AmigaOS Manual: AmigaDOS Workbench-Related Command Reference

The commands described in this chapter are command line equivalents of running Workbench programs. They are divided into the following functional categories:

• Preferences editors
• Commodities programs
• Other Workbench related tools and programs

These command groupings have been made for documentation purposes only.

Note
A full description for using all of the Workbench editors, tools, and programs can be found in the Workbench User's Guide.

Preferences Editors

The commands listed in this section invoke the Workbench Preferences editors.

The same arguments and switches appear within many of the Preferences Editors command format statements. These have the same meaning for each command that uses them and are described as follows:

Argument	Meaning
[FROM <filename>]	Specifies a Preferences preset file to open. This file must be previously saved with the given editor's Save As menu item. These files normally have the .pre extension and are stored in the Presets drawer.
[EDIT]	Opens the editor. This is the default if you enter the editor name alone.
[USE]	Uses the settings in the FROM file without opening the editor.
[SAVE]	Saves the settings in the FROM file as the default without opening the editor.
[PUBSREEN <public screen name>]	Allows the editor to open its window on a public screen.
[UNIT]	Causes an additional text gadget to appear in the editor for setting the default unit number.
[CLIPUNIT <clipboard unit>]	Determines which Clipboard unit to use during cut and paste operations.
[NOREMAP]	Turn off color mapping so that the system displays picture files using the colors with which they were saved.

Font

Specifies the fonts used by the system.

Format

FONT [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> FONT

Opens the Font editor, the same as double-clicking on the Font icon.

IControl

Specifies parameters used by the operating system.

Format

ICONTROL [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> ICONTROL Prefs/Presets/IControl.pre

Opens the IControl editor and loads the settings saved in the IControl.pre preset file for editing.

Input

Specifies different speeds for the mouse and keyboard and selects a national keyboard.

Format

INPUT [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> INPUT Prefs/Presets/Input.fast USE

loads and sets the settings from the Input.fast preset without opening the editor. If the system is rebooted, the previously saved default settings are used.

Locale

Allows you to choose the languages available on the system.

Format

LOCALE [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVES/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> LOCALE Prefs/Presets/Locale.UK SAVE

Loads the settings from the Locale.UK preset and saves them as the default without opening the editor. The system retains the Locale.UK settings after rebooting.

Overscan

Changes the sizes of the display areas for text and graphics.

Format

OVERSCAN [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> OVERSCAN PUBSCREEN MyBench

Opens the Overscan editor on the public screen named MyBench.

Palette

Changes the color of the Workbench screen.

Format

PALETTE [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S

Location

SYS:Prefs

Pointer

Changes the appearance of the mouse pointer.

Format

POINTER [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [CLIPUNIT <clipboard unit>] [NOREMAP]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,CLIPUNIT/K/N,NOREMAP/S

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> POINTER CLIPUNIT 1

Opens the Pointer editor, setting the Clipboard unit to 1. This is useful if the default Clipboard unit (0) is already in use.

Printer

Specifies a printer and print options.

Format

PRINTER [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>] [UNIT]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K,UNIT/S

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> PRINTER Prefs/Presets/Printer.post UNIT

Opens the Printer editor, loading the Printer.post preset. A text gadget appears in the editor window so that the default printer unit can be specified for the preset.

PrinterGfx

Specifies graphic printing options.

Format

PRINTERGFX [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

PrinterPS

Controls the features of PostScript printers.

Format

PRINTERPS [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

This editor only applies if you have a PostScript printer and if you choose PostScript in the Printer Preferences editor.

ScreenMode

Selects a display mode for the Workbench screen.

Format

SCREENMODE [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> SCREENMODE Prefs/Presets/DTPscreen USE

You are prompted to close all non-drawer windows; the system resets and uses the settings saved in the DTPscreen file. The editor window does not open. When the system is rebooted, the display mode returns to the last selection saved.

Serial

Sets the specifications for communication through the serial port.

Format

SERIAL [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>] [UNIT]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K,UNIT/S

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> SERIAL Prefs/Presets/Serial.9600 PUBSCREEN MidTerm UNIT

Opens the Serial editor, loading the Serial.9600 preset. The editor opens on the MidTerm public screen and its window contains a Unit gadget.

Sound

Controls the type of sound and sound attributes produced by the Amiga.

Format

SOUND [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

Time

Sets the system clock.

Format

TIME [EDIT | SAVE] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

EDIT/S,SAVE/S,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Prefs

Since setting the time from the Shell always involves saving, the USE option is omitted for the Time editor.

WBPattern

Creates background patterns for the Workbench and Workbench windows.

Format

WBPATTERN [FROM <filename>] [EDIT | USE | SAVE] [CLIPUNIT <clipboard unit>] [NOREMAP]

Template

FROM,EDIT/S,USE/S,SAVE/S,CLIPUNIT/K/N,NOREMAP/S

Location

SYS:Prefs

Example

1> WBPattern Prefs/Presets/Wallpaper.pattern NOREMAP

Opens the WBPattern editor, loading the Wallpaper.pattern preset. The NOREMAP option prevents the remapping of colors in loaded pictures and patterns.

Commodities Programs

The following commands invoke the Workbench Commodity Exchange utilities. They are located in the Tools/Commodities directory.

The following arguments in Commodities program format statements have the same meaning for each command in which they appear. These are the same as entering the corresponding Tool Type in the icon's Information window.

Argument	Meaning
[CX_PRIORITY <priority>]	Sets the priority of the commodity in relation to all the other Commodity Exchange programs. The default value is 0; values higher than 0 give priority over other commodities in regard to hot keys and other commodity related issues. This does not affect task priorities.
[CX_POPKEY <key>]	Allows you to specify the hot key that opens the program's window, if any. When specifying more than one key, enclose the keys in double quotation marks. (For example, CX_POPKEY="Shift F1").
[CX_POPUP=<yes/no>]	Selects whether the program window opens when the command is given.

AutoPoint

Automatically selects any window the pointer is over.

Format

AUTOPOINT [CX_PRIORITY <priority>]

Template

CX_PRIORITY/N/K

Location

SYS:Tool/Commodities

Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit AutoPoint when it is started from a Shell.

Blanker

Causes the monitor screen to go blank or display an animation if no input has been received within a specified period of time. This helps preserve your monitor.

Format

BLANKER [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [CX_POPKEY <key>] [CX_POPUP=<yes | no>] [SECONDS <timeout>] [CYCLECOLORS <yes | no>] [ANIMATION <yes | no>]

Template

CX_PRIORITY/N/K,CX_POPKEY/K,CX_POPUP/S,SECONDS/N/K,CYCLECOLORS/K,ANIMATION/K

Location

SYS:Tools/Commodities

The arguments for Blanker are the same as the Tool Types in Blanker's Information window.

Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit Blanker when it is started from a the Shell.

Example 1

1> BLANKER SECONDS 45

The Blanker window opens and 45 is displayed inside its text gadget. If no mouse or keyboard input is received during a 45 second interval, the screen goes blank.

Example 2

1> BLANKER CX_POPUP=no

The Blanker program starts. If no input is received within 60 seconds (the default), the screen goes blank. The Blanker window does not open.

A further example using Blanker appears in Chapter 8.

ClickToFont

Allows you to bring a window to the front of the screen by double-clicking on it.

Format

CLICKTOFRONT [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [QUALIFIER <qualifier>]

Template

CX_PRIORITY/N/K,QUALIFIER/K

Location

SYS:Tools/Commodities

ClickToFront does not open a window. The arguments are the same as the Tool Types in ClickToFront's Information window.

Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit ClickToFront when it is started from a Shell.

CrossDOS

Sets text filter and conversion options for CrossDOS devices.

Format

CROSSDOS [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [CX_POPKEY <key>] [CX_POPUP <yes | no>]

Template

CX_PRIORITY/N/K,CX_POPKEY/K,CX_POPUP/K,

Location

SYS:Tools/Commodities

CrossDOS lets you read from and write to MS-DOS formatted disks using your standard Amiga drives.

Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit CrossDOS when it is started from a Shell.

Exchange

Monitors and controls the Commodity Exchange programs.

Format

EXCHANGE [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [CX_POPKEY <key>] [CX_POPUP <yes | no>]

Template

CX_PRIORITY/N/K,CX_POPKEY/K,CX_POPUP/K

Location

SYS:Tools/Commodities

Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit Exchange when it is started from a Shell.

Example

1> EXCHANGE CX_POPKEY "Shift F1"

The Exchange program is started and its window appears on the screen. When its window is hidden, pressing Shift+F1 reveals it.

FKey

Assigns commands to special key sequences, eliminating the need for repetitive typing.

Format

FKEY [CX_PRIORITY <priority>] [CX_POPKEY <key>] [CX_POPUP <yes | no>]

Template

CX_PRIORITY/N/K,CX_POPKEY/K,CX_POPUP/K

Location

SYS:Tools/Commodities

FKey assigns any of eight commands to any key sequence that can be entered.

Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit FKey when it is started from a Shell.

MouseBlanker

Removes the mouse pointer from the screen while entering input from the keyboard.

Format

MOUSEBLANKER [CX_PRIORITY <priority>]

Template

CX_PRIORITY/N/K

Location

SYS:Tools/Commodities

Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit MouseBlanker when it is started from a Shell.

NoCapsLock

Disables the Caps Lock key.

Format

NOCAPSLOCK [CX_PRIORITY <priority>]

Template

CX_PRIORITY/N/K

Location

SYS:Tools/Commodities

Press Ctrl+C or use the BREAK command to exit NoCapsLock when it is started from a Shell.

Other Workbench-Related Tools and Programs

The following group of commands invoke other Workbench tools, utilities, and programs.

Calculator

Provides an on-screen calculator.

Format

CALCULATOR [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>] [TAPE <window>]

Template

PUBSCREEN,TAPE/K

Location

SYS:Tools

The output of the Calculator can be copied and pasted into any console window, such as the Shell or ED.

TAPE creates a Calculator window of a specific size in which your input and output is displayed. The specification is in the form of:

TAPE=RAW:x/y/width/height/title/options

For a description of the options and arguments used for the TAPE window, see the description of window specification for the NEWSHELL command in Chapter 6.

Clock

Provides an on-screen clock.

Format

CLOCK [DIGITAL] [<LEFT>] [<TOP>] [<WIDTH>] [<HEIGHT>] [24HOUR] [SECONDS] [DATE] [<FORMAT><n>] [PUBSCREEN <public screen name>]

Template

DIGITAL/S,LEFT/N,TOP/N,WIDTH/N,HEIGHT/N,24HOUR/S,SECONDS/S,DATE/S,FORMAT/N,PUBSCREEN/K

Location

SYS:Utilities

The DIGITAL option opens a digital clock. A resizable analog clock is the default.

The LEFT, TOP, WIDTH, and HEIGHT options allow you to specify the size and position of the clock. The keywords are optional; if not given, the numerical arguments are interpreted by their position as follows:

1st number	The clock opens <n> pixels from the left edge of the screen.
2nd number	The clock opens <n> pixels from the top of the screen.
3rd number	The analog clock is <n> pixels wide.
4th number	The analog clock is <n> pixels high.

For example, to specify only the width and height of the Clock, use the WIDTH and HEIGHT keywords. When entering only two numbers, the clock interprets them as the LEFT and TOP positions. WIDTH and HEIGHT are not available if you use the DIGITAL option.

The 24HOUR option displays the time in 24 hour mode, which is not available for the analog clock.

The SECONDS option displays a second hand on the analog clock and has no effect if DIGITAL is specified.

The DATE option displays the date.

The FORMAT option applies only to the digital clock. It takes a value from 0 to 5, which determines which of the six digital formats is used. Formats 4 and 5 vary, depending on your Locale Preferences Editor settings. To specify a digital format, either include the FORMAT keyword or use LEFT, TOP, WIDTH, and HEIGHT values; the WIDTH and HEIGHT values function as placeholders only and are ignored.

Example 1

To open a clock that is 75 pixels from the left edge of the screen, 75 pixels from the top edge of the screen, 300 pixels wide and 100 pixels high, enter:

1> CLOCK 75 75 300 100

Example 2

To use the SECONDS and DATE options, enter:

1> CLOCK SECONDS DATE

Example 3

To open a 24-hour digital clock with seconds that is 320 pixels from the left edge of the screen and in the screen's title bar (0 pixels from the top), enter:

1> CLOCK DIGITAL 320 0 FORMAT 2

For more examples using Clock, see Chapter 8.

CMD

Redirects serial or parallel output to a file.

Format

CMD <devicename> <filename> [OPT S | M | N]

Template

DEVICENAME/A,FILENAME/A,OPT/K

Location

SYS:Tools

The <devicename> can be serial or parallel. To redirect printer output, it should be the same device as specified in the Printer editor. <Filename> is the name of the file to which the redirected output should be sent.

The CMD options are as follows:

S	Skip any short initial write (usually a reset if redirecting a screen dump).
M	Redirect multiple files until a BREAK command or Ctrl+C is entered.
N	Notify user of progress (messages are displayed on the screen).

Example

1> CMD parallel RAM:cmd_file

Any output sent to the parallel port is rerouted to a file in RAM: called cmd_file.

DiskCopy

Copies the contents of one disk to another.

Format

DISKCOPY [FROM] <device> [TO] <device> [NAME <name>] [NOVERIFY] [MULTI]

Template

FROM/A,TO/A,NAME/K,NOVERIFY/S,MULTI/S,

Location

SYS:System

The <device> parameters specify the name of the disk devices to copy from and to copy to; for example, DF0: and DF1:.

By default, the destination disk has the same name as the source disk. If you specify the NAME option, you can give the destination disk a different name from the source disk.

Normally during a DiskCopy, the Amiga copies and verifies each cylinder of data. The NOVERIFY option allows you to skip the verification process, making the copy faster.

The MULTI option loads the data on the source disk into memory, allowing you to make multiple copies without having to read the data from the source disk each time.

Example 1

1> DISKCOPY> DF0: TO DF2:

copies the contents of the disk in drive DF0: to the disk in drive DF2: overwriting the contents of the disk in drive DF2:.

Example 2

1> DISKCOPY DF0: TO DF2: NAME NewDisk NOVERIFY

copies the contents of the disk in drive DF0: to the disk in drive DF2: and gives the disk in drive DF2: the name NewDisk. The disk is not verified as it is copied.