Re: Setting paths in NT

["Patricia M. Godfrey" priscamg@xxxxxxxx]

Robert,

Yet again, profound thanks.
Well, back when I was first having problems with Xy2PDF
(12/05-1/05), we discovered that it was because GSView
WASN'T in the path.

That shouldn't be. In GSView Options --> Advanced Configure, have you got the
Ghostscript Include Path set up right? It should be something like
 f:\gs\gs8.53\lib;f:\gs\fonts;f:\gs\gs8.53\Resource;C:\WINNT\fonts;
and the GS DLL box should point at e.g.
 f:\gs\gs8.53\bin\gsdll32.dll

OK, I'm looking at this at home, which is 98SE, so of
course the c:\winnt\fonts item isn't here. Will
remember to make sure it's there on the W2K box. Rest
are all OK.
And yes, you're absolutely right (so what else is
new?): I tested by removing all references to the
path-setting batfile from the Pif properties, and
xy2pdf ran without a whimper. Back in Jan 05, Carl did
think that GSview might need to be referenced in the
path, but this pretty conclusively proves it doesn't.
What app is the "OTHER DOS app"?
dBase 5, which did require a batfile under Novell DOS 7
(which was what? 10 years ago?), but doesn't anymore.
Sorry, sorry, sorry. I was thinking of those days, but
I just checked now and I don't have a batfile loading
it anyplace.
Actually, you can -- but it's a bad idea.

Forewarned is forearmed.
The first two commands above are satisfied via the "Start in" line in the
Shortcut's Properties.

Talk about not seeing the woods for the trees. In DOS,
of course, one didn't have shortcuts. So one continues
doing things the way one always did, without ever
THINKING! Mea maxima culpa.
 But much better is a
STARTUP.INT that *begins* by establishing your d:\path
-- then you have a
location-blind Xy installation -- you can run from
anywhere just by commanding
"EDITOR" (as long as Editor's dir is in the DOS Path,
as it should be -- this
is the only DOS Path statement that you really do
need). Here's the way my INT
begins:
I'm going to look this over VERY carefully when I get a
chance (just got the paper out, and Copy editor is due
in my inbox tomorrow); I've been thinking for some time
that I should configure all my Xy setups more or less
portable.
>(and always on the C: drive too -- you gotta ask
yourself, it's like talking to
a wall...).

I CANNOT understand it. I do have Xy on C on a couple
of boxes, because they have very small hard drives, and
I was afraid when I set them up that I'd find myself
needing space on C and having it to spare on D
(DosApps) and kicking myself. But I categorically
refuse to put my data on C; there's GOT to be a data
drive--physical or logical.
I don't know if I should tell you this; it might be the
last straw. A couple of months ago I was at a PC club
meeting where the topic was partitioning. One member
was COMPLAINING because her hard drive had come
partitioned and she WANTED one big drive C:! Incredible!
Look, there's nothing wrong with long-ish DOS Path
> environments as long as
they are ordered correctly. If you have system32 first, that's going to catch
almost everything, and the OpSys isn't going to plough through all the other
paths because it already found what it wants.
Ah. So I was still thinking in the RAM-poor DOS mode.
OK, good to know.

--
Patricia M. Godfrey
PriscaMG@xxxxxxxx