Command: config.sys / fdconfig.sys
FreeDOS reads the CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS file at startup to
configure the DOS system. It is read before the AUTOEXEC.BAT /
FDAUTO.BAT file is run.
FreeDOS first tries to use FDCONFIG.SYS first (and ignores CONFIG.SYS).
If FDCONFIG.SYS does not exist, FreeDOS will use CONFIG.SYS instead.
CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS are text files. They can be created
or edited with a text editor such as EDIT or EDLIN.
CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS must ALWAYS be in the root directory
of the boot media.
Syntax:
- none -
Options:
- none -
Comments:
When booting DOS, you will find it only supports a subset
of the devices available on many computers. To support
additional devices and advanced features, device specific
driver and memory resident software must be loaded. This
allows the kernel to be easily extended to support hardware
not presently available and take better advantage of installed
hardware without wasting resources on computers lacking it.
This software is generally loaded during the kernel initialization
phase, with details describing what to load expressed in the
file CONFIG.SYS. The FreeDOS kernel will first look for a
file named FDCONFIG.SYS, should it exist, it will be used
instead of CONFIG.SYS; this allows the FreeDOS kernel to coexist
and be configured differently than another DOS kernel. There are
additional options available to adjust other aspects of the kernel's
behaviour.
There is a special set of commands for use in the CONFIG.SYS /
FDCONFIG.SYS file, see the links below.
DOS prompt and BATCH FILE commands generally cannot be used in
CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS. See also the MENU command.
If you press "F5" while booting up the system, CONFIG.SYS /
FDCONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT commands are ignored.
This is helpful if you have a driver installed which crashes
while booting up the system. With this option you can repair
a system by removing the crashing driver / command from
CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT.
If you press "F8" while booting up the system, each command in
CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS and in AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT has to be
confirmed with "yes" or "no". This is helpful if you want to
find out which driver crashes.
Examples:
Simple example for german settings (Load FreeDOS with JEMM386,
(no EMX, max RAM free, modified from FreeDOS 1.3 live HD):
SET DOSDIR=C:\FREEDOS
COUNTRY=049,858,C:\FREEDOS\BIN\country.sys (german setting)
LASTDRIVE=W
BUFFERS=20
FILES=40
DOS=HIGH
DOS=UMB
DOSDATA=UMB
DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\himemx.exe
DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\jemm386.exe NOEMS X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF
NOVME NOINVLPG
SHELLHIGH= C:\FREEDOS\BIN\command.com C:\FREEDOS\BIN /E:1024
/P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT
Same example for german settings with a menu:
!SET DOSDIR=C:\FREEDOS
!COUNTRY=049,858,C:\FREEDOS\BIN\country.sys (german setting)
!LASTDRIVE=W
!BUFFERS=20
!FILES=40
!MENUCOLOR=7,0
MENUDEFAULT=1,5
MENU 1 - Load FreeDOS with JEMM386 (no EMS, max RAM free)
MENU 2 - Load FreeDOS with JEMM386 (Expanded Memory)
MENU 3 - Load FreeDOS low with some drivers (Safe Mode)
MENU 4 - Load FreeDOS without drivers (Emergency Mode)
12?DOS=HIGH
12?DOS=UMB
12?DOSDATA=UMB
123?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\himemx.exe
1?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\jemm386.exe NOEMS X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF
NOVME NOINVLPG
2?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\jemm386.exe X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF NOVME
NOINVLPG
34?SHELL=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\command.com C:\FREEDOS\BIN /E:1024
/P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT
12?SHELLHIGH=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\command.com C:\FREEDOS\BIN /E:1024
/P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT
Note:
SHELL / SHELLHIGH indicates the shell to use; often used to alter
COMMAND.COM's behavior. It is command.com that processes AUTOEXEC.BAT /
FDAUTO.BAT; by using the SHELL option you have to choose which
XY.BAT / AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT you want to use.
See also:
; (semicolon) ! (exclamation) ? (question) autoexec.bat break
buffers buffershigh country device devicehigh
dos dosdata echo eecho fcbs
fdauto.bat fdconfig.sys files fileshigh idlehalt
install installhigh keybuf lastdrive lastdrivehigh
menu menucolor menudefault numlock rem
screen set shell shellhigh stacks
stackshigh switchar switches version
Copyright © 2003 Robert Platt, updated 2008 and 2022 by W. Spiegl.
This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.