DosLynx version 0.44 Beta Release Information

Contents:

• Introduction
• System Requirements
• Obtaining DosLynx
• Supplied Files
• Installing DosLynx
• Configuring DosLynx
• Environment Settings
• Code Page 850 Cook Book
• Command Line Options
• Using DosLynx
• Special Notes on Usage
• New DosLynx Features
• Removed DosLynx Features
• Distributing DosLynx
• Credits

Introduction

DosLynx is a hypertext browser with World Wide Web capabilities. It is now offered in both 16-bit and 32-bit Protected Mode variations or versions, as well as in its traditional Real Mode version.

This file provides information about installing, configuring, and using all three DosLynx v0.44b variations or versions.

DosLynx is copyrighted by the University of Kansas and is free for instructional and research educational use. Non-educational use will be licensed at a later date.

DosLynx v0.44b is available in EXEcutable form.

System Requirements

The known system requirements, for the Real Mode version, are:

CPU

8086/8088 compatible.

Memory

512 kilobytes free, or more, recommended.

DOS

Version 3.0 or later, required.

Hard Drive

Two megabytes free, or more, recommended.

Monitor

Monochrome, Black and White, and Color supported.

Graphics capability

Optional.

Mouse

Optional.

Network

None, or Class 1 (Ethernet) Packet Driver connected to a TCP/IP network. You may, of course, emulate a Class 1 Packet Driver if you have the required software for your particular system (i.e.: PPP, ODI, SLIP, etc).

 

CPU

80286 or later, for the 16-bit Protected Mode version.

80386 or later, for the 32-bit Protected Mode version.

Memory

4 MB or more, for the 16-bit Protected Mode version.

6 MB or more, for the 32-bit Protected Mode version. (It should run, with reduced memory available for data, on a 4 MB PC.)

DOS

Any version that can be fitted with a DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI) service. The document: DPMIREVU.HTM, included in the DosLynx Protected Mode Add-On Package, provides more information on DPMI serving software that has been tested with DosLynx.

Obtaining DosLynx

DosLynx will be updated periodically as new changes are made to the application.

Supplied Files

BETAHYPE.TXT

An early note (pre)announcing a DosLynx beta, from Garrett Arch Blythe.

DEHEAD.EXE

A simple utility program for making headerless copies of local files written by the DosLynx File|Open URL... (with its Download button), File|Save Source, and Navigate|Download Selection menu entries.

DLXVIEW.BAT

A sample Batch File "wrapper" for a graphics viewer.

DOSLYNX.BA_

A sample Batch File "wrapper" for DosLynx.

DOSLYNX.CFG

A sample DosLynx v0.4xb configuration file.

DOSLYNX.EXE

The DosLynx v0.44b Real Mode executable.

ERROR.HTM

The default DosLynx HTML error page.

FCMEMADR.GIF

A graphic containing Fred C. Macall's e-mail address.

HISTORY.TXT

A report on the major changes made to bring DosLynx from version 0.43b to version 0.44b.

HOTLIST.HTM

The default DosLynx HTML Hotlist.

INFO.HTM

The DosLynx v0.44b Quick Start Home Page.

KEYS.TXT

A table of Short-Cut Keys for the DosLynx menus.

NEWSURLS.HTM

A description of the News URLs accepted by DosLynx since version 0.22 beta.

README.HTM

The HTML equivalent of this file.

README.TXT

The text equivalent of this file.

TCPINFO.EXE

A simple utility program for reporting on your WATTCP.CFG or DOSLYNX.CFG file(s). This report includes results for BOOTP or (E)DHCP if/when they are specified in the configuration.

 

CWSDPMI.DOC

Documentation for CWSDPMI.EXE.

CWSDPMI.EXE

A 32-bit DPMI server that DosLynxS likes.

DOSLYNXP.BA_

A sample Batch File "wrapper" for DosLynxP.

DOSLYNXS.BA_

A sample Batch File "wrapper" for DosLynxS.

DOSLYNXP.EXE

The DosLynx v0.44b 16-bit Protected Mode executable.

DOSLYNXS.EXE

The DosLynx v0.44b 32-bit Protected Mode executable.

DPMIREVU.HTM

A review of DPMI serving software that has been tested with DosLynx.

EMU387.DXE

A float arithmetic emulator, needed by DOSLYNXS.EXE on PCs that lack a Numeric Processing Extension.

GO32-V2.EXE

A tool for checking your 32-bit DPMI server setup.

Installing DosLynx

Obtain a copy of the DosLynx Traditional Real Mode Package and place it in an appropriately named directory on your hard drive. We'll refer to this as your "DosLynx Directory". If your system can provide DPMI service, you also may obtain a copy of the DosLynx Protected Mode Add-On Package and place it in your DosLynx Directory, as well.

C:\DOSINET>PKUNZIP DLX44BIN.ZIP
from your DOS prompt in your DosLynx Directory.

C:\DOSINET>PKUNZIP DLX44BPM.ZIP
as well, if you have obtained DLX44BPM.ZIP.

The supplied files should be written into your DosLynx directory. You may now remove the DLX44BIN.ZIP and DLX44BPM.ZIP file(s) from the directory, if you wish, by entering the command(s)
C:\DOSINET>DEL DLX44BIN.ZIP
and, if appropriate,
C:\DOSINET>DEL DLX44BPM.ZIP

DEHEAD requires little installation attention. However, if you choose not to include your DosLynx directory in your PATH environment, you may want to copy DEHEAD.EXE to a directory that is listed in your PATH. So you'll have it handy at all times.

TCPINFO tries to read WATTCP.CFG or DOSLYNX.CFG from its own directory. So, it should be included in any directory(s), such as your DosLynx directory, where you have copy(s) of those .CFG file(s) for it to read.

EMU387.DXE isn't needed and may be DEL(eted) if your PC has a Numeric Processing Extension or float arithmetic hardware. Otherwise, keep EMU387.DXE in the directory where you keep DOSLYNXS.EXE.

Configuring DosLynx

Fred's DOS Hardware How To expands on tvdog's discussion of the problem of finding a modern dial-up modem compatible with DOS software. And, Fred's DOS Internet Software How To provides links to two popular Ethernet Packet Driver emulating PPP software packages. Fred also has tips and links for PC dial-up modem and serial port configuration and checking.

On the other hand, if you have high speed Internet service, you will need an Ethernet card for connecting with it. And, a DOS Packet Driver for that Ethernet card. If you are unable to find a DOS Packet Driver for your Ethernet card, a DOS ODI Driver (for NetWare) or a DOS NDIS or NDIS v2 Driver may save the day. Either of these may be "shimmed" to make a software "stack" that looks and behaves like a DOS Packet Driver. If you have a choice, you are likely to find the ODI Driver based approach preferable. The following two paragraphs sketch these two approaches.

ODIPKT.COM, together with LSL.COM and a NET.CFG file, may be used to make an ODI Driver look like a DOS Packet Driver. (The ODI Driver, itself, is likely to be a .COM file.) These components may be specified in a .BAT file to be run when you are ready to use the resulting Packet Driver. Once your .BAT file has become "stable", you may add a CALL, to it, from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, if you like. ODIPKT.COM v3.1 is available from Dan Lanciani, in his ODIPKT.ZIP package. A suitable LSL.COM may be found, as LSL.CO_, in the DR-DOS v7.03 package. Diskette image files for installing DR-DOS v7.03 may be found by following link(s) from: http://www.drdos.net/download.htm . You use DISKCOPY.COM to copy such image file(s) onto diskette(s). Then, you use the DR-DOS PNUNPACK.EXE utility to unpack LSL.CO_ into LSL.COM. PNUNPACK.EXE is found in DR-DOS v7.03 DISK01.144. LSL.CO_ is found in DISK03.144.

DIS_PKT.DOS, together with PROTMAN.DOS, PROTMAN.EXE, NETBIND.COM, and a PROTOCOL.INI file, may be used to make a DOS NDIS or NDIS v2 Driver look like a DOS Packet Driver. (The DOS NDIS or NDIS v2 Driver, itself, is likely to be a .DOS file. DOS NDIS Drivers are not to be confused with the NDIS v3, NDIS v4, and higher numbered NDIS Driver versions provided for Windows systems. The Windows NDIS Drivers are likely to be .SYS files.) PROTMAN.DOS, your DOS NDIS Driver, and DIS_PKT.DOS are specified, on DEVICE= . . . lines, in your CONFIG.SYS file. You place these .DOS files, together with NETBIND.COM, PROTMAN.EXE, and your PROTOCOL.INI file, in a directory specified on the CONFIG.SYS line for PROTMAN.DOS. You run NETBIND.COM when you are ready to use the Packet Driver that results from all this software. A NETBIND.COM call may be placed in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, if you like. DIS_PKT.DOS v1.11 is available from Dan Lanciani, in his DIS_PKT.ZIP package. Suitable PROTMAN.DOS and PROTMAN.EXE components may be found, as PROTMAN.DO_ and PROTMAN.EX_, in the "Microsoft Network Client 3.0" package. This package includes a suitable NETBIND.COM file, as well. This package was distributed widely in the \CLIENTS\MSCLIENT directory of the Microsoft Windows NT4-Server CD-ROM. You use EXPAND.EXE, also included in the package, to expand PROTMAN.DO_ and PROTMAN.EX_ into PROTMAN.DOS and PROTMAN.EXE. All of these files are found in the package's DSK3-1.EXE file.

There are lots of Web sites with more information on these arrangements. You'll probably need to consult some of them in order to see how to prepare a suitable NET.CFG or PROTOCOL.INI file. Use searches like:
+dos +lsl.com +odi +driver
or
+dos +protman.dos +ndis +driver
to find them.

If you want to use the DosLynx e-mail client, will your ISP require the use of SMTP AUTH LOGIN for relaying your e-mail? If so, you will need to provide base64 encoded versions of your e-mail ID and password. One method for performing the base64 encoding needed is explained in:
http://macall.net/PMSMTP.TXT .
Look for the section headed: Base64-Encoding. Everything PMSMTP.TXT says about configuring PMSMTP for SMTP AUTH LOGIN applies directly to DosLynx, with just two exceptions: The DosLynx configuration file is named DOSLYNX.CFG, rather than PMSMTP.CFG. And, base64 encoded password data to be given on the command line is prefixed with /S for DosLynx, while left unadorned for PMSMTP.

PMSMTP.TXT's detailed procedure for base64 encoding is stated in terms of use of the Pegasus e-mail client. However, if you won't be using the Pegasus package for e-mail, you may find the DOS MPACK program a more convenient alternative. It is available in a small package from:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/packages/ccic/software/dos/networking/mpack15d.zip
or
https://www.chebucto.ns.ca/software/dos/compression/mpack15d.zip .

Once you have decided on your communications arrangement and determined the needed TCP/IP parameter(s), edit the DosLynx configuration file, named DOSLYNX.CFG, with any text editor. Work through each keyword and provide the appropriate value. Ample configuration instructions are included in the sample configuration file supplied. Once finished, save the modified file as ASCII text. The Real Mode and Protected Mode versions of DosLynx all share your DOSLYNX.CFG file. Comments indicate where a few configuration options are ignored by the Protected Mode versions. The rest of the options apply for all three DosLynx versions. A
TCPINFO DLX ALL
command may be used to get a more-or-less comment-free view of your DOSLYNX.CFG file.

If you wish to save your Hotlist, which you've used with an old version of DosLynx, make sure you don't overlay it with the new one from the release package. The easiest thing to do is to rename it before installing a new DosLynx release. If necessary, simply change the hotlist= specification in the configuration file to point to your renamed Hotlist file.

If you expect to be receiving at least an occasional graphic file, you'll want to tailor DLXVIEW.BAT to your situation. Whenever you receive or reference a .BMP, .GIF, .JPG, .PCX, .PNG, or .TIF file, DosLynx will call DLXVIEW.BAT with the full name of the graphic file. You specify the name of your graphics viewer and any parameter(s) it needs in DLXVIEW.BAT.

If you have an 8088 based PC with a Hercules monochrome graphics adapter, you may have to dig deep to find a viewer that can display .JPGs. Two that work fairly well (though, slowly on older machines) are: DMGIF v1.2 and 2SHOW v2.04. These are both shareware viewers.

If you have a '286 based, '386 based, or more recent PC and/or a CGA, EGA, VGA, or more recent video adapter, you'll find progressively more viewers to try out. One that works well for limited machines with at least a CGA adapter is LXPIC v7.3. LXPIC is a freeware viewer. The sample DLXVIEW.BAT file provided invokes LXPIC on a machine with an SVGA card. To minimize complication(s) when using the DosLynx Protected Mode versions, you'll do well to avoid viewers that (also) use Protected Mode. LXPIC is a good choice from this standpoint, too. However, it should be possible to use a Protected Mode viewer with a register size matching the DosLynx Protected Mode version's register size. Or, vice versa. That is, if your favorite viewer is a 32-bit Protected Mode program, use only the DosLynx Real Mode or 32-bit Protected Mode versions with it, to maintain compatibility. Once you have your DLXVIEW.BAT working well, you'll probably want to put a copy of it in a directory listed in your PATH environment variable.

It turns-out that there is a way to use a viewer like LXPIC on an 8088 based system with only a Hercules monochrome graphics adapter! To do that, you'll need Hercules based Color Graphics Adapter Emulation software. One Emulator that works well, with LXPIC on an 8088 based PC, is HGCIBM v2.02. This is a shareware package. The LXPIC/HGCIBM combination delivers image quality comparable to 2SHOW v2.04's. But, it requires only about half as long to prepare each image! Use LXPIC's /R5 command line option, in your DLXVIEW.BAT file, to adapt LXPIC to the emulated CGA display's pixel aspect ratio. To maintain the Hercules adapter's excellent text quality between image displays, you also may want to keep HGCIBM resident but disabled most of the time. In that case, add a command enabling HGCIBM, to the beginning of your DLXVIEW.BAT file. Then, end it with a command disabling HGCIBM, again.

Of the three viewers discussed here, only 2SHOW v2.04 is able to display .PNG files. So, you may be tempted to use it together with, say, LXPIC. Unfortunately, 2SHOW v2.04 may be hard to use together with another viewer. Because, display timing differences between your two viewers may require you to continually readjust your monitor for stability, with each viewer. If this isn't an issue with your monitor, you might extend your DLXVIEW.BAT file to select among your viewers. On the basis of whether a .PNG file is to be displayed, or not.

Environment Settings

C:\DOSINET>SET
will display all of your specified Environment variable settings, if any. Once you've decided how you want to specify these variables, you may add SET commands for them to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. For example:

SET TMP=C:\WIN95\TEMP
SET TZ=EST5EDT

DosLynx refers to the following DOS Environment variables:

387

DosLynxS may probe your PC for a Numeric Processing Extension (NPX) or float arithmetic unit, upon attempting to fetch an https (or, SSL) URL. Apparently, this may be problematic on a few PCs lacking an NPX. You may SET 387=N to declare that your PC has no NPX and prevent that probing. In this case, a copy of EMU387.DXE should be located in the same directory as DOSLYNXS.EXE. Or, the EMU387 Environment variable should be SET to specify the full path to EMU387.DXE. 387 is ignored by the DosLynx 16-bit versions. If 387=N isn't specified, DosLynxS may probe for an NPX as described above.

 

COMSPEC

DosLynx refers to COMSPEC when it needs to know the full PATH and name for your shell or command interpreter. This is needed when "shelling out to DOS" and when invoking DLXVIEW to display a graphics file. COMSPEC may be altered by means of a SET command, as explained above. However, it usually gets set as a side effect of a SHELL= line in your CONFIG.SYS file. If COMSPEC is unspecified, DosLynx will use: command.com .

 

EMU387

DosLynxS may look for EMU387.DXE, when it attempts to fetch an https (or, SSL) URL, if it determines that your PC lacks an NPX or float arithmetic unit. EMU387 may be set with the full path to EMU387.DXE, to specify its location. Otherwise, if EMU387 isn't set, DosLynxS looks for EMU387.DXE in the same directory as DOSLYNXS.EXE. EMU387 is ignored by the DosLynx 16-bit versions.

 

HOME

DosLynx refers to HOME when accessing documents or files via ftp. HOME may be used to specify the first directory in DOS PATH(s) that provide local mirror(s), on your system, for other ftp sites. The DOS PATH(s) developed are as follows:

 

home/WWW/ftp/host/path

 

Where: home is the value of the HOME Environment variable, and ftp, host, and path come from the ftp://host/path URL being accessed. These DOS PATHs get delivered to DOS Interrupt 0x21 functions 0x4300 (Get File Attributes) and 0x3D (Open File with Handle) calls. In at least some versions of DOS, these functions don't mind treating those (forward) slashes the same as back slashes.

 

If HOME is unspecified, DosLynx will use /tmp for the home portion of the DOS PATHs shown above. ftp:// . . . URLs will get accessed via TCP/IP, as expected, if any part(s) of their DOS PATHs, developed as shown above, are missing on your system.

 

TMP

DosLynx refers to TMP when developing temporary file names. It attempts to develop names that don't duplicate any of the file name(s) already present in the directory given by TMP. Though it seems to duplicate the tempdir= configuration file option, you normally assign the complete path and name of your temporary directory, without a trailing back slash, to TMP. An example is given above, near the beginning of this section.

 

TZ

DosLynx refers to TZ to determine the time zone offset field it adds to the end of the Date: . . . header line on each e-mail that you send. Beginning with DosLynx v0.27b, the TZ Environment variable is expected to have an EST5EDT style value. More generally, this will be a value of the form: tzn[+/-]h[h][dtn]

 

Where:

 

tzn is a three character abbreviation for your Time Zone's Name.

 

h or hh is the difference between Greenwich Mean Time and your time zone's standard time, in Hours. This value is negative for time zones east of Greenwich.

 

dtn is an optional three character abbreviation for your Daylight saving Time zone Name. Specify this part only if your time zone makes a one hour shift, for the summer, on a schedule matching that used in the United States, before 2007. On this schedule, clocks were advanced an hour on the morning of the first Sunday of April, each year. And, they were set back an hour on the morning of the last Sunday of October, each year. If dtn is present, DosLynx will adjust the time zone offset field it develops, accordingly, while daylight saving time is in effect. If you have a daylight saving time shift that doesn't match the old U.S. schedule, you'll have to leave dtn out of your TZ value. Then, you'll have to adjust your SET TZ= command twice a year, when you change your local time. For example: If you used to use SET TZ=EST5EDT, in the U.S.: You'll now use SET TZ=EDT4 in the spring and summer and SET TZ=EST5 in the fall and winter.

 

If TZ is left unspecified, the time zone offset field will be developed as if TZ=EST5EDT were specified.

 

USER

DosLynx may refer to USER when accessing an ftp:// . . . URL that doesn't include a userid field. That is, when accessing a simple ftp://host/path style URL. In this case, if the ftp host requests a user id, DosLynx will respond with a USER anonymous command. And, if the ftp host requests a password, DosLynx will respond with a PASS user@ command. Where, user is the value of the USER Environment variable. If USER isn't specified, PASS WWWuser@ will be sent.

 

WWW_access_GATEWAY

DosLynx may refer to WWW_access_GATEWAY when accessing an access type URL. Where, access may be file, ftp, http, or news. For ftp and http type URLs, this only occurs if no matching proxy server is configured in DOSLYNX.CFG. (So, any ftp_proxy= and/or http_proxy= configuration option specified overrides any WWW_ftp_GATEWAY and/or WWW_http_GATEWAY Environment specification.) WWW_access_GATEWAY may be set to specify a proxy server in the same way that DOSLYNX.CFG's ftp_proxy= and http_proxy= configuration options do. If WWW_access_GATEWAY is found unspecified for the access type of the URL in process, the URL is accessed without using a proxy server.

The DosLynx 32-bit Protected Mode version's DJGPP/GNU run-time package may refer to the following additional DOS Environment variables: DJGPP, FNCASE, LFN, and TMPDIR. However, DosLynx doesn't intend any use for those, presently. If you set any of them, you might get unexpected results, in one area or other. If you do get unexpected results, you might check to see if any of those variables are defined in your Environment.

Code Page 850 Cook Book

In order for you to be able to see all of the ISO-8859-1 characters properly, your DOS system will have to be using display Code Page 850. Unfortunately, for users in most english speaking countries, your DOS default or hardware display Code Page probably will be 437. You can check your system by entering a CHCP command. If Code Page 850 isn't the default for your system, you will need to install the support for it included in DOS. Fortunately, in that case, Code Page 850 will be the "alternate" for your system's country or language. That means that you may install it, for your display and/or printer, without changing or adding anything else to your system's country or language settings. Rest assured that the rendering won't be any worse than it was with early DosLynx versions, if you choose not to install Code Page 850 support on your system.

To install display Code Page 850, you will need an EGA, Hercules Plus, or better display adapter, and the DOS files DISPLAY.SYS and EGA.CPI. (There may not be any way to provide Code Page 850 support with MDA, Hercules, and CGA display adapters.) First, you'll need to add DISPLAY.SYS to your CONFIG.SYS file, with a line like the following:

DEVICE=C:\DOSDIR\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,437,1)

You use EGA in that line for any EGA or better display adapter. Use your system's actual path to DISPLAY.SYS and default Code Page number, if they aren't C:\DOSDIR\ and 437. You may need Hercules provided software for doing this with the Hercules Plus, and later, line of display adapters.

Once you have DISPLAY.SYS installed, you will be able to issue the following three MODE commands:

MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((850)C:\DOSDIR\EGA.CPI)
MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=850
MODE [CON [CODEPAGE]]

Of course, these commands may be added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, once you get comfortable with them. The MODE . . . PREPARE= command provides the setup needed for loading the Code Page 850 support. Again, the C:\DOSDIR\ part in that may need adjustment for your system. The MODE . . . SELECT= command actually loads it into your display adapter. (This command may be modified in the obvious way and reissued to restore the default Code Page number mentioned in the DEVICE= . . . DISPLAY.SYS line.) This treatment may not change your CHCP command's result. So, use a MODE CON CODEPAGE, MODE CON, or even a bare MODE command, to check your display's setup, once you have DISPLAY.SYS installed.

If your printer is an IBM LaserPrinter, Proprinter, Quietwriter, or compatible, its setup for Code Page 850 resembles that described above for the display. You'll need to install PRINTER.SYS in CONFIG.SYS and MODE . . . PREPARE= the appropriate one of DOS's nnnn.CPI files. You use PRN or LPTn, as appropriate, in place of CON in the commands shown above. Also, substitute the printer's four digit type number for EGA in those commands. Otherwise, consult your printer's documentation for the arrangements it uses for supporting Code Page 850.

Command Line Options

/B

This switch will hide the clock, socket activity, free temporary disk space, and free heap memory space numbers and the Messages window for the duration of the current DosLynx session. This option was added to provide a way to keep the screen uncluttered for blind users, as those changing numbers and messages cause some problems with screen readers. Other users may appreciate the uncluttered screen, too.

 

/U

This switch will hide the clock, free temporary disk space, and free heap memory space numbers for the duration of the current DosLynx session. As it doesn't do away with the socket activity number and the Messages window, /U operation seems much closer to normal operation than to /B operation. One reason for using the /U switch might be to avoid the sluggish performance that may result from having to use DosLynx with its temporary directory located on a drive with removable media. A drive such as a diskette or Zip drive. These drives may be slow to respond to the repeated getdfree( ) calls that DosLynx makes. DosLynx uses these calls to maintain the free temporary disk space number at the bottom of the display. That slowness is what may make DosLynx sluggish. Both /B and /U let DosLynx skip its getdfree( ) calls and avoid that sluggishness.

 

/P

This is the most important command line option. If you will be executing DosLynx from a directory other than the one you installed it in, you must use the /P option. /P specifies the directory in which DosLynx will find its configuration file DOSLYNX.CFG and the errorhtml file ERROR.HTM. If you installed DosLynx in the directory C:\DLX, then you should use the /P option as follows:

 

C:\DOSINET>doslynx /PC:\DLX

To avoid having to retype the /P option every time you use DosLynx, create a DOS batch file specifying the /P option and place the batch file in a directory specified in your DOS PATH environment variable. The supplied DOSLYNX.BA_ file provides an example of this technique. You may: COPY it into a directory on your PATH. RENAME it DOSLYNX.BAT. And, edit it for your situation. Once you have the /P option being specified routinely, you will be free to start DosLynx from any directory where you want to access or save files. That will greatly simplify your interactions with the local file dialogs.

 

/S

This option was added to DosLynx in version 0.31 beta. It may be used to specify your base64 encoded e-mail password, for the e-mail client's use in performing SMTP AUTH LOGIN authentication. It overrides or replaces the b64passw= configuration file option. Specifying this secret on the command line allows it to be kept separate from your DOSLYNX.CFG file in your system. Note that your base64 encoded e-mail password is not to be enclosed in quotes when given in the /S command line option. Here is a sample /S command line option specification:

 

C:\DOSINET>doslynx /SY29kZmljaGU=

To avoid having to retype the /S option every time you use DosLynx, you may want to add it to the DOSLYNX command in your DOSLYNX.BAT file. Of course, a danger in doing this is that your base64 encoded e-mail password might then be exposed to anyone in a position to study your DOSLYNX.BAT file. The supplied DOSLYNX.BA_ file now includes an example of this technique. Note that an at sign also has been added to the beginning of the DOSLYNX command, in DOSLYNX.BA_. That keeps the DOSLYNX command, with your base64 encoded e-mail password, from being displayed while DosLynx is loading.

 

/T

This option specifies the temporary directory where DosLynx will create its temporary files, overriding the tempdir= configuration file option. Note that this path should end with a back slash. If you decide to use the directory C:\TEMP as the place to store temporary files, then you may use /T in the following manner:

 

C:\DOSINET>doslynx /TC:\TEMP\

 

/V

This option tells DosLynx what text mode to begin in, overriding the textmode= configuration file option. /VLOW tells DosLynx to use the 25 row text mode. /VHIGH tells DosLynx to attempt to use the 43 or 50 row text modes available to EGA and VGA compatible video adapters. This setting also may be changed from within DosLynx, after you have started it.

 

/H

This option tells DosLynx if it should load the home page you specified in the configuration file. It overrides the loadhome= configuration file option. /HON tells DosLynx to load the home page on startup. /HOFF tells DosLynx not to load the home page on startup. /HOFF is forced if you also specify a URL on the command line.

 

/L

This option tells DosLynx how many loaded documents to keep in memory before it starts releasing the oldest unviewed file. This overrides the loaded= configuration file option. If decide you want DosLynx to keep the last 5 ready in memory, then you may use the /L option in the following way:

 

C:\DOSINET>doslynx /L5

 

/N

This option tells DosLynx if it should attempt network access. It overrides the networked= configuration file option. To turn off network access, use /NNO. To allow network access, use /NYES. When viewing local files "offline" without a network connection established, specify /NNO to forestall most networking error messages and timeout delays.

 

URL

This command line option is actually a URL that you would like DosLynx to load from the command line. It can be any valid URL that will fit within the 128 character DOS command line length limit. As long as it doesn't contain any special character(s) that have special meanings within DOS commands. Or, it can be a DOS path to a file. Or, simply, a filename within the current directory.

 

If you have a URL that is too long to be specified on the DosLynx command line or contains troublesome character(s), you need to take an indirect approach. You might enter your difficultURL as an anchor, into a short and otherwise empty somename.HTM file. That is, prefix your difficultURL with <A HREF=" . And, suffix it with ">visiblelinktext</A> . So that your somename.HTM file contains:

 

<A HREF="difficultURL">visiblelinktext</A>

 

Then, when you specify somename.HTM on the DosLynx command line, you will be provided with your visiblelinktext as a link to the difficultURL. There is no need for <HTML>, <HEAD>, nor any of the other trappings of a complete HTML file, within your somename.HTM file.

 

When a path or URL is specified on the command line, your home page will not be loaded unless you specify its path or URL, too. To have DosLynx load this document (readme.htm) on startup, execute one of the following commands from the directory in which you installed DosLynx:

 

C:\DOSINET>doslynx readme.htm

 

C:\DOSINET>doslynx file:///readme.htm

Using DosLynx

A user has several ways to activate the DosLynx menus; pressing F10, pressing Alt plus one of the highlighted menu letters, and by a single left button mouse click.

Following are a listing of all menu entries or commands and their functionality. Short-Cut keys are designated for many of the commands, including all of the commands in the File and Navigate menus. These are listed along the right side of each menu. The KEYS.TXT document included in the DosLynx Real Mode Package also provides a list of the Short-Cut keys. In the following headings, menu titles and menu entries are presented side by side, with the '|' character as a separator, and followed by any designated Short-Cut key(s), in parenthesis.

File|Open URL... (F3)

Allows you to directly enter a URL. Once you've entered it, "press" the Open or Download button. (These buttons were introduced in DosLynx version 0.25 beta. Completing your entry with the Enter key is equivalent to pressing the Open button since it is the default button for this dialog. The Open button replaces the OK button previously provided.) DosLynx will attempt to load the specified URL.

 

If the Open button or equivalent is used and the specified document is presentable (such as an HTML or text file), the resulting view will be displayed in a new window. If the specified document is un-presentable (such as an .EXE file) or an image (such as a .BMP, .GIF, .JPG, .PCX, .PNG, or .TIF file), DosLynx will prompt you for a local file name in which to save it. After an image has been saved, DosLynx will swap most of itself out of memory and invoke DLXVIEW to display it. After viewing, use the means provided by your viewer to exit from its display and return to DosLynx.

 

If the Download button is used, DosLynx will attempt to fetch the specified document or file and un-conditionally prompt you for a local file name in which to save it. This operation adds a header or prefix to the local file copy made. It is equivalent to the operation provided by the File|Save Source and Navigate|Download Selection menu entries described below. As described in the paragraph above, un-presentable files get saved in transparent local file copies even when the Open button is used. So, the Download button's main purpose is to avoid the refetch that otherwise would be needed to obtain a local file copy of a presentable document.

 

The File|Open URL... dialog's history contains the last few URL(s) that you've entered. It also may contain URL(s) entered on the DosLynx command line and, since DosLynx v0.29b, URL(s) pasted over from the Navigate|Go To and Navigate|Show Destination URL commands. Beginning with DosLynx v0.41b, URL(s) also may be pasted over from the File|Clip View command. From within the dialog, the down arrow key or mouse may be used to bring these item(s) into view. The most recent (bottom) item will be given "focus", to start. Any one of these history item(s) may then be selected, for priming the dialog's input line. Once primed, the input line may be used as is, or after editing.

 

No HTTP Referer: Header field is ever provided in request(s) initiated by means of the File|Open URL... menu entry.

 

File|Open Local... (Shift-F3)

Allows you to select a local file from an available DOS path. DosLynx will convert the file name into a URL and attempt to load the file. The specified file will be displayed in a new window or displayed by DLXVIEW as described above for the File|Open URL... menu entry's Open button. This dialog's history contains the last few DOS path(s) that you've entered. It also may contain DOS path(s) entered on the DosLynx command line. And, beginning with DosLynx v0.41b, full paths to all saved local files. These history item(s) may be accessed and used as described above for the File|Open URL... menu entry.

 

File|Close (Alt-F3)

This menu item directs DosLynx to close the currently active window, so that it is no longer viewable on your display. (The Messages window may be brought back after being closed, however.) This command duplicates the Window|Close command. Closing a window designates the memory allocated to it a candidate for reuse. The Esc key provides a short-cut for closing the Messages window.

 

File|Save Rendering... (F2)

When selected, DosLynx will prompt you for a local file name in which to save the document in the currently active window. Your document will be exported as DOS Code Page 850 text. This enables its use by other PC utilities that are unaware of ISO-8859-1 or UTF-8 coding. However, as of version 0.44b, DosLynx still has no way to import and correctly interpret such a file. If it contains any non-ASCII character(s) or character entities. (That is, characters or character entities with code values outside of the ASCII range of 0 to 127 decimal.)

 

This menu entry may be used for saving documents containing MIME or UU encoded data. However, it isn't likely to be useful for saving documents containing yEncoded data. If your intent is to save a document "transparently", or for further use with DosLynx, you should use one of the three save source or download type commands that DosLynx offers. These are File|Open URL... (with its Download button) (above), File|Save Source (below), and Navigate|Download Selection (further below).

 

File|Print Rendering... (Alt-P)

When selected, DosLynx will prompt you for a DOS device to which to print the rendering. The appropriate DOS device to enter is the one to which your printer is connected, such as LPT1.

 

File|Clip View (Alt-V)

Beginning with DosLynx v0.41b, this menu entry provides for clipping or extracting URL(s) or other relatively short citations from rendered document(s). You express each clipping's content by means of a Turbo Vision TMemo (editor) dialog provided. This dialog gets primed with a copy of the presently viewable document screen's text.

 

Clipping(s) may be pasted into the File|Open URL... menu entry dialog's history list, for use. Or, saved in a local (clip board) file. In turn, saved clipping file(s) may be pasted into the e-mail client's TMemo dialog. Or, into the HTML Form Textarea input control's TMemo dialog. To facilitate these pastings, full paths to saved local file(s) will get copied into the File|Open Local... dialog's history list. URL(s) to be pasted may flow over several lines, if necessary. However, they are limited to a maximum length of 250 octets. Clippings to be saved are limited to a maximum length of about 4000 octets.

 

The TMemo editor provides a text selection feature to facilitate clipping away large text areas. This is explained near the end of this section.

 

File|Save Source (Alt-S)

DosLynx will attempt to refetch the document on display in the currently active window and prompt you for a local file name in which to save it. If an HTTP Referer: field was sent in the request that obtained the document on display, that will be repeated here. Unless HTTP Referer Mode has been turned OFF in the meantime. The local file copy will be prefixed with a <BASE HREF=" . . . "> HTML tag indicating where it came from. This enables all of the document's links to be reproduced, in full, when the local file copy of the document is displayed later. Also, if the document is refetched via http or https, the HTTP server provided "headers" sent ahead of the document will be placed in the local file copy. Along with the <BASE HREF=" . . . "> HTML tag introduced just above. They will further document the file's remaining contents. The document, itself, starts following the local file's first blank line. An exception is made for the news:? URL. If that is the source of the document on display, nothing is added to the beginning of the local file copy made.

 

This menu entry may be used for saving documents containing binary, MIME, UU, or yEncoded data in a transparent fashion. If a "clean" copy of any document copied via this menu entry is desired, the local file copy written by DosLynx may be recopied with the DEHEAD utility provided. It will copy everything in a file after its first blank line. As news:? documents are clean to begin with, they won't need DEHEAD processing.

 

File|Dos Shell (Ctrl-F10)

The DosLynx Real Mode version swaps most of itself out of memory unless shoswap=NO is specified in your DOSLYNX.CFG file. The DosLynx Protected Mode versions ignore the shoswap= option and swap most of their Real Mode portion(s) out of DOS memory. DosLynx (all versions) then spawns your command interpreter so that you may take action, from a DOS prompt inside of DosLynx, without having to exit. Most DOS commands and programs will be accessible from this prompt. In particular, you may issue driveletter: and CHDIR command(s) to change your current drive and directory. So as to simplify use of the DosLynx local file dialogs, which inherit these settings.

 

However, you must refrain from loading a TSR or using the Packet Driver. (Though, you may be able to use the Packet Driver if DosLynx hasn't used it, yet. Or, you may be able to use another Packet Driver instance if you have already installed a Packet Mux..) If DosLynx is configured to use EMS for overlays and/or swapping, you also must avoid disrupting its EMS setup. (The DosLynx Protected Mode versions don't use overlays nor the ems= configuration option. Conceivably, they might use EMS for swapping.)

 

Depending on limitation(s) of your DPMI service and how much memory you have available, running Protected Mode application(s) from within a DosLynx Protected Mode version may be tricky. Generally, trouble is sure to come if you try to mix Protected Mode programs with unmatched register sizes. Having both 16-bit and 32-bit Protected Mode versions of DosLynx available for use should help in avoiding many of these kinds of problems.

 

After selecting this item, you should always EXIT the command interpreter, to return to DosLynx, after you are finished. (If shoswap=NO is specified in your DOSLYNX.CFG file and you are using the DosLynx Real Mode version, a lack of sufficient free memory may prevent you from successfully running the command(s) you issue. An extreme lack of free memory may even prevent the DosLynx Real Mode version from successfully spawning your command interpreter.)

 

Beginning with version 0.24 beta, DosLynx itself may be safely invoked from a DOS prompt inside of an already running instance of DosLynx. Though, a limitation of your DPMI service and/or a lack of sufficient XMS memory may prevent this with the DosLynx Protected Mode versions. When DosLynx is invoked while shelled-out from DosLynx, it won't remove any DosLynx temporary file(s) it finds at the beginning of its run. And, it will issue a reminder message to this effect. This usage may be of some value for performing local operations, which might be prevented by a lack of memory in the original DosLynx instance. However, you won't have any additional access to the Packet Driver without a Packet Mux. arrangement, as explained above. In the absence of a good reason for running another instance of DosLynx, it will always be better to return to your original DosLynx session by EXIT(ing) the command interpreter.

 

File|Exit (Alt-X)

This is the intended way for you to end your DosLynx session.

 

Navigate|Find... (Alt-F4)

Allows you to enter a Search String that DosLynx will find in your currently active window. Beginning with DosLynx version 0.24 beta, this dialog provides both "Loose Find" and "Exact Find" buttons. These initiate searches that use either case-insensitive or exact matching.

 

Navigate|Find Again (F4)

DosLynx will search for the next occurrence of the last Search String entered to the find command. The search will continue using loose or exact matching, as specified when the last Search String was entered.

 

Navigate|Next Anchor (J, 2, or Tab)

This will move an internal anchor cursor to the next selectable anchor or Form control or object in the active window. If the anchor is a reference or link containing a destination URL, or a Form control or object that isn't hidden, it will be highlighted. The highlight will go out if you move to an anchor that is only a name or label or to a hidden Form control or object. This command will only be active when the document on view, in the active window, contains one or more anchor(s) or Form control(s) or object(s).

 

Navigate|Previous Anchor (K, 8, or Shift-Tab)

This will move an internal anchor cursor to the previous selectable anchor or Form control or object in the active window. If the anchor is a reference or link containing a destination URL, or a Form control or object that isn't hidden, it will be highlighted. The highlight will go out if you move to an anchor that is only a name or label or to a hidden Form control or object. This command will only be active when the document on view, in the active window, contains one or more anchor(s) or Form control(s) or object(s).

 

Navigate|Reload Current (Alt-R)

This entry or command provides for refreshing the present view. It is used to bypass the cache's operation when the present view is found to be defective or stale and needs to be reloaded. Beginning with DosLynx version 0.26b, caching improvements have closed loopholes that allowed anchor following to provide a refresh, in some cases. At the same time, this command's previous deficiencies were resolved. If an HTTP Referer: field was sent in the request that obtained the present view, that will be repeated here. Unless HTTP Referer Mode has been turned off in the meantime.

 

Your most frequent need for this command may come whenever a lack of memory keeps the DosLynx Real Mode version from completing its presentation of a new document. If you have followed a link, the linked-from document will have been freed or removed from memory. So, this command may then be able to reload the present document, in its entirety. If the present document is from a local file beginning with a <BASE HREF= . . . > HTML tag, an attempt will be made to load it from its original source. That source is indicated on the window's top line. The resulting view replaces the present view in the cache and the currently active window.

 

Navigate|Download Selection (Alt-D)

This is like File|Save Source except that the document to be saved in a local file is named by the destination URL of the currently selected anchor or Form Submit Button control. Use this menu entry or command when you are about to link to a presentable document you know you'll want to save. This will save you the refetch that will be needed if you should first simply follow the currently selected anchor. This command may be indispensable for capturing the response to a Form's submission. Also, it is recommended for saving documents, such as news: documents containing yEncoded data, known in advance to require transparent handling that they won't get by default. For URLs other than news:?, the local file copy that DosLynx writes is prefixed with a header that ends with a blank line. This is explained in more detail, for the File|Save Source menu entry, above. If HTTP Referer Mode is Enabled and ON, the URL of the document containing the link being followed is sent in the HTTP request's Referer: Header field.

 

This menu entry isn't the best for obtaining a clean local copy of a file, such as an .EXE, that isn't presentable. Normally, simply selecting and activating such a file's anchor will accomplish that. However, this menu entry may be necessary to force saving if the file's server mis-classifies it as presentable. When this menu entry is used to override a server's mis-classification, the saved object will begin with what is likely to be an undesired added header. In any event, object(s) already received by means of this menu entry may be cleaned or rid of an undesired added header by use of the DEHEAD utility. It will copy everything in a file after its first blank line. Downloaded news:? files get written without a prefix and won't need DEHEADing.

 

Navigate|Activate Anchor (L, 6, or Enter)

This menu entry acts on the currently selected anchor or Form control or object in one of several ways.

 

For anchors, causes DosLynx to attempt loading the anchor-specified destination URL. URL loading is performed as described above for the File|Open URL... menu entry's Open button. Except that when the specified document is presentable, its presentation replaces the present view in the currently active window. Any Form content or data that has been entered into the replaced view gets lost at this point. If HTTP Referer Mode is Enabled and ON, the URL of the document containing the link being followed is sent in the HTTP request's Referer: Header field.

 

For Form password and text line input objects, invokes a line input/editing dialog. This line input/editing dialog will be provided with a Submit Button when the containing Form lacks a Submit Button control. For Form textarea objects, invokes a TMemo input/editing dialog. Beginning with DosLynx version 0.31 beta, this dialog offers a Paste File push button. This button provides for reading text file(s) into the TMemo object being composed. For Form select input objects, invokes a list box input selection dialog. For Form checkbox and radio button objects, causes DosLynx to toggle the object's state, if possible. (Radio buttons only respond when they're in the unpushed or unset state. When a radio button does respond to activation, it replaces the already pushed button, in the same group, that then gets popped back out.) For Form submit and reset button controls, the labeled action gets performed. That is, the Form's content or data gets submitted or reset.

 

Form content or data submission is like URL loading in that a document is expected in response. However, it differs with respect to where the response document is presented and what happens to any Form content or data that has been entered into the current document. The document obtained in response to Form content or data submission is loaded exactly as described above for the File|Open URL... menu entry's Open button. That is, when this document is presentable, it is presented in a new window. This allows the Form content or data that has been entered into the submitted document to be preserved in what becomes the previously active window.

 

The Navigate|Activate Anchor command will not be active when the document on display, in the currently active window, contains no anchor(s) nor Form control(s). This will be the case for text files and a few (usually short) HTML documents. (ERROR.HTM provides an obvious example.) Also, it will not be active when the currently selected anchor carries no destination URL. Or, when the currently selected Form object is one that is "hidden".

 

Navigate|Prior Document (H or 4)

This will cause DosLynx to attempt to return to the last visited presentable URL, if any, in the currently active window. This command will only be active when there are one or more Prior Document(s) associated with the currently active window. In many cases, the prior document may be available from the DosLynx cache. If so, the document won't need to be refetched from its original source. If the document does need to be refetched and if an HTTP Referer: field was sent in the request that last obtained it, that will be repeated here. Unless HTTP Referer Mode has been turned OFF in the meantime.

 

Navigate|Go To (Alt-G)

This command was added to DosLynx in version 0.29b. It provides you with a list of the URL(s) that have been presented and are still pending in the currently active window. You may select any one of the listed URL(s) to be operated on by one of the dialog's push buttons. The Go Back button takes the currently active window back to the selected URL. As if the Navigate|Prior Document command had been used as many times as necessary to return to it. The Go Back button will save time when there are intermediate view(s) that you don't care to revisit. The Go Again button presents the selected URL in a new window. Just as if it had been entered into the File|Open URL... menu entry or command. The Paste button copies the selected URL into the File|Open URL... dialog's history. From there, it may be edited and/or presented in a new window or downloaded.

 

The Navigate|Go To command displays only the first 250 characters of longer URLs. And, that length limit is enforced by the Paste button's operation. However, the Go Back and Go Again buttons operate on an unlimited internal copy of the selected URL. So, they may be used without concern for the selected URL's length.

 

Navigate|Search Index... (F7)

Some HTML documents provide interfaces for searchable indexes. These documents contain the HTML <ISINDEX . . . > tag and are known, somewhat imprecisely, as "searchable documents". To request a search of the index associated with the currently active window's present document, select this command. In turn, you'll get a simple dialog for entering your search string. This command will only be active if the currently active window's present document provides an interface to a searchable index.

 

The Navigate|Search Index... command complements or contrasts with the DosLynx Navigate|Find . . . commands. The Search command's search is performed, by the document's server, upon an index or database that it maintains. Meanwhile, the Find commands' search is performed, by DosLynx itself, upon the loaded document.

 

Navigate|Show Destination URL (Alt-U)

This selection reports on the type of, and the destination URL specified by, the currently selected anchor or Form control or object. The first line of this command's report contains a brief description of the selected object's type. In the case of a document such as a text file that contains no selectable object(s), Object Type:  none will be reported. In the case of an anchor selection that has no destination URL, Object Type:  Label will be reported. For Form controls which consist of or include a Submit Button, the first line ends with an indication of whether a GET or POST request will be used for Form submission.

 

The remainder of this command's report displays a destination URL, a destination URL equivalent, or destination URL-like internal data. For anchors or Hyperlinks, this is a destination URL. For Form control objects which consist of or include Submit Buttons, this is a URL equivalent composed of the Form's present data content appended to the <FORM tag's ACTION= . . . URL. This is the URL that will be transmitted if the Submit Button should be activated. Except, for Submit Buttons using a POST request, the indicated URL equivalent will be split, at its last question mark character, into URL and data parts. For Form select input controls, this is a destination URL-like representation of the control's presently selected option. For other Form control objects, this is a destination URL-like representation of the control's initial data, if any.

 

Beginning with DosLynx version 0.29b, the Navigate|Show Destination URL command's dialog will include a Paste push button, whenever it has a URL or URL-like value to report. This button copies up to 250 characters from the beginning of the displayed URL into the File|Open URL... dialog's history. From there, the pasted URL may be edited and/or presented in a new window or downloaded. This dialog's other button(s) simply provide a variety of ways for dismissing the dialog.

 

Options|Manage HTTP Cookie Mode

Beginning with DosLynx version 0.34b, this item provides a short report or dialog pertaining to the status of HTTP Cookie Mode. Most of this status comes from the cookiedir= and cookiemode= configuration items. They are described by comments in the sample DOSLYNX.CFG file provided. HTTP Cookie Mode pertains to whether HTTP Cookie(s) are being accepted from received HTTP Set-Cookie: Header fields. To whether they are also being sent back in HTTP Cookie: Header fields, in DosLynx GET and POST requests. And, to whether this receiving and sending is being audited by messages to the Messages window. HTTP Cookie Mode also includes a Monitoring state. In this state, received HTTP Set-Cookie: Header fields are reported by messages to the Messages window. However, the Cookie(s) these Header fields carry are then discarded without being used to update a DosLynx Cookie(s) file. If HTTP Cookie Mode Auditing is Enabled or HTTP Cookie Mode is Enabled, this dialog also provides a Change Mode push button for stepping through the two or three available ON/Monitoring/OFF states configured. While HTTP Cookie Mode is Enabled and ON, Cookies received in Set-Cookie: Header fields are used to update DosLynx Cookie files. Appropriate unexpired Cookies selected from these files are then sent back in Cookie: Header fields, in DosLynx GET and POST requests. This dialog's OK button simply provides for dismissing the dialog.

 

Options|Manage HTTP Referer Mode

Beginning with DosLynx version 0.32b, this item provides a short report or dialog pertaining to the status of HTTP Referer Mode. Most of this status comes from the refmode= configuration item. That is described by comments in the sample DOSLYNX.CFG file provided. HTTP Referer Mode pertains to whether the HTTP Referer: Header field is being sent in GET and POST requests. And, to whether this sending is being audited by messages to the Messages window. If HTTP Referer Mode is configured to be Enabled, this dialog also provides a Change Mode push button for toggling its ON/OFF status. While HTTP Referer Mode is Enabled and ON, the Referer: field will be sent in request Headers, whenever a Referer URL is available. This dialog's OK button simply provides for dismissing the dialog.

 

Options|Toggle Low/High Text Mode

Allows you to switch back and forth between the default 25 line text mode and the 43 or 50 line text mode of EGA or VGA video adapters. If there is no 43 or 50 line text mode available for your video adapter, this command will leave your display unchanged. This is the case with the Hercules video adapter.

 

Options|Send Mail

Presents a dialog window for composing and sending a short e-mail note. Beginning with DosLynx v0.27b, the Send Mail window's To: line will accept a short list of comma separated e-mail addresses. You are free to use leading or trailing space(s) around your e-mail address(es) to improve the list's appearance. However, you need to keep the entire line to a length of less than 256 characters. The text of your note will have to be kept to a length of less than 4096 characters.

 

Beginning with DosLynx v0.31b, the Send Mail dialog includes a Paste File push button. This button may be used to specify short text file(s) to be read into the note being composed. At the end of each file read operation, invoked from the Send Mail dialog, a simple Confirm dialog provides a pause for your review of the Messages window. When you are ready, any of the usual responses will take you back to the Send Mail dialog.

 

Window|Messages (Alt-M)

This will cause the window containing all of the DosLynx messages to become the currently active window.

 

Window|Clone Window

Use this if you wish to create a duplicate of the currently active document window and all of its views. The new window is expected to be the same in every respect except for window number and size. Any entered Form content or data present in the currently active window's present view will be maintained and should be faithfully copied into the new window's present view.

 

Window|Zoom In/Out (F5)

Use this command to switch the active or selected window to its maximum possible size. Or, to return it to its previous size, before Zoom. The document presentation windows start out at maximum size unless a Window|Cascade or Window|Tile command has been used. So, they usually aren't Zoom(able). On the other hand, the Messages window starts out minimized and is always Zoom(able).

 

Window|Resize (Alt-F5)

This command provides for adjusting the currently active window's size and position.

 

Window|Next (F6)

This command gives another window, from the list of open windows, a turn at being the currently active window. If and when you get disoriented while using DosLynx, the F6 key is handy for stepping through and reviewing all your open window(s).

 

Window|Cascade

Use this command to organize all open document presentation windows in a cascading arrangement on your display.

 

Window|Tile

Use this command to organize all open document presentation windows in a tiled arrangement on your display.

 

Window|Close (F3)

This command duplicates the File|Close command. It closes the currently active window, making the memory allocated to that window a candidate for reuse. Once closed, windows other than the Messages window become unviewable. The Esc key provides a short-cut for closing the Messages window.

 

Hotlist|View... (F1)

This command causes DosLynx to load the configuration file specified Hotlist file, for easy access to anchors you've saved.

 

Hotlist|Add Current To Hotlist (Alt-A)

This command will add the URL of the currently active window to your Hotlist file. In addition, it will prompt you for a name or title by which to remember the URL. Once you've entered that name or title, the Hotlist file will be updated.

 

Hotlist|Add Link To Hotlist (Alt-T)

This command will add the destination URL specified by the currently selected anchor to your Hotlist file. This provides a way to make a long term copy of content or data that has been entered into a Form being submitted. After you've completed the name or title dialog for the new entry, the Hotlist file will be updated. (You'll need to edit your Hotlist file with another program to remove any of its entries.)

 

Hotlist|Home Page (F9)

Use this command to open a new window loaded with the configuration file specified home page.

 

Help|About DosLynx

Provides DosLynx version and authors information. Reach this menu entry by pulling-down another menu and then using arrow key(s) to move to the Help menu.

 

Help|Mail Developer

Use this command to send a suggestion or bug report to the developer of DosLynx, if you are connected to a network. This menu entry works just like Options|Send Mail, except that the To: and Subject: lines are appropriately filled-in before you start. You may edit these entries, if you like, even though they aren't blank when you start. Reach this menu entry by pulling-down another menu and then using arrow key(s) to move to the Help menu.

 

Most available hotkey or Short-Cut key equivalents are listed beside the menu choices in the DosLynx menus.

In addition to the keys listed in the menus, you can use several other keys for anchor navigation. These are: Tab and Shifted Tab, the UNIX vi keys (hjkl), your numeric keypad with Num Lock ON, and the top row numeric 2, 4, 6, and 8 keys. Even though you have Num Lock ON, you interpret the numeric keypad keys in terms of the arrows they also carry. (This differs from the version 0.7a release of DosLynx, that allowed the user to use the Lynx arrow keys for anchor navigation. That is no longer supported.) The off-keypad arrow keys are now reserved for scrolling, only. If you have an original PC keyboard, without off-keypad arrow keys, you'll probably want to leave Num Lock OFF. So you can use the keypad's arrow keys for scrolling. In that case, you'll need to learn to use Tab, Shift-Tab, hjkl, and/or some of the top row numeric keys for anchor navigation.

Keys we'll call "the scrolling keys" all provide for you to look through a document that is longer than your display. These are: The numeric keypad's End, PgDn, Home, and PgUp keys (with Num Lock ON). The top row numeric 1, 3, 7, and 9 keys. The off-keypad Page Down, Page Up, and arrow keys. And, the Space Bar. The off-keypad End, Page Down, Home, Page Up, and arrow keys also provide for moving and scrolling within list box and other input control dialogs. Ctrl-Page Down and Ctrl-Page Up (and, the numeric keypad's Ctrl-PgDn and Ctrl-PgUp, with Num Lock OFF) provide alternatives to 1 and 7, for moving to the end and beginning of a document or list box.

Esc closes the Messages window and cancels other dialog windows. This is equivalent to pressing a dialog's cancel button. In a dialog with multiple buttons along the bottom, the cancel button is always the right-most one. Esc also provides a "break" or "abort" key, within the Messages window, when DosLynx is busy preparing a document's presentation. It interrupts any TCP/IP reception, parsing, or formatting process that may be underway. After TCP/IP reception and/or parsing gets interrupted, DosLynx will move on to its formatting process. So, hit Esc again, then, if you want to cancel that, too. Esc doesn't close the document presentation window(s), however.

Enter pushes the selected (if any) or default button in dialog windows. In a dialog with multiple buttons along the bottom, the default button is always the left-most one. Enter activates links or Form input dialogs in document presentation windows. And, it activates the currently selected menu entry in menus.

Space pushes the selected button in dialog windows. And, it moves down a screen in document presentation windows. In the Messages window, a Space Bar tap provides a safe way to check to see if DosLynx is busy with anything.

Alt-n, where n is an open window number digit, from the keyboard's top row, quickly makes window n the currently active window.

The TMemo editor provides a text selection feature to facilitate clipping away large text areas. Text may be selected by moving the cursor, with arrow key(s), while holding a Shift key down. Or, by moving the mouse while holding either of its buttons down. Then, a Backspace or Del(ete) key will delete all of the selected text. If a mistake is made while selecting text, an un-shifted arrow key may be used to remove any selection present. Also, Shift and Ctrl-Shift combinations with the Page Up, Page Down, PgUp, and PgDn keys provide special selections. Shift-Page Up and Shift-PgUp select all of the text from the top of the screen to the character ahead of the cursor. While, Ctrl-Shift-Page Up and Ctrl-Shift-PgUp select all of the text from the very beginning of the edited data to the character ahead of the cursor. Similarly, Shift-Page Down and Shift-PgDn select all of the text from the cursor to the bottom of the screen. While, Ctrl-Shift-Page Down and Ctrl-Shift-PgDn select all of the text from the cursor to the very end of the edited data.

If you use a mouse with DosLynx, you can select an anchor or Form input control by using a single left button click. And, you can activate an anchor or Form input control by using a double left button click. Prior to DosLynx v0.27b, a special case arose when attempting to select an inline image which also has a destination. That is, an inline image nested within an anchor. That special case has been eliminated. See the Special Notes section.

Items contained in the status bar (the bottom line of your screen while running DosLynx) are selectable by the mouse only but correlate directly with items in the Navigate menu. These items will be bright or dim to indicate whether the indicated menu entries or commands are currently available or active, or not. In addition, the right mouse button is the same as issuing the Window|Clone Window command.

Special Notes on Usage

	file
	ftp
	http
        https *
	mailto
	news
 
*  https is supported only by the DosLynx 32-bit Protected Mode version.
 

For best DosLynx performance, specify the temporary file directory in your configuration file or on the command line to be a directory on a RAMDRIVE. But, only consider this if you have more than two MB of EMS or XMS memory available, for the DosLynx Real Mode version. If you are using either DosLynx v0.44b Protected Mode version, don't consider a RAMDRIVE unless you have at least eight MB of RAM available. If you have only a relatively small quantity of EMS or XMS memory available, there are a couple of ways that DosLynx can use that, without a RAMDRIVE. First, the DosLynx v0.44b Real Mode version can make good use of up to about 320 KB (20 EMS pages) of this memory, for holding its overlays. Specify the ems= and/or xms= configuration option(s) to enable this usage. Also, if you have EMS or XMS memory available, DosLynx will be able to use over 500 KB more of that, without a RAMDRIVE. When it swaps itself out of standard memory for running DLXVIEW or DOS commands. DosLynx is able to run successfully, though somewhat slowly, without any EMS or XMS memory available. See your DOS documentation for setting up a RAMDRIVE specific to your system.

DosLynx is a multiple document interface (MDI) application. This may confuse new users that are used to other World Wide Web clients. Remember: Using the File|Open URL... (with its Open button) or File|Open Local... menu items or equivalent hotkeys, or submitting a Form, leads to opening a new window. Whenever the opened URL or document or Form submission's response is presentable. The first nine windows are numbered in their upper right corners. You can switch among these windows by pressing the Alt key and the window number simultaneously. All windows can be reached via the Window|Next menu entry or its F6 key short-cut.

Each open window usually represents at least one open temporary file. If you try to open more windows than you have FILES specified in your CONFIG.SYS file, DosLynx will shut down. If you have at least FILES=20 specified, however, this may not be a problem. Because, with the DosLynx Real Mode version, you'll tend to run out of memory at about the same time as you hit the open FILES limit. With the DosLynx Protected Mode versions, you'll have to be a little more careful. A good way to handle this is to avoid opening another new window once you have all nine of the numbered windows open. So, make sure you have at least FILES=20 specified in your CONFIG.SYS file. There may be little to be gained from specifying more than FILES=20, without taking additional measures.

When the DosLynx Real Mode version has used most of your computer's memory, the File|Dos Shell command will not work, if DOSLYNX.CFG contains shoswap=NO. Your computer simply does not have enough standard DOS memory to execute your command interpreter. By default, shoswap=YES, enabling DosLynx to swap most of itself out of memory, to avoid this problem.

When you ftp a file or activate an anchor that DosLynx cannot display as text, you are asked to give a file name to save the information in. A filename may be suggested by DosLynx. These files are not removed by DosLynx when you exit the application. This allows you as the user to do what you will with such files after exiting DosLynx. However, presently, DosLynx does not consider existing files in making its suggestion. If you are prompted to save a file that is already on your disk, consider using another name before letting the file you already have be over-written.

When DosLynx terminates unexpectedly, the temporary file(s) it has opened may remain in the temporary file directory you specified in the configuration file or on the command line. The temporary file names follow the pattern of DL*.$$$. You no longer have to remove these files yourself unless you are very low on disk space, however. Beginning with version 0.20 beta, DosLynx removes any of these files it finds, at the beginning of each run, to keep them from accumulating.

Beginning with version 0.24 beta, there is an exception to the preceding rule. DosLynx now checks to see if another instance of DosLynx is already running. (That will be the case if you run DosLynx while shelled out of DosLynx to a DOS command prompt.) If so, it refrains from removing any temporary file(s). That restraint is necessary to keep from destroying the already running instance of DosLynx! DosLynx issues a reminder message when it decides not to remove any temporary file(s).

If you are wondering, the menu bar contains the current time in the upper right hand corner. In the status bar are three numbers in the lower right corner. These numbers are, from left to right: The current network activity in bytes. The free space in bytes on the temporary drive you specified. And, the amount of available heap memory in bytes. These were originally run-time debugging tools for the developer of DosLynx. They were left in as they are now harmless and give the user useful information on what is happening while DosLynx is at work. They can be turned off with the /B command line option, if desired. The /U command line option also turns off the rightmost two of these three numbers.

To force DosLynx into a supported black and white video mode, type
C:\DOSINET>mode BW80
at your DOS prompt. Consider doing this if you monitor is black and white but DosLynx considers it a color monitor (monochrome EGA monitors). Anchor text, selected anchor text, and text located by the Navigate|Find . . . commands should all be distinguishable from normal text and each other, on your monitor. If that isn't the case with your monitor, take a look at the contrast= configuration value added to DosLynx in version 0.29b. It should be able to provide you with a display attribute table selection that provides the needed contrasts, with your monitor. Use of the contrast= configuration value is explained by extensive comments in the DOSLYNX.CFG file.

If you have severe trouble with your mouse driver, check into the mouse= configuration value added to DosLynx in version 0.32b. Such trouble might take the form of a DosLynx crash the first time you move the mouse, in a DosLynx session. This trouble might come for only one of the three DosLynx versions. mouse= configuration allows you to tell the DosLynx Real Mode version or Protected Mode versions, or all three, to ignore your mouse driver. That will prevent the kind of crash pictured above.

If you have an older (read: slower) PC, you'll probably wish for better performance from DosLynx from time-to-time. Here are a few more things you can do to speed it up:

Forgo a Home File

Use loadhome=OFF in DOSLYNX.CFG, /HOFF on the command line, or give the home= configuration option the name of a short or empty file. This will save the time needed to display INFO.HTM each time you start DosLynx.

 

Remove All the Comments From DOSLYNX.CFG

Once you are satisfied with your configuration and are sure that you have backup copies of it, go through DOSLYNX.CFG and remove all of the comment lines. Again, this will save time each time you start DosLynx. Shortening DOSLYNX.CFG also saves time upon the first use of TCP/IP communication in each DosLynx session.

 

Keep the Directories You Use Frequently Short

DosLynx can take a few seconds to develop a local file dialog box on a PC-XT, when the present DOS directory contains hundreds of entries. If you can keep the directories you use the most relatively short, you'll save time each time you invoke a local file dialog.

 

Don't Configure debugen=ON

If DosLynx is slow in shutting-down, make sure you don't have debugen=ON specified in DOSLYNX.CFG.

New DosLynx Features

<BASE HREF= . . . > tags

DosLynx now honors these tags when they appear in HTML. They also are provided to local files written by the File|Open URL... (with its Download button), File|Save Source, and Navigate|Download Selection menu entries. These provisions enable relative URLs to be properly reproduced when the local files are later viewed.

 

<META . . . > tags

DosLynx is now also displaying many of these tags when they appear in HTML. <META HTTP-EQUIV=REFRESH CONTENT= . . . > tags specifying URLs are now treated like anchors, too. Beginning with DosLynx v0.26b, a showmetas= configuration option controls the display of most <META . . . > tags, along with two other forms of meta content. These things are described in some detail by comments in the provided sample DOSLYNX.CFG file.

 

Temporary Files

At startup, DosLynx will now remove any of its own temporary files that it finds abandoned in the configured temporary directory. Beginning with DosLynx v0.24b, this action will be withheld when DosLynx detects another instance of itself already running. In that case, a reminder message will be issued.

 

Unexpected Shut Downs

DosLynx will now pause to give its user 15 seconds to read its final messages before exiting.

 

Swap Out for Graphics Viewing and Escape to DOS Shell

DosLynx will now swap most of itself out of main memory, to XMS or EMS memory or a temporary file, before invoking DLXVIEW to display a graphic file. If shoswap=NO is not configured, DosLynx also will swap most of itself out of main memory, to XMS or EMS memory or a temporary file, before shelling out to DOS. The shoswap=NO configuration option is ignored by the DosLynx Protected Mode versions and is mainly a debug tool.

 

Intra-Session History Added

The present view's current top line and currently selected anchor will be noted when an anchor is activated. i.e.: When a link is followed. Upon return, or a linked-from view's reinstatement, the noted top line position and anchor selection will be restored to the reinstated view. Beginning with version 0.32 beta, the Intra-Session History also includes each document's Referer URL, if any. That provides for resending the HTTP Referer: field if a document needs refetching when it gets reinstated.

 

debugen= Configuration Option Added

The debugen= configuration option enables heapcheck(ing) while DosLynx shuts down. heapcheck( ) discovers heap corruption resulting from certain kinds of software errors. Configuring debugen=ON may help to avoid crashing during shut-down. However, it is a luxury that probably isn't affordable on slower PCs. (Shut-down can take as long as 45 minutes on a PC-XT with debugen=ON!) Beginning with DosLynx v0.24b, the debugen= configuration option also enables a detailed trace of the DosLynx/server dialog that occurs during a DosLynx ftp access. This may help you discover what is going wrong if and when an ftp access fails repeatedly. The default value for debugen= is OFF. Possible values are OFF and ON.

 

Messages Window Now Pops Up Over ERROR.HTM

Beginning with DosLynx v0.22b, the Messages window will pop up over ERROR.HTM whenever it is presented as the result of a problem. This saves you from having to fumble around to see your messages after a problem has been encountered. The Esc key now provides a one key way to dismiss the Messages window.

 

DEHEAD Utility Now Provided with DosLynx

Beginning with DosLynx v0.22b, the DosLynx release package includes the DEHEAD utility program. It provides for removing the headers that DosLynx adds to the local copies of files written via the File|Open URL... (with its Download button), File|Save Source, and Navigate|Download Selection menu entries. It will copy everything in a file after its first blank line.

 

NEWSURLS.HTM Now Provided with DosLynx

Beginning with DosLynx v0.22b, the DosLynx release package includes a description of the news URLs that DosLynx accepts, in NEWSURLS.HTM.

 

Forms Support Added to DosLynx

DosLynx v0.24b brought an initial installment of Forms support. Implemented, here, are the HTML <FORM METHOD=get . . . and <INPUT . . . tags -- for input TYPEs checkbox, hidden, password, radio, reset, submit, and text.

 

DosLynx v0.25b brought two more Form input controls. These support the HTML <SELECT . . . and <INPUT TYPE=image . . . tags. (The former supports neither MULTIPLE nor SIZE= attributes. The latter is implemented as a combination of an HTML <IMG . . . tag and an <INPUT TYPE=submit . . . tag. It doesn't provide any cursor coordinate data.)

 

DosLynx v0.27b brought support for the HTML <TEXTAREA . . . tag or Form input control.

 

DosLynx v0.28b brought support for the HTML <FORM METHOD=POST . . . variation, at last. You should now find that you have full read/write access to many of the Web's numerous Forum type sites.

 

DosLynx v0.31b brought a Paste File push button for the Textarea Form input control or dialog.

 

News Client Support for yEncoded Data

Beginning with DosLynx v0.24b, the File|Save Source and Navigate|Download Selection menu entries will provide transparent handling for news: documents containing yEncoded data. The File|Open URL... menu entry's Download button, added in DosLynx v0.25b, will provide this transparent handling, as well.

 

Loose Find Added to DosLynx

Beginning with DosLynx v0.24b, the Navigate|Find... dialog will provide two push buttons for starting a search. An "Exact Find" button will provide a search using exact matching. This is the only mode previously offered. In addition, a "Loose Find" button will now provide a search using case insensitive (loose) matching.

 

swapmem= Configuration Option Added

Beginning with DosLynx v0.24b, the swapmem= configuration option will determine whether or not any access is made to EMS and/or XMS memory for swapping DosLynx out of standard DOS memory. This option is intended to provide a bypass for problem(s) encountered with the EMS and/or XMS services in some installations. swapmem= need not be configured unless one suspects they are having trouble in this area. (The symptoms of such a problem may be that DosLynx misbehaves when resumed after a swap out.) swapmem= is specified in terms of the memory services that SWAP is allowed to access. Possible values are: Both (same as default, starting with DosLynx v0.22b -- SWAP accesses XMS memory, and then EMS memory if necessary). EMS (SWAP accesses EMS, but not XMS, memory). XMS (same as provided in DosLynx v0.20b -- SWAP accesses XMS, but not EMS, memory). And, Neither (SWAP only accesses the disk).

 

HTML <IMAGE . . . tags

Beginning with DosLynx v0.24b, <IMAGE will be recognized in HTML as a synonym for the <IMG tag. This is necessary to support apparently non-standard HTML that is recognized by Internet Explorer and used at http://www.microsoft.com . For an example of this, see: http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/contents/wurecommended/s_wufeatured/win98se/

 

DHCP Client Support Added

Beginning with DosLynx v0.25b, my_ip=DHCP will be recognized in DOSLYNX.CFG for obtaining TCP/IP configuration information from a DHCP server. This has been implemented so as to avoid any change in the operation of the existing my_ip=BOOTP support, when that is configured. Beginning with DosLynx v0.39b, my_ip=EDHCP also will be recognized, for obtaining TCP/IP configuration information from a DHCP server that wants to know a little more about DosLynx. When my_ip=(E)DHCP is configured, mss= must specify 576 or more or be allowed to default (to 1400). Comments in DOSLYNX.CFG provide more on these things.

 

Beginning with DosLynx v0.38b, Client-Identifier, IP Address Lease Time, and Vendor Class Identifier DHCP Option fields will be included in the DosLynx DHCP Discover message. These seem to be needed to satisfy recent DHCP server implementations. Beginning with DosLynx v0.39b, these fields only will be included in the DosLynx DHCP Discover message sent as a result of my_ip=EDHCP configuration.

 

File|Open URL... Download Button Added

Beginning with DosLynx v0.25b, the File|Open URL... dialog will contain a Download button, in addition to Open (formerly OK) and Cancel buttons. The new Download button provides for File|Save Source or Navigate|Download Selection type handling for directly entered URLs. The Open button remains the File|Open URL... dialog's default and operates just as the former OK button did.

 

Navigate|Go To Menu Entry Added

Beginning with DosLynx v0.29b, the Navigate|Go To command will provide for accessing or reusing all of the URL(s) visited and still pending in each open window. This command's dialog provides push buttons for the following three actions: Use the Go Back button to return to a selected URL. This allows one or more intermediate views to be bypassed, for saving time in returning. Use the Go Again button to open a selected URL in a new window. Or, use the Paste button to paste a selected URL into the File|Open URL... dialog's history. From there, the pasted URL may be edited and/or used for opening a new window or downloading.

 

Navigate|Show Destination URL Paste Button Added

Beginning with DosLynx v0.29b, the Navigate|Show Destination URL command will provide a push button for pasting the anchor it is reporting into the File|Open URL... dialog's history. That saves you from having to type in an anchor you want to edit for use.

 

Support for Monochrome Monitors Improved

A fourth display attribute table and the contrast= configuration option were added to DosLynx in version 0.29b. These provide improved contrast for what have been troublesome monochrome video adapters or monitors. See the DOSLYNX.CFG file for more information on the new contrast= configuration option.

 

DosLynx Protected Mode Version Released

Beginning with version 0.30 beta, DosLynx will be offered in both its traditional Real Mode version and in a 16-bit Protected Mode version. If your system can be equipped with a DOS Protected Mode Interface (or, DPMI) service, you will be able to run either version. The DosLynx v0.44b 16-bit Protected Mode version has about nine times as much memory, as the Real Mode version, to work with. (Over 2.3 MB versus about 250 KB.) This extra memory virtually eliminates the inability to completely present some very large documents, still present in the Real Mode version.

 

Beginning with version 0.36 beta, DosLynx will also be offered in a 32-bit Protected Mode version. The DosLynx v0.44b 32-bit Protected Mode version has about eight times as much memory, as the Real Mode version, to work with. (Over 2.0 MB versus about 250 KB.) The DPMI usually doesn't provide for using combinations of Protected Mode programs with unmatched register sizes. So, having both 16-bit and 32-bit Protected Mode versions gives you added flexibility for using DosLynx together with other Protected Mode software.

 

DPMIREVU.HTM, reports on DPMI serving software with which DosLynx has been tested. It is included in the DosLynx Protected Mode Add-On Package.

 

SMTP AUTH LOGIN Support Added

Beginning with version 0.31 beta, the DosLynx e-mail client provides optional SMTP AUTH LOGIN support. Supplying the new b64usrid= configuration option together with the new b64passw= configuration option or the new /S command line option enables this support. Without SMTP AUTH LOGIN enabled, the DosLynx e-mail client sends a HELO command, to initiate a session with the configured SMTP server. With SMTP AUTH LOGIN enabled, an EHLO command will be sent. The e-mail client attempts SMTP AUTH LOGIN when AUTH LOGIN is found "advertised" in the server's response to the EHLO command. Failed SMTP AUTH LOGIN attempt(s) prevent sending mail and get reported in the DosLynx Messages window. SMTP AUTH LOGIN is discussed in at least two other sections of this document. (Use Navigate|Find... and specify SMTP to find those sections.)

 

Paste File Buttons Added

Beginning with version 0.31 beta, the DosLynx Send Mail and Form Textarea TMemo dialogs contain Paste File push buttons. These provide for reading text file(s) into the note or text (TMemo object) being composed. Further editing may be performed on such text file(s) data after it has been read.

 

Mouse Driver Configuration

Beginning with version 0.32 beta, DosLynx provides a mouse= configuration value. This allows you to tell the DosLynx Real Mode version or Protected Mode versions, or all three, to ignore your installed mouse driver. That provides a bypass for a severely problematic mouse driver.

 

HTTP Referer: Header Field Support

Beginning with version 0.32 beta, DosLynx supports sending the HTTP Referer: Header field in its GET and POST requests. This is described in RFC 2616, Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1, section 14.36. refmode= configuration and a new Options|Manage HTTP Referer Mode menu entry or command provide for configuring and managing this support. By default, sending the Referer: field is disabled or vetoed.

 

Complete ISO-8859-1 Character Set Support

Beginning with version 0.33 beta, DosLynx provides complete support for the ISO-8859-1 (8-bit) character set. However, seeing all of the ISO-8859-1 characters properly also depends on having your DOS system set up to use display and/or printer Code Page 850. In many english speaking countries, this isn't the default. Refer to the Code Page 850 Cook Book section (above), for information on arranging this setup.

 

fromname= Configuration Added

Beginning with version 0.33 beta, DosLynx provides a fromname= configuration option. It accepts "your name in real life", for use on the From: line of e-mail that you send.

 

Limited Support for Five More HTML Tags

Beginning with version 0.33 beta, DosLynx will handle the <BGSOUND . . . and <EMBED . . . tags as additional near synonyms for <IMG . . . This means that a link will be provided to the resources that those tags advertise. The place holders for these links will be [BGSOUND] and [EMBED], when showmetas=NO is configured. And, [urlfilename], otherwise. Also, <IFRAME . . ., <ILAYER . . ., and <LAYER . . . tags will be handled, the way <FRAME . . . tags have long been handled. You'll see a Frame: or Layer: label followed by a link to the tag's src= specified URL.

 

HTTP Cookie(s) Support

Beginning with version 0.34 beta, DosLynx supports the HTTP Set-Cookie: and Cookie: Header fields. This is described in http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/std/cookie_spec.html . cookiedir= and cookiemode= configuration and a new Options|Manage HTTP Cookie Mode menu entry or command provide for configuring and managing this support. By default, Cookie(s) Support is disabled or vetoed.

 

Limited Support for the HTML <DIV . . . Tag

Beginning with version 0.34 beta, DosLynx supports the HTML <DIV . . . tag and its align= attribute, for settings of left, center, or right. Support for the HTML <P . . . tag's same align= attribute settings has been added, too.

 

smtphost= Configuration Extended to Include Host's Port Number

Beginning with version 0.34 beta, DosLynx configuration for your SMTP (mail) Host's address may include the port it listens on, if it isn't the well known port 25. This enables the DosLynx e-mail client's use with ISP(s) that have changed their SMTP server(s) to listen, for e-mail submission(s), on TCP/IP port 587.

 

Limited UTF-8 Character Set Support

Beginning with version 0.35 beta, DosLynx provides limited support for UTF-8 coded documents. The supported UTF-8 characters and character sequences correspond to all of the ISO-8859-1 characters, together with nine additional characters that aren't included in the ISO-8859-1 character set. Seeing all of the ISO-8859-1 characters properly also depends on having your DOS system set up to use display and/or printer Code Page 850. In many english speaking countries, this isn't the default. Refer to the Code Page 850 Cook Book section (above), for information on arranging this setup.

 

Beginning with version 0.38b, 23 more Unicode characters (for a total of 32) that aren't included in the ISO-8859-1 character set will be recognized in UTF-8 coded documents. And, as numeric character references, in HTML documents with any encoding.

 

Support for (Anti)Caching Directives

DosLynx v0.35b also brings support for the Expires: <datetimestring> and Pragma: no-cache HTTP Header fields and corresponding HTML <META HTTP-EQUIV= . . . tags. And, the Cache-Control: . . . HTTP Header field. Elsewhere, these Header fields and tags are referred-to as "(anti)caching directives".

 

This support should improve your experiences with "login" type Forms and Cookies-using Web servers. By insuring that you see updated versions of Web pages that get changed in the course of your interactions with their Web site(s). However, if you have lower speed Internet service, you may find the document refetching this support implies annoying. If so, you may use histmode=ON configuration to defeat the new support. See the sample DOSLYNX.CFG file provided for more information on this configuration.

 

https/SSL/TLS Support Added

The DosLynx v0.38b 32-bit Protected Mode variation or version brings support for secure sessions, or https URLs, at last! This is support that is required by many servers that provide for Login(s) or transfers of sensitive data.

 

Beginning with DosLynx v0.44b, this support is provided by means of an OpenSSL v1.0.2u library provided in the DJGPP tools. DosLynx provides each server name to be accessed to its OpenSSL client in order to support the SNI function. As a result, the server names being accessed are likely revealed in the SSL/TLS client's hello message(s). DosLynx still does not provide for checking the authenticity of server Certificates.

 

TLS/SSL Support Added for E-mail Client

The DosLynx v0.39b 32-bit Protected Mode variation or version brings support for secure SMTP e-mail sending sessions. This support may be required by SMTP hosts that also require an SMTP AUTH LOGIN.

 

Beginning with DosLynx v0.44b, this support is provided by the same OpenSSL v1.0.2u library that provides the https/SSL/TLS support in the DosLynx 32-bit Protected Mode variation or version. DosLynx does not provide the E-mail server's name to its OpenSSL client. So, the SNI function is not supported for E-mail. Nor does it provide for checking the authenticity of server Certificates. A new configuration item, smtpsec=, provides a choice of two SSL Protocol variations for SMTP. These are described in comments in the sample DOSLYNX.CFG file provided.

 

TCPINFO Utility Now Provided with DosLynx

Beginning with version 0.38b, the Traditional DosLynx Real Mode Package will include a DosLynx-centric make of the WATTCP TCPINFO.EXE utility. This TCPINFO provides a mostly comment-free view of one's WATTCP.CFG or DOSLYNX.CFG file(s) and the result(s) for my_ip=BOOTP, my_ip=DHCP, or my_ip=EDHCP configuration. This TCPINFO is made with the same WATTCP library used to make DosLynx. So, its result(s) for BOOTP and (E)DHCP may be expected to match the result(s) that DosLynx gets.

 

WATTCP sock_setbuf( ) Support

Beginning with version 0.38b, the DosLynx Protected Mode variations or versions will provide an optional 24 KB TCP assembly buffer when dnldbufs=0 is configured. This lengthened buffer is provided to the DosLynx WATTCP component via its sock_setbuf( ) call. On newer (read: faster) PCs with high speed Internet connections, this lengthened buffer should greatly improve downloading speed. (As this is a double buffer, its memory requirement makes it impractical for the DosLynx Real Mode variation or version. However, PCs that are limited to using the DosLynx Real Mode version usually aren't fast enough to be able to make use of sock_setbuf( ) support, anyway.)

 

Support for Hexadecimal Numeric Character References

Beginning with version 0.38b, DosLynx will support numeric character references with decimal or hexadecimal values.

 

File|Clip View Menu Entry Added

Beginning with DosLynx v0.41b, the File|Clip View command will provide for clipping or extracting URL(s) or other relatively short citations from rendered document(s). This command's dialog provides Paste and Save As push buttons. You use the Paste push button to move a URL clipping into the File|Open URL... menu entry dialog's history, for use. The Save As push button allows you to save a clipping in a local (clip board) file. In turn, saved clipping file(s) may be pasted into the e-mail client's TMemo dialog. Or, into the HTML Form TextArea input control's TMemo dialog.

 

Save As Dialog's Results To Go To File Open Dialogs' History

Beginning with DosLynx v0.41b, local file Save As dialog results will be added to the local file open dialogs' history list. As well as to the Save As dialogs' own history list. This enables reaccessing new local file(s) without having to reenter their name(s).

Removed DosLynx Features

Gopher Support

Yep, sorry. It's been taken out.

 

Built-in .GIF Viewer

This has been replaced with the swap out and call to DLXVIEW described in several places in this document. (Use Navigate|Find... and specify DLXVIEW to find those places.)

 

Bugs, Crashes, Hangs, and Loops

Most of these have been taken out, too. You may still see some breakout( ) calls. But, each time you do, you'll be able to be thankful for not having to reboot DOS and redial your ISP!

 

wais Support

Yep, sorry. This one's gone, too.

 

Local Graphics File Copying

Beginning with version 0.26b, DosLynx no longer finds it necessary to copy local graphics files for the purpose of submitting them to DLXVIEW for viewing. This provides a noticeable performance improvement on older (read: slower) PCs. We trust this copying "feature" won't be much missed.

Distributing DosLynx

Credits

	Generous financial assistance given by O'Reilly and Associates
		and Intel Corporation.
	World Wide Web Source Library by CERN
	Waterloo TCP by Erick Engelke
	FTP code from James W. Matthews, Dartmouth Software Development
	Borland C/C++ and Turbo Vision by Borland International

Borland C/C++ and Turbo Vision

Trademarks of and Copyright by Borland International.

World Wide Web Source Library

Copyright by CERN, Geneva, Switzerland.

Waterloo TCP Library

Copyright by Erick Engelke.

FTP code

Portions Copyright 1994 Trustees by Dartmouth College.

The DosLynx 16-bit Protected Mode version has been implemented through use of the Kevin Morgan Software Services Protected Mode APPlication construction toolkit, PMAPP.ZIP . Kevin's toolkit has provided me with the perfect spring board for my leap into the real world (or is it, parallel universe?) of Protected Mode software development! PMAPP.ZIP carries the following notice:
This distribution copyright (c) 1994, Kevin Morgan. All rights reserved.

The DosLynx 32-bit Protected Mode version has been implemented through use of DJGPP v2.05 resources and tools, in DOS! These include an elegant 2 KB "stub loader", the GNU GCC v8.3.0 compiler, and the UPX v3.02 eXecutable Packer. I have supplemented these with the Borland C/C++ resources and tools, acknowledged above and below, and the MASM v6.11d assembler.

The new 32-bit version's source comes from most of the same DosLynx, Turbo Vision v2.0, WATTCP, and WWW sources used for making the other DosLynx versions. All of these have been dragged into compliance with the GCC v8.3.0 compiler's and MASM v6.11d assembler's requirements. So, about 95 percent of the DosLynx source is shared in common among all three DosLynx versions. The resulting DOSLYNXS.EXE is quite a treasure!

I expect that you may obtain all the DJ Delorie resources and tools including UPX v3.02, as I did, from:
http://www.delorie.com/djgpp/

The DosLynx 32-bit Protected Mode version's https/SSL/TLS support has been implemented by linking DosLynx with the OpenSSL v1.0.2u installation or library included with the DJGPP tools. OpenSSL also is available from:
http://www.openssl.org/ .
The detailed DosLynx/OpenSSL linkage has been adapted from one of Mark Mentovai's lynx-ssl patches. Those used to be available from:
http://www.moxienet.com/lynx/ .
Now, they seem to be gone from there. However, they may still be found in mirror site(s) such as:
http://mirror.optus.net/sourceforge/m/ma/math-linux/lynx-282-ssl.patch .

The Borland, DJGPP, GNU, Microsoft, UPX, and OpenSSL resources and tools carry far too many copyright notices to thoroughly list them here. What appear to be the key or principal copyright notices for these read as follows:

Borland C++  Version 3.1 Copyright (c) 1992 Borland International

The STUB.EXE stub loader is Copyright (C) 1993-1995 DJ Delorie.
Permission granted to use for any purpose provided this copyright
remains present and unmodified.
This only applies to the stub, and not necessarily the whole program.

          GNU LIBRARY GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
              Version 3, 29 June 2007
 
 Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <http://fsf.org>
 Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
 of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

gcc.exe (GCC) 8.3.0
Copyright (C) 2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Microsoft (R) Macro Assembler Version 6.11d
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp 1981-1995.  All rights reserved.

 This file is packed with the UPX executable packer http://upx.sf.net
 UPX 3.02 Copyright (C) 1996-2007 the UPX Team. All Rights Reserved.

 Copyright (C) 1995-1998 Eric A. Young,  Tim J. Hudson  (eay@cryptsoft.com)
 This product includes cryptographic software written by Eric A. Young  (eay@cryptsoft.com).

 Copyright (c) 1998-2019 The OpenSSL Project. All rights reserved.
 This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project
 for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/)

Last Modified: by Fred C. Macall
5 October 2020.

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