FM/2 Utilities

Bunch of free utils (including HPFS defrag) text mode only. This is a collection of utilities that may prove useful in conjunction  with FM/2 (File Manager/2), or even without it.

All the .EXE utilities provide help if you run them with /? as an  argument (hint:  arguments shown in brackets [] are optional, arguments  shown in braces <> are required).  The .CMD utilities may be directly  inspected using a text editor and are commented as to use and function.  It's recommended that you place these utilities into a directory on your  PATH (type HELP PATH at a command prompt if you don't know what that  means).  If you have FM/2 installed, may you suggest you make a UTILS directory off your FM/2 directory (the FM/2 INSTALL.CMD assumes you  will, and will make some program objects for you).

These utilities are standalone, meaning that one doesn't rely on  another.  You can therefore delete any you don't want to keep around  without affecting the operation of any of the others.

Following is a very brief description of each program in the package:

• BEEP.EXE: Makes a beep noise.
• CRC.EXE: Calculates and prints the CRC of a file or files.
• CVT4OS2.CMD: Converts 4DOS/4OS2 non-standard DESCRIPT.ION files to WPS-standard .SUBJECT EAs (A brief description of the content or purpose of the object.). See comments in program.
• CVTFBBS.CMD: Converts FILES.BBS file comments to WPS-standard .SUBJECT EAs (see comments in program).
• DELTREE.EXE: Deletes a directory and all its subdirectories and files.
• DRVRLIST.EXE: Lists all mounted drivers.  Use /w switch for a "wide" listing.
• DRVTYPES.EXE: Lists all drives with information on their types.
• DSTART.EXE: A START command that will work from OS/2 DOS VDMs (penalty box).
• EA.EXE: An extended attribute manipulation program.  Can be used to zap all the EAs from REXX .CMD files.
• EJECT.EXE: Eject media from a removable drive.  Notes:  when EJECT, LOCK or UNLOCK returns Error code 31, it usually means that function is not supported for the requested drive.  "The parameter is not correct" may mean you tried it on a non-existent or fixed drive. Error 163 is not in the OS/2 message file; it's "uncertain media," and usually just repeating the command will "fix" it.
• FATOPT.EXE (Used by "stock" FM/2): An OS/2 FAT optimizer.Defragment, condense freespaces, sort file and directory names, test sectors in system areas, test (and repair some damaged) clusters, report on drive usage. If you receive a "FATOpt can't lock" message from FATOpt, the drive is in use and FATOpt can't optimize it; try booting from floppies (place FATOPT.EXE on the floppy together with VIOCALLS.DLL). If you receive a "FATOpt ran out of memory" error, add RAM and/or set up a swapfile on a partition other than the one being optimized (type HELP SWAPPATH at a command line for more info) and/or try the -p or -q switches. Other errors (uncommon) should be self-explanatory, if distressing. CHKDSK/F should be run before running FATOpt, and it's always a good idea to back up before defragging. FATOpt errorlevel returns for batch files:
• 0 = no problems,
• 1 = user abort,
• 2 = out of memory,
• 3 = bad file (run CHKDSK/F),
• 4 = can't open drive,
• 5 = can't lock drive,
• 6 = can't fix bad cluster,
• 7 = insufficient free space on drive,
• 8 = unknown error,
• 9 = bad system area,
• 10 = error during standard file copy.

BACKUP BEFORE OPTIMIZING.  REMEMBER THE BEST OPTIMIZATION IS ACCOMPLISHED BY A BACKUP/DELETE/RESTORE.

• FINDPATH.EXE: List a PATH-style environment variable's directories (or LIBPATH), or find a file or files in those directories. Perhaps useful for tracking down files that appear in more than one directory on the PATH or LIBPATH.
• FLUSH.EXE: Flush file system caches and buffers (make system quiescent).
• FM2PLAY.EXE (Used by "stock" FM/2): Used by FM/2 to play multimedia files with the "Play Multimedia" command (requires MMPM/2).
• HPFSOPT.EXE (Used by "stock" FM/2): An HPFS optimizer.
• ICONIFY.EXE: "Iconifies" image files, which is to say that it sets the icon of image files to be miniature versions of the image files. A PM program, but designed to be run in batch mode from a command line.
• IMAGE.EXE (Used by "stock" FM/2): Used by FM/2 to quickly display image files (requires MMPM/2). Request a context menu for several options.
• ISTEXT.EXE: Returns ERRORLEVEL 1 if a file appears to be a text (ASCII) file, 0 if not or file is inaccessible.
• KILL2.EXE: A timed deletion/touch/list utility.
• KILLPID.EXE: Kill processes by PID or title, or list PIDs of running processes. See also SWITCHTO.EXE.
• KEYLOCKS.EXE: Control state of num lock, caps lock, scroll lock. Note: PM program, but still designed to be run from command line.
• LA.EXE: Lists the contents of archive files, extracts files from archives using one command without you having to know the archive type or archiver commands (requires ARCHIVER.BB2 datafile to be on your PATH or DPATH, copy included in the archive, edit to taste/need).
• LINES.EXE: Counts lines in text files.
• LOCK.EXE: Lock a removable drive.
• MAKEOBJ.CMD: Creates WPS objects for filenames, program objects for programs, shadows for everything else on the desktop (shadows can be considered as equivalent to the symbolic links of UNIX systems, but unlike the latter, they can be configured and customized, as well as the objects they refer to, thus allowing multiple and differentiated uses according to the user's requirements).
• MKPATH.EXE: Make directories many levels deep with one command.
• MOV.EXE: A MOVE command that can move between drives and optionally allows overwriting.
• MSENSIT.EXE: Set sensitivity of mouse.
• NO.EXE: Hides file system objects, then runs a command (excludes file system objects from a command).
• NOCAD.EXE: Disables/reenables (toggles) CTRL-ALT-DEL.
• OPEN.EXE: Opens a WPS object or website.
• PRIORITY.EXE: A launch-with-priority program that lets you set the priority of other programs when you start them.
• PTREE.EXE: Displays the tree of a given path, several options.
• QFORMAT.EXE: Quick format floppies by zapping the root and FATs.  NOTE:  Warp's FORMAT will do this now, too (/Q switch).
• QPLAY.EXE: Quiet play plays multimedia files via MMPM/2 without showing itself (perhaps useful from batch files).
• REBOOT.EXE: Reboots the system as though you'd pressed CTRL-ALT-DEL.
• REBOOTP.EXE: Reboots the system as though you'd pressed CTRL-ALT-DEL after broadcasting a WM_QUIT message to all children of the desktop and waiting 60 seconds for the applications to save their settings and quit (note that VIO and DOS applications will pop up their "Are you sure?" boxes, but you don't have to be there to answer (and shouldn't be, use instead SHUTDOWN command instead, if you're not automating), though such apps won't pick up on the hint to shut down). This is a PM application, but still designed to be run from command line.
• REMTAB.EXE: Removes TABs from text files.
• RENCASE.EXE: Renames files to the same name but all upper, lower or "mixed" case.
• RESET.EXE: Resets a drive.
• SAVEDESK.EXE: Saves the Desktop, optionally restarts WPS by killing it and letting it restart itself.
• SCOPY.EXE: Copy new files and/or newer versions of existing files. Primarily intended for backup and synchronization.
• SDIR.CMD: Directory listing that shows .SUBJECT EAs.
• SEEHELP.EXE: For systems where VIEW.EXE will not display .HLP files, this lets you view help files without starting the program to which they belong.
• SMODE.EXE: Set screen modes (columns, rows, resolutions) for VIO/full screen sessions or reports on available modes.
• SNAPSHOT.EXE: Creates a "snapshot" file compatible with PMDMatch program (optional).
• SR.EXE: Simple search-and-replace command, optional interactive mode. Intended to be used non-interactively for many files in a single pass (otherwise a text editor is more suitable).
• SRCH.CMD: A search command for OS/2 (finds text in files).
• STRIP.EXE: Filter that strips specified strings from input.
• SUBJ.CMD: Show and modify .SUBJECT EAs.
• STRIPCDS.EXE: A filter that strips ANSI and VT-100 escape codes from stdin and writes the results to stdout.
• SWEEP.CMD: A sweep command for OS/2; performs a command in all subdirectories of the current directory, i.e. Seeep DEL *.BAK.
• SWITCHTO.EXE: Switch current or a specified process (by PID or partial title) to the foreground.
• TEST.EXE, TEST.CMD, TESTPM.EXE: Repeat all the arguments it receives; useful for debugging command lines and figuring out what arguments one program receives from another.
• TESTDRV.EXE: Test a drive.  Should be run with a drive other than the one being tested as the default for best results (saves a logfile listing any bad sectors found to the default directory).
• TESTFIND.EXE: Tests an IFS's DosFindFirst/Next implementation for troubleshooting.
• TESTHAND.EXE: Reports the number and type of inherited file handles.
• TESTRC.EXE: Runs a program and reports its return code (ERRORLEVEL).
• TYPERATE.EXE: Sets the typematic rate.
• UNARJER.CMD: Unarjs any arj file dropped onto it into the same directory where the arj file resides, then opens a folder for that directory.
• UNIQUE.EXE: Counts the number of lines, words and unique words in a text file, gives a breakdown of how many times each unique word was used.
• UNLOCK.EXE: Unlock a removable drive.
• UNLZHER.CMD: Unlzhs any lzh file dropped onto it into the same directory where the lzh file resides, then opens a folder for that directory.
• UNZIPPER.CMD: Unzips any zip file dropped onto it into the same directory where the zip file resides, then opens a folder for that directory.
• WHERE.CMD: A where command for OS/2; finds files on a specified or the default drive.
• WIPE.EXE: Wipes then erases files so that their data cannot be recovered. Meets DOD standards.

WARNING: The features offered by some of these programs are extremely powerful, and if used improperly, even inadvertently, they could result in data loss, program malfunctions, unexpected results, or even system locks. Although you are advised to use it only to professional or very experted users, it is recommended that you always read carefully the description of all the parameters you plan for each program you want to use.