Command: config.sys / fdconfig.sys

  FreeDOS reads the CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS file at startup to
  configure the DOS system. It is read before the AUTOEXEC.BAT /
  FDAUTO.BAT file is run.
  FreeDOS first tries to use FDCONFIG.SYS first (and ignores CONFIG.SYS).
  If FDCONFIG.SYS does not exist, FreeDOS will use CONFIG.SYS instead.
  CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS are text files. They can be created
  or edited with a text editor such as EDIT or EDLIN.
  CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS must ALWAYS be in the root directory
  of the boot media.

Syntax:

  - none -

Options:

  - none -

Comments:

  When booting DOS, you will find it only supports a subset
  of the devices available on many computers. To support
  additional devices and advanced features, device specific
  driver and memory resident software must be loaded. This
  allows the kernel to be easily extended to support hardware
  not presently available and take better advantage of installed
  hardware without wasting resources on computers lacking it.
  This software is generally loaded during the kernel initialization
  phase, with details describing what to load expressed in the
  file CONFIG.SYS. The FreeDOS kernel will first look for a
  file named FDCONFIG.SYS, should it exist, it will be used
  instead of CONFIG.SYS; this allows the FreeDOS kernel to coexist
  and be configured differently than another DOS kernel. There are
  additional options available to adjust other aspects of the kernel's
  behaviour.
  There is a special set of commands for use in the CONFIG.SYS /
  FDCONFIG.SYS file, see the links below.
  DOS prompt and BATCH FILE commands generally cannot be used in
  CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS. See also the MENU command.
  If you press "F5" while booting up the system, CONFIG.SYS /
  FDCONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT commands are ignored.
  This is helpful if you have a driver installed which crashes
  while booting up the system. With this option you can repair
  a system by removing the crashing driver / command from
  CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT.
  If you press "F8" while booting up the system, each command in
  CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS and in AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT has to be
  confirmed with "yes" or "no". This is helpful if you want to
  find out which driver crashes.

Examples:

Simple example for german settings (Load FreeDOS with JEMM386,

(no EMX, max RAM free, modified from FreeDOS 1.3 live HD):

    SET DOSDIR=C:\FREEDOS
    COUNTRY=049,858,C:\FREEDOS\BIN\country.sys (german setting)
    LASTDRIVE=W
    BUFFERS=20
    FILES=40
    DOS=HIGH
    DOS=UMB
    DOSDATA=UMB
    DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\himemx.exe
    DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\jemm386.exe NOEMS X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF
           NOVME NOINVLPG
    SHELLHIGH= C:\FREEDOS\BIN\command.com C:\FREEDOS\BIN /E:1024
           /P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT

Same example for german settings with a menu:

    !SET DOSDIR=C:\FREEDOS
    !COUNTRY=049,858,C:\FREEDOS\BIN\country.sys (german setting)
    !LASTDRIVE=W
    !BUFFERS=20
    !FILES=40
    !MENUCOLOR=7,0

    MENUDEFAULT=1,5
    MENU 1 - Load FreeDOS with JEMM386 (no EMS, max RAM free)
    MENU 2 - Load FreeDOS with JEMM386 (Expanded Memory)
    MENU 3 - Load FreeDOS low with some drivers (Safe Mode)
    MENU 4 - Load FreeDOS without drivers (Emergency Mode)

    12?DOS=HIGH
    12?DOS=UMB
    12?DOSDATA=UMB
    123?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\himemx.exe
    1?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\jemm386.exe NOEMS X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF
             NOVME NOINVLPG
    2?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\jemm386.exe X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF NOVME
             NOINVLPG
    34?SHELL=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\command.com C:\FREEDOS\BIN /E:1024
             /P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT
    12?SHELLHIGH=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\command.com C:\FREEDOS\BIN /E:1024
             /P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT

  Note:
  SHELL / SHELLHIGH indicates the shell to use; often used to alter
  COMMAND.COM's behavior. It is command.com that processes AUTOEXEC.BAT /
  FDAUTO.BAT; by using the SHELL option you have to choose which
  XY.BAT / AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT you want to use.
 /pre>
See also:
  ; (semicolon)  ! (exclamation) ? (question)  autoexec.bat  break
  buffers        buffershigh     country       device        devicehigh
  dos            dosdata         echo          eecho         fcbs
  fdauto.bat     fdconfig.sys    files         fileshigh     idlehalt
  install        installhigh     keybuf        lastdrive     lastdrivehigh
  menu           menucolor       menudefault   numlock       rem
  screen         set             shell         shellhigh     stacks
  stackshigh     switchar        switches      version


  Copyright © 2003 Robert Platt, updated 2008 and 2022 by W. Spiegl.

  This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
  See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.