Welcome 1

Operating System Features 1

Shell Features 1

Using this Manual 2

Documentation Conventions 3

Related Documentation 3

Selecting an Interface - Chapter 1 5

Choosing Your Interface 5

Workbench Users 6

Shell Users 6

Understanding the AmigaDOS Shell - Chapter 2 7

About the Shell 7

Opening Shell Windows 8

Closing Shell windows 8

Using the Shell 8

Command Line Editing and Control 10

Using the Command History 11

Copying and Pasting 12

Working with the Shell 14

Working With AmigaDOS - Chapter 3 15

Managing Files, Directories, and Disks 15

File System Terms 15

File Management 16

Devices 16

Directories 17

Files 17

.Info Files 18

Naming Conventions 18

Keywords 19

Command Line Basics 19

Files, Programs, Commands, and Scripts 19

Files 19

Programs 19

Commands 19

Scripts 20

Search Path 20

Current Directory 21

Types of Commands 21

AmigaDOS Command Structure 22

Special AmigaDOS Characters 23

Command Line Characters 24

Pattern Matching 25

Wildcard Characters 25

Redirection 26

Angle Brackets 27

Running Programs 28

Running Programs in the Background 29

Refining Your AmigaDOS Environment 29

Using the Editors - Chapter 4 31

ED 31

Starting ED 32

Using ED 32

Immediate Commands 33

Moving the Cursor in Immediate Mode 33

Inserting Text in Immediate Mode 34

Deleting Text in Immediate Mode 34

Changing Case in Immediate Mode 35

Extended Commands 35

Using String Delimiters 35

Using a File Requester 35

ED Menus 36

Enabling Expanded Menus 36

Project Menu 38

Edit Menu 38

Movement Menu 39

Search Menu 39

Settings Menu 40

Set FN Key 41

Example Script 41

Special Key Mappings 41

Command Menu 43

Other ED Commands 43

Program Control 43

Cursor Control 44

Modifying Text 44

Repeating Commands in Extended Mode 44

Customizing ED 45

Set Menu Item 45

Example Script 46

Printing From ED 47

Quitting ED 47

ARexx Support 48

ED/ARexx Example Program 49

MEmacs 50

Starting MEmacs 51

MEmacs Commands 51

Menu Commands 53

Project Menu 54

Edit Menu 55

Window Menu 57

Move Menu 57

Line Menu 58

Word Menu 59

Search Menu 59

Extras Menu 60

Commands Not in Menus 62

Customizing MEmacs 63

Quitting MEmacs 64

EDIT 64

Starting EDIT 65

EDIT Commands 65

Selecting the Current Line 66

Editing the Current Line 66

Inserting and Deleting Lines 66

Editing Line Windows 67

Splitting and Joining Lines 68

Renumbering Lines 69

Verifying Lines 69

Inspecting the Source File 70

Making Global Changes 70

Changing Command, Input, and Output Files 71

Ending EDIT 73

Using Scripts - Chapter 5 74

Understanding Scripts 74

Kinds of Scripts 74

When to Use ARexx 75

Simple Scripts 75

Automatic Scripts 75

Special Script Characters 75

Semicolon (;) 75

Back Apostrophe (`) 76

Dollar ($) 76

Double Dollar (<$$>) 76

Question Mark (?) 76

Script Commands 77

Script-Specific Commands 77

Dot Commands 77

Allowing Arguments 78

Substitution 79

Defaults 79

Comments 80

Nesting Commands 80

Interactive Script Files 81

Repeating Commands 82

Ending a Script 82

Condition Flags 82

Debugging Script Files 83

Using Environment Variables 84

Creating Environment Variables 84

AmigaDOS Command Reference - Chapter 6 86

Command Documentation 86

Template 88

Command Listing 89

System Commands 154

Workbench-Related Command Reference - Chapter 7 157

Preferences Editors 157

Commodities Programs 162

Other Workbench-Related Tools and Programs 165

Command Examples - Chapter 8 178

Basic Tasks 178

Opening a Shell Window 178

Running Programs from the Shell 178

Stopping a Program 179

Changing the Current Directory 179

Changing the Search Path 180

Displaying the Contents of a Directory 180

Copying Files and Directories 182

Creating a User-startup File 183

Creating an Assignment 184

Accessing the Expanded ED Menus 185

Working with a Single Shell 185

Attaching Icons 185

Creating Scripts Conveniently 186

Occasional Tasks 186

Creating Aliases To Reduce Keystrokes 187

Customizing NEWSHELL 187

Modifying the Prompt 188

Creating a Custom Ram Disk Icon 188

Deleting Files with Icons 189

Testing Commands 189

Creating a Script to Move Files 190

Deleting with Interactive DIR 191

Generating Scripts with LIST LFORMAT 191

Customizing LITS Output 192

Using ICONX to Run Scripts 192

Preventing Displayable Output From Scripts 192

Entering and Testing ARexx Macros 193

Sorting and Joining Files 193

Advanced Tasks 193

Testing Software Versions 193

Flushing Unused Fonts and Libraries 194

AmigaDOS Loops Using EVAL 194

Using PIPE: 196

Recursive AmigaDOS Command Scripts 196

Error Messages - Appendix A 198
Additional Amiga Directories - Appendix B 202

DEVS: 203

Device Files 204

Other Files 204

Using Mount Files or a MountList 204

Creating a MountFile or MountList Entry 205

S: Directory 207

ED-Startup 207

SPat, DPat 207

PCD 208

L: Directory 208

Aux-Handler 208

Queue-Handler (PIPE:) 209

Port-Handler 209

CrossDOSFileSystem 209

FileSystem_Trans 209

CDFileSystem 210

FONTS: 210

Bitmap Fonts 210

Outline Fonts 210

LIBS: Directory 211

REXX: 211

LOCALE: 212

ENVARC: 212

ENV: 212

CLIPS: 212

T: 212

Classes 213

C: 213

Using Floppy-Only Systems - Appendix C 214

Making Commands Resident 214

Preloading Resources 214

Using ASSIGN's PATH Option 215

Removing Files From Your Workbench Disk 215

Files You Can Delete 215

Files To Avoid Deleting 216

Using the Ram Disk 216

Copying From One Disk to Another 217

Recoverable Ram Disk 217

Bootable RAD: 217

Advanced AmigaDOS Features - Appendix D 219

Customizing the Window 219

Public Screens - PUBSCREEN Option 219

Customizing the Shell 219

Using Aliases 219

Changing the Prompt 220

Using Escape Sequences 220

Customizing Startup Files 222

Editing Startup Files 223

Common Additions to the Startup Files 224

Using PIPE: 224

Glossary 226