Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!hp-pcd!hplsla!kens
From: kens@hplsla.HP.COM (Ken Snyder)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: 4dos alias problem/questions
Message-ID: <5190092@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 8 Jun 90 23:16:29 GMT
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 50


   I just downloaded and installed 4DOS 3.0 on my system after reading all
the nice things many folks had to say about it on the net.  I'm having a
strange problem with the alias function that I hope someone can shed some
light on.

   I had an alias file with about 20 aliases in it that have the same forma
as 4dos requires so I just added an:

   alias /r myalias

in my autoexec file.  When it loaded the alias file I got a message:
  
   l50:  not a valid command

Now, it turns out l50 is the last alias in my list.  It also turns out that
NO aliases were installed and everytime I tried to use the alias command I
got the same message.  I had to remove the alias reference from autoexec
and reboot the system to try and use aliases.

   After much futzing with alias file I finally just started typing in my
aliases by hand, one at a time.  When I got to the alias:

alias cpd `find . | cpio -plmv`    { using MKS toolkit unix commands }

the message I received was:

   "cpd find . | cpio -plmv" is not an alias  (the doublequotes are theirs)

Removing this alias from the myalias file solved the problem.  The questions
I have are:  Is the "|" or "." not allowed in an alias?  I read the entire
section on aliases and their example file and the command reference to alias
and found nothing to indicate to me that this is true.  Is it true in
general that if you mess up a single alias in an alias input file, the
entire alias system goes out to lunch?

   Having read much of their supplied documentation I'm impressed with 4dos
and it's features.  But my first attempt at installing and using one of it's
key features has dulled my enthusiasm.  What am I doing wrong here?

Thanks,

  _____________________________ K _ E _ N __________________________________
 |                                                                          |
 | Ken Snyder                ms/loc:  270 / UN5                             |
 | LSID                      div   :  Lake Stevens Instrument Division      |
 | Hewlett-Packard Co.       gte/tn:  (206) 335-2253 / 335-2253             |
 | 8600 Soper Hill Road      HPDESK:  Ken_Snyder@hpa100/ux                  |
 | Everett, WA  98205-1298   un-ix :  kens@hplsla@hplabs                    |
 |__________________________________________________________________________|