Command: vmsmount
VMSMOUNT is a DOS redirector for mounting VMware's shared folders.
Syntax:
VMSMOUNT [/H][/V|/Q|/QQ] [/L:<drv>] [/B:<siz[K]>] [/LFN [/M:<n>]
[/CI|/CS]]
VMSMOUNT [/V|/Q|/QQ] /U
Options:
/H - Prints help message and exits.
/V - Verbose: Prints information on system resources.
/Q - Quiet: Omits copyright message.
/QQ - Silent: Does not print any messages at all.
/L:<drive letter> - Drive letter to assign.
(if omitted, use first available).
/B:<size[K]> - Size of read/write buffer.
(4K default, higher values increase performance).
/LFN - Long File Name support. "Mangles" long file names
(or those with illegal or unconvertibe characters)
to valid 8.3 names, using a hash algorithm. For
example, "This is a long file.name" will trans-
late into "THIS˜2BF.NAM"
/M:<n> - Number of mangling chars for short names
(2 minimum, 6 maximum, 3 default). For example,
the same "This is a long file.name" will translate
into "THISI˜02.NAM" if /M:2 or "TH˜0BAC0.NAM" if
/M:5. The default suits most use cases. Increase
if the host file system has many files with
similar long names.
/CI - Host file system is case insensitive, so
"example.txt" and "ExaMPLe.Txt" are the same.
This is the default behaviour.
/CS - Host file system is case sensitive (non-Windows
hosts). Mangles file names whith lower case chars.
For example, "EXAMPLE.TXT" will be left unchanged,
but "Example.txt" will be translated into
"EXAM˜4F0.TXT".
/U - Uninstall
/D - Dump contents of internal stack (if compiled with
debug support)
ENVIRONMENT:
TZ - Valid POSIX timezone. If omitted, file times will be in UTC
(see http://www.gnu.org/s/hello/manual/libc/TZ-Variable.html)
Example: TZ=CET-1CEST-2,M3.5.0/02:00:00,M10.5.0/03:00:00
LANG - Used by the Kitten library to show messages in the correct
language. Currently only available in English, Spanish and
Dutch.
NLSPATH - Used by the Kitten library to find the message catalogs
(VMSMOUNT.EN, VMSMOUNT.ES, VMSMOUNT.NL, ...)
PATH - VMSMOUNT searchs in the PATH for the unicode conversion
tables.
Comments:
PLEASE NOTE THAT VMWARE IS NO OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE!
VMSMOUNT only works on VMWARE virtual machines, not on others!
For more information see:
https://gitlab.com/FreeDOS/net/vmsmount/-/tree/master/NET/VMSMOUNT?
ref_type=heads OR:
https://github.com/eduardocasino/vmsmount/tree/main
VMSMOUNT has the following RETURN CODES (ERRORLEVELS)
If loaded successfully, VMSMOUNT returns the number of the assigned
drive letter starting with 1 ( A == 1, B == 2, C == 3, ... )
If not loaded, errorlevel is set according to the following table:
ERRORLEVEL Meaning
0 Not loaded (help screen requested) or successfully
uninstalled
245 Unable to uninstall
246 Driver not installed and tried to uninstall
247 Invalid buffer size
248 Invalid command line option(s)
249 Unsupported DOS version
250 Not running in a virtual machine
251 Shared folders not enabled
252 Redirector not allowed to install
253 Already installed
254 Invalid drive letter
255 Other system error
Examples:
FREEDOS runs in a VMWARE virtual machine (not Virtualbox, Qemu or
others). VMSMOUNT can connect your virtual FREEDOS machine with your
real system (e.g. Windows, Linux, Mac).
A FREEDOS installation on VMWARE is a little tricky, here a short
description for Windows, but other OSes should work close to this:
a) Download VMWare Workstation Player and install it. Start vmware.
b) Create a new virtual machine using "Installer disc image file(ISO)",
choose "Guest operating System - Other - MS-DOS", then the
Virtual machine name and your location. Then finish the basic
settings.
c) Start FreeDOS installation. With a mouse click into the vm-window
you come into the vmware window, with CTRL-ALT you come out again
(do not forget!!!). After first installation vmware boots up and
shows "55AA" on the screen. Reason: FREEDOS runs only FDISK at
the first installation.
d) To FORMAT the virtual HD and install FREEDOS on the HD the CD has to
be rebooted a SECOND time. This is prevented by vmware as it removes
the installation CD and boots up so fast that you have no chance to
press "F2" to come into BIOS. To fix this go to your home directory
(C:\users\user name\Documents\Virtual Machines\FREEDOS machine name
\FREEDOS machine name.vmx. Edit this file and add the line:
bios.bootdelay = "5000" (can be removed later).
e) With this setting you can boot up, click into the vm window with the
mouse and press "F2" to come into the virtual machines BIOS where
you can CHANGE THE BOOT ORDER (start from CD = ISO file) first.
Then reboot and run the installation from the ISO-CD a second time
and finish the FreeDOS installation.
f) VMSMOUNT is at C:\NET\VMSMOUNT and can be executed from there.
In case that it is not yet there (and you have internet connection)
run "fdnpkg search vmsmount" and then "fdnpkg install vmsmount"
As alternative you can use the FREEDOS ISO file and run "fdimples"
and install it this way. In case it should run permanently do not
forget to modify FDAUTO.BAT (add C:\NET\VMSMOUNT\vmsmount /V /LFN
there).
g) Create a folder (e.g. "SHARE" anywhere at C: (or e.g. at C:\users\
user name\Documents\Virtual Machines\FREEDOS machine name\SHARE".
h) Switch off vmware, start the program and modify the settings for
your vm. Go to "Edit virtual machine settings", then go to "Options"
"Shared Folders" "Always enabled" and add a new "Shared Folder".
Host path see see g), Host name should appear automatically. Save
this settings. Since vmsmount 0.6 the changes can be done while
the player is running via Main window - Player - Manage - virtual
machine settings - Options - Shared Folders. It is also possible
to create several shared folders.
i) If everything went right, you should have an additional drive letter
at FREEDOS (e.g. E:\) which should share the files inside with the
SHARE folder created at g). (copy a file there and you should be
able to see and use it on both OSes).
j) Since version 0.6, VMSMOUNT supports code page changes with CHCP if
the optional VMCHCPD.SYS driver and NLSFUNC are installed, see:
https://github.com/eduardocasino/vmsmount/blob/main/readme.txt
See also:
autoexec.bat/fdauto.bat
environment variables:
errorlevel/exitcode
fdisk
format
Networking FreeDOS
Copyright © 2011-2022 Eduardo Casino-Almao, help version 2023
W. Spiegl.
This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.