Error spawning a program

[drdca]

Autoexec.txt:

@echo OFF

USE Z: \\postie\c-drive

path c:\msged;c:\tse32

c:

cd \msged

timed

exit


Problem: the program Timed (a fidonet message editor) will spawn an editor when writing/editing a message. The editor spawned can be "internal" to Timed (which works fine) or an external editor can be defined (which is the problem). From the timed.cfg file:

; TimEd also has in internal editor. Put: "Editor Internal" here if you want to use it!

;

;Editor Internal

Editor \tse32\q.exe



When I start (or edit) a message, the tse program starts (q.exe) it halts with "Error 2 creating C:\msged\timed.msg Press <Escape>"
I can do that, and then get a prompt (from q.exe) to choose a "file to edit", with c:\msged\timed.msg selected. This name gives the same error message. If I erase that prompt down to just "timed.msg" (and the window shows that it is in c:\msged) then it opens and runs just fine!!

Sorry for the long explanation -- now, of course, my question is how can I resolve this problem so that I don't have to change the file prompt every time!  I should mention that in the old 32bit days, timed would run q without any problems at all. It may be important to know that q will run under 64bit windows; timed will not.

Thanks!!
Cheers, Dallas

[Jos]

If q.exe runs in Windows 64-bit, it would be a Windows program? Using Windows file system paths, so a non-existing C:\msged.

Eventually start vDos with the log option (….vDos.exe /log) and have a look at the generated vDos.log file for what’s going on.

I guess you would have to assign vDos/DOS C: to Windows C:.

Jos

[drdca]

Thanks - I'll enable the log (didn't realize it was an option!) and see what it shows. q.exe is a 32bit Windows and is on path. I'll get back to you with the log.

[drdca]

Well, this is interesting (but not informative to me, at least). Here's the log - using the Timed internal editor. vDOS is complaining a lot but everything works!!! I'd appreciate your expert eye!

vDos 2021.05.01

SetCodePage 437

C: => (Local) C:\vDos\

Z: => (Remote) \\postie\c-drive\



0.08 Execute: timed.EXE()

Delayed logging, set w/o DOS call:

Int 22 => original



Execute: C:\MSGED\dos4gw.exe()

OpenFile failed: MSGED\DOS4GW.ETX(2) => C:\vDos\MSGED\DOS4GW.ETX(2)

Int 15 unhandled call BFDE

Int 2F unhandled call 1687

Int 15 unhandled call BFDE

Int 15 unhandled call BF01

Int 15 => 03DB:12CC

0.11 Int 2F unhandled call 1600

0.27 OpenFile failed: MSGED\LOCKTEST.~~~(2) => C:\vDos\MSGED\LOCKTEST.~~~(2)

Record locking verified for DOS C:

OpenFile failed: MSGED\TIMED0.TAG(2) => C:\vDos\MSGED\TIMED0.TAG(2)

1.09 Delayed logging, set w/o DOS call:

Int 15 => 05DC:12CC

Int 1B => 05DC:1168

Int 23 => 05DC:1188

Int 24 => 05DC:118C

3.89 OpenFile failed: INBOUND\MSG\TIMED.DAT(2) => \\postie\c-drive\INBOUND\MSG\TIMED.DAT(2)

OpenFile failed: INBOUND\MSG\ORIGIN(2) => \\postie\c-drive\INBOUND\MSG\ORIGIN(2)

16.84 OpenFile failed: MSGS\R17C.SQT(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\R17C.SQT(2)

OpenFile failed: MSGS\R17C.SQO(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\R17C.SQO(2)

17.55 FindFirst failed: Z:\msgs\bad_msgs\*.msg(18)

FindFirst failed: Z:\inbound\unprot\*.msg(18)

OpenFile failed: INBOUND\UNPROT\LASTREAD(2) => \\postie\c-drive\INBOUND\UNPROT\LASTREAD(2)

FindFirst failed: Z:\msgs\bounced\*.msg(18)

17.58 FindFirst failed: Z:\msgs\holdmail\*.msg(18)

17.63 Invalid path reference: X:\MSGED\DALLAS

OpenFile failed: MSGS\STARS.SQT(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\STARS.SQT(2)

17.64 OpenFile failed: MSGS\STARS.SQO(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\STARS.SQO(2)

54.93 Record locking verified for DOS Z:

OpenFile failed: MAX\ECHOTOSS.LOG(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MAX\ECHOTOSS.LOG(2)

167.64 OpenFile failed: MAX\ECHOTOSS.LOG(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MAX\ECHOTOSS.LOG(2)

232.12 OpenFile failed: MAX\ECHOTOSS.LOG(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MAX\ECHOTOSS.LOG(2)

360.06 OpenFile failed: MAX\ECHOTOSS.LOG(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MAX\ECHOTOSS.LOG(2)

370.31 OpenFile failed: DALLAS\MSGS\DHOLD.SQL(3) => C:\vDos\DALLAS\MSGS\DHOLD.SQL(3)

OpenFile failed: DALLAS\MSGS\DHOLD.SQI(3) => C:\vDos\DALLAS\MSGS\DHOLD.SQI(3)

OpenFile failed: DALLAS\MSGS\KUDOS.SQL(3) => C:\vDos\DALLAS\MSGS\KUDOS.SQL(3)

OpenFile failed: DALLAS\MSGS\KUDOS.SQI(3) => C:\vDos\DALLAS\MSGS\KUDOS.SQI(3)

370.35 OpenFile failed: MSGS\SURVIVOR.SQL(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\SURVIVOR.SQL(2)

OpenFile failed: MSGS\SURVIVOR.SQI(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\SURVIVOR.SQI(2)

370.36 OpenFile failed: MSGS\FUNNY.SQT(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\FUNNY.SQT(2)

OpenFile failed: MSGS\FUNNY.SQO(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\FUNNY.SQO(2)

373.99 OpenFile failed: MSGS\ALLFIX_F.SQT(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\ALLFIX_F.SQT(2)

OpenFile failed: MSGS\ALLFIX_F.SQO(2) => \\postie\c-drive\MSGS\ALLFIX_F.SQO(2)

[Jos]

vDos is not really complaining, just mostly reporting what could be of interest, like failed DOS API calls. Many of those will be the program determining what has to be done.
Could be "Invalid path reference: X:\MSGED\DALLAS" is of interest. The drive letter X doesn't exist in vDos, neither later on the directory DALLAS in (Windows) C:\vDos.

Logging with calling q.exe will be less informative since q.exe runs beyond vDos control, so nothing is reported. As said, q.exe expects Windows path, and at the moment those differ from DOS/vDos paths.

Jos

[drdca]

Hi Jos -- ok, thanks for the info. Q is quite happy to be called directly (it doesn't need to be on path for most operations). AND I've tried putting q.exe right into \vdos with no change in behaviour. I'm wondering if it's more to do with the call from timed as it spawns the editor. Timed creates c:\vdos\msged\timed.msg with a couple of lines (greeting and goodbye lines) and the editor (internal or external) opens that file (and ONLY that file). When the editor closes, timed.msg is imported back into whichever message base it was started from.

[Jos]

If the DOS directory structure doesn’t match that of Windows, like DOS C:\ being Windows C:\vDos\, Q will fail to open the DOS file reference that is passed on to it.
You would need USE C: C:\ to ensure DOS and Windows directory structures are the same (for C:).

Jos

[drdca]

That seems to cause vdos to not run at all!
Autoexec.bat:
@echo OFF
USE Z: \\postie\c-drive
USE C: C:\
path c:\msged;c:\tse32
Prompt c:
c:
cd \msged
timed
exit

[Jos]

Delete or rem-out “@echo off”, that only keeps you in the dark of what’s going on.

Loose the line “Prompt c:”, don’t know what you expect of that.

Before the last line “exit”, add a line with “pause”. So you actually can see what’s going on (wrong).

Jos