibilities! You don't need to remember the exact name of your files, and to type they entirely! Just write the beginning, and let Newcom finish the job for you!

Real time syntaxe analyser with color system: you can know in one look if you make a typing mistake, or if you can press the TAB key. (486 advised).

Keys shortcut: set up to 20 keys shortcut, so you can avoid typing always the smae commands/paramters!

You can run many commands in the same command-line, juste separe them with the ; char, like under Linux.

With Ctrl+D, you can change the current dierctory, without changing the command line.

Memory lapse on a parameter list? Press F1! Newcom will run the program with /? and will give back your command line, so you will be able to complete it. Ex: type pkzip -r -p a:newcom c:\newcom\*.* -x*.cfg and then... You can't remember how to enable the maximum compression rate! Type F1, Newcom will run PKZIP /? and reput the command line, so you just have to type -ex and it's ok!

Don't panic if you make a mistake! (Like typing ESC or up arrow when you have typed a long command line), just press Ctrl+Backspace and you will cancel the last changes. You can set the number of Undos up to 200.

You can use the mouse for copy/paste, like with Linux's GPM.

Use Ctrl+PgUp and Ctrl+PgDown to move trought the 40 lkast visited directories.

Fast search in the command history with F8.

With Ctrl+S, save the current command line, and after you can recall it with Ctrl+P.

Newcom automatically save the command history when you quit Newcom, when you run the BOOT command or when you press the F2 key, so your history will be keep the next time you boot.

...

New commands/utilities:

LS, the Newcom DIR command use colors and more powerfull filter (for example: LS *A will display all the file wich end by A, like under Linux), ...

CALC is a built-in calculator. Type 2+1 [ENTER] and CALC will says that the result is 3 (Whaoou!). CALC can evaluate more complex expressions, with brackets and a lot of maths functions.

FIND can search on your hrad drive(s) file with time, date, size, type, attribute or name filters.

DF display the status of all your hard drives.

CP is a better COPY command (file splitting, progression indicator, can copy hidden files, ...)

MOVE works now with only one parameter (like COPY does on the nromal DOS).

DUMP writes a part of the screen (or the full one) to an ASCII file.

New functions in the prompt (colors, real-time clock/date, free space, ...)

PUSHD, POPD and SWAPD allow you to use a directory stack, like under Linux.

LOCK lock your computer, waiting for a password.

CD and PUSHD accpet Unix-like dierctories (with a / instead of \).

CD and CP are able to create directories. This function is recursive: GAMES\QUAKE can be created even if GAMES doesn't exist.
BOOT (or REBOOT) run the shutdown sequence: save history, flush disk caches and reboot computer,

STATUS display information on general system status.

...

And more....

Newcom is TOTALLY FREE!!!! It is diffused in Freeware and can be used and copied freely... (of course, I won't refuse anything if you want to give me something),

An integrated anti-virus control check if your systems files and the Newcom files aren't modified...

The "Track Space" writes the free space of your current disk,

The "Track Commands" function can save the commands you type, with the date and the time,

The hypertext help can be accessed in two keys (Alt+F1),

Newcom use less than 900K of drive space... So why not try it?

...

Screen shots

The Newcom startup in a Windows box... It works!!!

The Newcom SETUP: set your keys shortcuts and configure Newcom...

PUSHD, POPD and SWAPD working.

In this screen:

Just type Ctrl+TAB to see:

Now, you just have to choose...

Space Tracker detects than 16K have been used by the two directories GAMES et QUAKE.

LS working...
In the first time, we display all the file in the ROOT who end by G, and after all the text files in the current directory. (/t* means only text files).

With LS you can make the display scroll like you want (line per line, ...)

Here, FIND display the biggest files on all my hard drives.

Just press Ctrl+D to have this Pop-Up window.

Click here to download Newcom:

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Copyright (c) The Kilobug Team, 1998-99
Contacts: kilobug@freesurf.fr