An MS-DOS like command line interface for the Commodore 128 equipped with at least a Commodore drive and a REU of 256K.

USE THIS PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN RISK!

I'LL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY KIND OF DAMAGE THAT COULD BE CAUSED BY THIS PGM.

• Support for REU up to 16MB;
• Support for 10 aliases;
• Support for local variables;
• Support up to 4 drives;
• Can be localized;
• Copy or delete files with wildcard support;
• Rename files (no wildcard support);
• Format, relabel or copy disk;
• Show file content;
• Read or write d64/d71/d81 images;
• Read directory and copy MS-DOS files with burst support to and from a CBM (no wildcard support, no subdirectories support and only with at least a 1571);
• Can make an external command resident for the shell;
• Can execute batch files;
• Can mount or dismount disk images on UltimateII cart;
• Can get or put files to a remote host with a simple .js server;
• Can copy to and from UltimateII cart USB sticks/CBM peripheral;
• Can get, set or sync the internal clock with the one on the UltimateII cart;
• Can go back to the shell once gone to basic;
• Can use any bank of the REU;
• Can use a (provided) ROM to make it available on cold boot without any disk with an U2 cart

Everything not listed in this document! :)

The shell system disk is an autoboot disk, so you can simply insert it into the drive 8: and turn on the c128. The program "warmboot.prg" will be loaded and executed automatically, and if it find a previous installation on the REU, it will resume from there, otherwise will load the "loader.prg" for a cold boot. The boot process by default will install the shell in the first 4 banks of the REU.

In the beginning of a the cold boot process, TheShell will look for a SEQ file named "autoconfig.cfg". If found, it will be loaded and parsed for some customization properties. If you want to skip this file, press the Commodore key while booting.

(This customizations will be resumed on every warm boot.)

After loaded all the files, it will look for a SEQ file named "autostart". This file, just like an autoexec.bat, is a simple batch command that will be executed if found. If you want to skip this file just press the Shift key while booting.

Once finished loading, you should find yourself in an MS-DOS like environment, with a prompt and a cursor.

Here you can use one of the following internal commands:

Anything that contains a blank must be enclosed inside double quotes, so for example, if you want to copy the file named "Test file" from the drive 8: to drive 9:, you can write:

COPY "8:Test file" 9:

Or you want to run a program on the current drive named "Test Program", you should write:

"TEST PROGRAM"

If a typed command is not recognized as an internal or resident one, the shell will try to load it from the current drive.

You can specify the type of the file you're referring by adding:

• P for PRG;
• S for SEQ;
• R for REL;

so for example if you want to search on a disk for all the SEQUENTIAL files only, you can write something like:

DIR *,s

This command will show only the sequential files. In the same way you can copy all the sequential files by simply writing: COPY *,s 9:

If you want to use a special non printable char, you can print the char $ followed by a 3 digit number indicating the ascii code of the character you want to print.

Syntax: PROMPT [string]

This command is used to customize the prompt of the shell. The prompt will be se to the string passed as parameter, or to "$p$g" if no parameters.

Syntax: VER

Show the version of TheShell.

Syntax: DATE [date]

Show and set the current date (DD-MM-YYYY). If no parameters it will ask the current date, and if valid will set it.

Syntax: TIME [time]

Show and set the current time (HH:MM.SS). If no parameters it will ask the current date, and if valid will set it.

Syntax: BREAK [on|off]

Show and set the current break flag. If this flag is on a batch can be interrupted with a CTRL+C or RUN/STOP key.

Syntax: ECHO on|off|string

Show and set the current echo flag. If this flag is set the prompt will be shown and in a batch every executed row will be shown on screen. The echo command will show the string parameter. If you want to print a non printable character, just insert a $ char and a 3 digit number corresponding to the ASCII code you want to show. If you want to show an empty row, just write ECHO.

Syntax: COPY [drive:]sourcefile drive:[destinationfile][,filetype] [/NR/R/Q/MV]

Copy files from a source disk to a destination disk.

Examples:

• COPY 8:*,*
• COPY 9:TEST,P 10:TEST,S
• COPY 10:TEST,S 11:

Syntax: SET VARNAME=[VARVALUE]

This command will set an environment variable. If the value of the variable contains any space, all the parameter must be inside double quotes, so if you want to set a variable name "VarName" with a value of "Test value", you should write:

SET "VarName=Test value"

If you want to refer to any defined variable you should specify a the variable name enclosed inside a '%', so for example, if you want to copy the file defined in the variable "VarName" to the drive 9:, you should write:

COPY %VarName% 9:

If you want to clear a variable, you can write something like this:

SET VarName=

There's some system environment variables that are readonly.

RC       	Is the return code of the last command;
CD		Is the current drive;
COLS		Is the number of columns of the current display;
SPEED		Is the current cpu speed;
VMODE		Is the current video display (VDC or VIC);

Syntax: IF %VARNAME% ==|<>|<|>|NOT EXISTS|EXISTS COMMAND

This command will execute the command if the condition is true. A space before and after the operator is needed.

Syntax: HISTORY

This command will show the last 10 commands.

Syntax: CLS

This command will clear the screen.

Syntax: STATUS drive:

This command will show the status of the selected drive.

Syntax: PAUSE

This command will simply wait for a key pressed.

Syntax: DEL [drive:]filename [/Y]

This command will delete one or more files, if /Y is specified, no confirm will be asked. This command can accept wildcards.

Syntax: TYPE [drive:]filename

This command will show the contents of a file.

Syntax: RENAME oldfilename newfilename

This command will rename a file.

Syntax: DIR [drive:][wildcard pattern] [/W/P]

This command will show the directory of a disk according to the wildcard pattern if present.

Syntax: CMD drive: drivecommand

This command is used to send a command to a drive.

Syntax: BASIC

This command will take the user to the basic prompt. If you want to goback to TheShell, simply write GOBACK or GO + ShiftB.

Syntax: VOL [drive:]

This command will show the label of the disk in the specified drive.

Syntax: RESIDENT [ADD|REMOVE [drive:]filename [/F/NE/NH/O:xxxx/B:xxx/N:NAME/T:TYPE]]

This command will load any file you specify on a REU bank, or, without any parameter, show the currently resident commands. When you load a file, if no bank is specified (/B:), TheShell will load the file on the first available bank within the wanted range (if specified in the autoconfig.cfg).

If you try to make resident a pgm with the same name of an already resident one, if no /F is specified TheShell will ask you to confirm the overwrite of the bank.

When TheShell load a file onto a bank, it will write a header on top of the bank, in order to make it recognizable by TheShell. This can be avoided specifying the /NH flag, but this will prevent TheShell to recognize it, so it will not be show in the list of resident files and could be overwritten by TheShell when looking for an available bank.

The /NE flag is self explanatory, and it will load the file only if not already present.

The /N: flag will specify the name under it will be recognized by TheShell.

The /T: flag is usefull if you want to load a file that is not an executable one, for example the HELP command can use the HELP.HLP file resident on the REU.

Syntax: ALIAS ALIAS=COMMAND

This command make an alias for a command string.

Syntax: WHY

This command will show the last error code set by the last executed command.

Syntax: EXIT [/Y] [/D]

The flag /D is for invalidate the current installation on the REU. This command will exit TheShell and reboot the computer, if /Y is specified, no confirmation will be asked.

Syntax: LABEL drive: label

This command will relabel a disk.

If you want to warm boot directly to TheShell when you power or reset on you C128, you've to burn the provided ROM to a 27C256 eprom. The ROM contains a combined version of the loader and wamboot, that will cold boot or warm boot to TheShell.

Once the ROM is installed, you can:

• Power on or reset the C128 while pressing a key from 1 to 4 (corresponding to drive 8 to 11) for a cold boot of TheShell from the selected drive.
• Power on or reset the C128 while pressing the shift key to prevent a warm boot to TheShell if present on the REU.

If you power on or reset the C128 with TheShell loaded on the REU without pressing any of the above key, the ROM will take you directly to TheShell prompt, preserving all the aliases and vars.

If you've an Ultimate II cart, you can, once loaded TheShell on the REU, save the REU content, and set the image just saved for preload. This will make TheShell available even after a cold boot. You could notice a small delay between the power on and the start of TheShell, this is because (I believe) the preloaded image of the REU take some times to be available.