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Re: DOS 6 and Mathematica

  • To: mathgroup at yoda.physics.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: DOS 6 and Mathematica
  • From: "Peter_M.Saama" <09207PSA at msu.edu>
  • Date: Thu, 08 Jul 93 08:57 EDT

I have had a similar problem with Mma 2.1 for DOS. I suggest that you write
two separate autoexec.bat files, one with "HIMEM.SYS", "DEVICE=EMM386.EXE"
and another without these two commands

>From: Keith Clay <clay at galileo.phys.washington.edu>

Osmo Kolehmainen writes:

> I recently installed DOS 6.0 in my PC. Now Mma 2.0 does not work properly,
> since I must every time reinstall it. This problem can be avoided, if
> I do not use HIMEM.SYS, but then other applications stop working. Any
> suggestions? 
> 

And he appends his sytem files.  Yes, I have lots of suggestions, and the
first goes to WRI: FIX THE MMA/WINDOWS COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS THAT YOU CAN
AND INCLUDE INFO ABOUT THOSE YOU CAN'T IN THE MANUAL!  Dealing with a touchy
piece of software is easier if we are warned about the touchiness.

SECOND SUGGESTION: to Osmo Kolehmainen 
Update your version of Mathematica.  The bugs in version 2.1 (for Windows)
are not nearly as severe as those for 2.0, and I am promised that most are
eliminated in version 2.2.

As for the details:
Many of these suggestions are reprinted from Courtney Johnson at WRI to whom
I express my sincere thanks for helping me debug my situation.

1.  Don't load anything high (in your config.sys file).
	(If you are running inder Windows, there is no reason to use LH
	and you should know that the  concensus is that Mathematica is
	completely incompatible with memmaker.  Not a big deal since Mma
	has its own mem-making machinery built in.)

2.  Don't use Norton Desktop with Mathematica.  (This is advice from WRI,
	but I use Norton and Mathematica together without any trouble)

3.  Go ahead and use HIMEM.SYS, but only call it using the config.sys line

			DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS

(For the record I append myown config.sys.  Notice that I do use dos=high
and devicehigh for doublespace but nothing else goes high

DEVICE=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
DEVICE=c:\ndw\NAV&.SYS /b
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FILES=50
STACKS=9,256
BUFFERS=32
FCBS=20,0
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\DBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE )

4.  Don't use EMM386.EXE.  (And it seems MemMaker should be added to this list)

5.  If you are using a mouse driver or cursor program that allows use of
	custom cursors, disable it!  It is fatal to Mma to have another
	program trying to manipulate the cursor.  Note that many mouse drivers
	including MS have cursor modification built in.  Disable all explicit
	custom cursor programs and check your win.ini file for POINTER.EXE
	(should be on the LOAD line).  If it is there, remove the POINTER.exe 
	from WIN.ini and promise never to use the mouse control panel again.

Why isn't this stuff in the installation manual for Mma?  I don't know.

For the benefit of Osmo Kolehmainen, I include my autoexec.bat file as well.

I hope this helps!

Keith
clay at galileo.phys.washington.edu
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington  USA


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@echo off
c:\ndw\smartcan /on /skiphigh
c:\ndw\image
C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE
PROMPT $p$g
PATH C:\DOS;C:\;C:\WINDOWS;C:\NDW;C:\BIN;C:\BIN\TOOLS;C:\FORTRAN\BIN\;C:\FORTRAN\BINB\;C:\ULTRA;C:\WINWORD;C:\EXCEL;C:\YRWY22
set mouse=C:\MSMOUSE
C:\DOS\mouse
set tmp=C:\
SET LIB=C:\FORTRAN\LIB\
SET INCLUDE=C:\FORTRAN\INCLUDE\
SET HELPFILES=C:\FORTRAN\HELP\*.HLP
SET INIT=C:\FORTRAN\INIT\
nav c:\
C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE
SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP


>From: Dick Gibbs <GIBBS at VM.CC.LATECH.EDU>

Hi,
I found the same problem but it was not due to DOS 6.0 when it happened
to me. The problem was with WINDOWS . I am  using  DOS 5.3 I believe.
Mathematica was already installed. Then when I installed WINDOWS, and
it put in the memory manager, I could not get mma or QUATTRO PRO to
function. Eventually, through trial and error I got it to run by
staying out of WINDOWS and calling it from a dos prompt (not from
dos prompt in windows). I looked at your config.sys and autoexec and it
appears close to mine. If you want,I could send copies of mine for you to
look at. Good luck  Dick





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