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.

FixFonts

Updates the .font files of the FONTS: directory.

Format: FIXFONTS

Template: (none)

Location: SYS:System

FixFonts does not open a window or produce any output. While the FONTS: directory is updated, the drive activity light is on. When the update is finished, the light goes off and the Shell prompt reappears. If the disk needed to update the FONTS: directory is not available or if there is a problem with it, FixFonts produces a standard requester concerning the problem.

Use FixFonts whenever you make changes in the FONTS: directory; for example, copying new font files or deleting single font sizes.

Format

Formats a disk for use with the Amiga.

Format: FORMAT DEVICE | DRIVE <device> NAME <name> [OFS | FFS] [INTERNATIONAL | NOINTERNATIONAL] [DIRCACHE | NODIRCACHE] [NOICONS] [QUICK]

Template: DEVICE=DRIVE/K/A,NAME/K/A,OFS/S,FFS/S,INTL=INTERNATIONAL/S,NOINTL=NOINTERNATIONAL/S,DIRCACHE/S,NODIRCACHE/S,NOICON/S,QUICK/S

Location: SYS:System

You must specify both the DEVICE and the NAME keywords to format a disk. The name can be up to thirty-one characters in length. If there are spaces in the name, enclose it in double quotation marks.

The OFS option formats the disk using the Old File System. The FFS option formats the disk using the Fast File System. FFS formatted disks are faster than OFS formatted disks; however, the FFS disks are not compatible with Amiga system software releases prior to 2.04. The default setting for floppy disks is OFS and for PCMCIA cards and hard drive partitions is FFS.

The INTERNATIONAL option formats disks using the international versions of the file systems. International file systems handle upper and lower letter case conversions of international characters in file names. The NOINTERNATIONAL option forces the non-international file system on devices for which International mode is the default. The default setting for floppy disks and PCMCIA cards is NOINTERNATIONAL and for hard drive partitions is INTERNATIONAL. Disks created with INTERNATIONAL mode set are not compatible with Amiga system software releases prior to 2.04.

The DIRCACHE option enables directory caching, which speeds the opening of drawers, files, requesters, and listings. Using directory caching for floppy disks and systems with slow hard drives speeds directory listings and Workbench window opening. Directory caching is not useful on systems with fast hard drives. The NODIRCACHE option disables directory caching. Disks formatted with Directory Caching s et are not compatible with Amiga system software releases prior to 3.0. The default setting for floppy disks, PCMCIA cards, and hard drives is NODIRCACHE.

The NOICONS option prevents a Trashcan icon and directory from being added to the newly formatted disk.

The QUICK option specifies that Format only formats and creates the root block (and track), the boot block (and track) and creates the bitmap blocks. This can only be used with previously formatted disks. However, you cannot use this to reformat disks for AmigaDOS that were previously formatted for CrossDOS and vice versa.

Example 1

1> FORMAT DRIVE DF0: NAME EmptyDisk

Formats the disk in drive DF0:; erasing any data, and names the disk EmptyDisk.

Example 2

1> FORMAT DRIVE DF2: NAME NewDisk QUICK

Reformats, or erases, a disk that already contains data.

For more examples using the Format command, see Chapter 8.

GraphicDump

Prints the frontmost screen.

Format: GRAPHICDUMP [TINY|SMALL|MEDIUM|LARGE|<xdots>:<ydots>]

Template: TINY/S,SMALL/S,MEDIUM/S,LARGE/S,<xdots>:<ydots>/S

Location: SYS:Tools

GraphicDump waits ten seconds before starting to print to allow you to bring the desired screen to the front of the display.

The size options, which correspond to the program's acceptable Tool Types, determine the width of the printout:

TINY	1/4 the total width allowed by the printer
SMALL	1/2 the total width allowed by the printer
MEDIUM	3/4 the total width allowed by the printer
LARGE	The full width allowed by the printer

The printout's height maintains the proportions of the screen.

To specify exact dimensions, substitute the absolute width in printer dots for <xdots> and the absolute height for <ydots>, separated by a colon (:).

Example 1

1> GRAPHICDUMP SMALL

produces a printout of the frontmost screen that is about one-half the total width allowed by the printer.

Example 2

1> GraphicDump 600:300

produces a printout that is 600 dots width by 300 dots high.

IconEdit

Edits the appearance and type of icons. IconEdit opens the IconEdit program. The command does not support any arguments. For detailed information on IconEdit, see the Workbench User's Guide.

InitPrinter

Initializes a printer for print options specified in the Preferences editors.

Format: INITPRINTER

Template: (none)

Location: SYS:Tools

After running InitPrinter, the Shell prompt returns when the printer resets. The printer is initialized automatically on first access, but if it is powered off, you might need to reinitialize it with InitPrinter.

Intellifont

Runs the Intellifont program to manage outline fonts.

Format: INTELLIFONT [VALIDATE]

Template: VALIDATE/S

Location: SYS:System

Intellifont installs new outline fonts on your system, specifies new sizes for existing fonts, and deletes unneeded fonts. You can also create bitmap versions of any size outline font for applications that do not support outline fonts directly.

Setting the VALIDATE option checks fonts to be sure they are installed properly and that everything needed to run them is present.

KeyShow

Displays the current Keymap. There are no arguments for the KeyShow command. For detailed information about KeyShow, see the Workbench User's Guide.

MEmacs

Enables screen-oriented text editing.

Format: MEMACS [<filename>] [OPT W] [GOTO <n>]

Template: FROM/M,OPT/K,GOTO/K

Location: SYS:Tools

See MEmacs for more information.

More

Displays the contents of a designated ASCII file in the Shell window. More does not have an icon. It has been superseded by the MultiView program; however, it is still available.

Format: MORE <filename>

Template: (none)

Location: SYS:Utilities

Specify the complete path if the file is not in the current directory. More displays a file requester if you do not specify a file.

Pressing the H key provides explanations for More's command keys. The following options can be used with More:

<Space>	Next Page (More).
<Return>	Next Line.
q or Ctrl+C	Quit.
H	Help.
/string	Search for string (case-sensitive). Entering n following the string searches for the next occurrence of the string.
.string	Search for string (not case-sensitive).
N	Find next occurrence of search string.
Ctrl+L	Refresh window.
<	First page.
>	Last page.
%N	Move %N into the file.
b or <Backspace>	Previous page (less).
E	Edit the current file using the editor set in ENV:EDITOR.

More also accepts input from a PIPE. The Previous Page (Backspace or b), Last Page (>), and Move %N into file (%N) commands are disabled when the More input is from a PIPE because standard input from a PIPE is of unknown length.

When you use More from the Shell, you can open an editor to use on the file you are viewing (press Shift+E) if the EDITOR variable is defined. Provide the complete path to the specified editor in the EDITOR variable; for example, C:ED.

Example

1> MORE DF0:TestFile

displays the contents of the ASCII file called TestFile on the disk in drive DF0:.