DaveDDS wrote on 2025-03-11, 02:01:

It's essentially a file transfer tool that can copy files over Serial, Parallel or Network. It has a 2-side(2 directories) displ […]
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DustyShinigami wrote on 2025-03-11, 01:50:

DaveDDS wrote on 2025-03-11, 01:45:

Have you got my DDLINK?

I don't believe so. What's that? A third-party manager of some sort?

It's essentially a file transfer tool that can copy files over Serial, Parallel or Network.
It has a 2-side(2 directories) display and quite a few actions it can perform
(Copy, Rename, Erase, View, set-Attrs etc. - on either end)
It's the primary method I used to move files to/from and between DOS systems.

There's a thread about it here: DDLINK: Easily move files between/To/From DOS systems

Dave

Ah. In that case, no, I've never tried it. Not sure how I'd be able to. My retro rig isn't set up to the internet. I'm not quite sure how I'd go about setting things up to use that tool. I don't believe my rig has ethernet...? I'd need to check. But with where my router is, it wouldn't be possible anyway. And I don't think I've ever done it before with serial (COM) or LPT (parallel).

DustyShinigami wrote on 2025-03-11, 15:05:

... Not sure how I'd be able to. My retro rig isn't set up to the internet ... I don't believe my rig has ethernet...? I'd need to check.

Fair enough, but I was actually referencing using it in local mode (no connection to another system)
It still offers two side/directory display (on your local system) and lets you copy/view/manipulate them
"as if" one side were a remote system.

I often do this if I'm just copying a file to another directory and don't want to have to type in that other
directory to COPY. I also use if for lots of other local stuff - if I want to look at a source file somewhere else,
it's easier than going there and then back.

And yes, if you are actually moving files to another system, it works really well. The user interface it the
same - it's just that the right side shows a directory on the remote system.

DDLINK works in DosBox (LAN and Serial - not had good luck with parallel)
which makes it really good for moving stuff DOS<>Windows

And it doesn't require "internet", TCP/IP or any other type of network to be installed.
It uses low-level network packets, the only thing you need to access network is a "packet driver".
There are 100's of those available for almost every DOS era network card, and are a single small
TSR that you can load/unload as you wish.

DaveDDS wrote on 2025-03-11, 17:35:

Fair enough, but I was actually referencing using it in local mode (no connection to another system) It still offers two side/di […]
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DustyShinigami wrote on 2025-03-11, 15:05:

... Not sure how I'd be able to. My retro rig isn't set up to the internet ... I don't believe my rig has ethernet...? I'd need to check.

Fair enough, but I was actually referencing using it in local mode (no connection to another system)
It still offers two side/directory display (on your local system) and lets you copy/view/manipulate them
"as if" one side were a remote system.

I often do this if I'm just copying a file to another directory and don't want to have to type in that other
directory to COPY. I also use if for lots of other local stuff - if I want to look at a source file somewhere else,
it's easier than going there and then back.

And yes, if you are actually moving files to another system, it works really well. The user interface it the
same - it's just that the right side shows a directory on the remote system.

DDLINK works in DosBox (LAN and Serial - not had good luck with parallel)
which makes it really good for moving stuff DOS<>Windows

And it doesn't require "internet", TCP/IP or any other type of network to be installed.
It uses low-level network packets, the only thing you need to access network is a "packet driver".
There are 100's of those available for almost every DOS era network card, and are a single small
TSR that you can load/unload as you wish.

Hmm. Interesting. I have a modem card that came with the PC when I bought it, but no network card. So, I take it I would create a virtual network card within DOSBox, get a network card for the retro PC, and link up to it...?

DustyShinigami wrote on 2025-03-11, 17:50:

Hmm. Interesting. I have a modem card that came with the PC when I bought it, but no network card. So, I take it I would create a virtual network card within DOSBox, get a network card for the retro PC, and link up to it...?

DosBox does support a virtual NE2000 network card.

You need something called WINPCAP which lets DosBox interface to the network via
low-level packets (which is what that network card does).

You use the NE2000 packet driver within DosBox and that lets DDLINK
talk to the virtual NE2000 NIC.

You would need a network card in the DOS PC and whatever packet driver is needed to support it.

Then it's simple. on either end start DDLINK as a server: DDLINK P= /s

and on the other end, as a client: DDLINK P=

The client will give two directory displays I mentioned earlier, but since you
started them with P= .. It uses network packets to talk to the server, and the
right side display will be the other system .. you can copy to/from it, manipulate
files etc. just as you can with another directory (on the same system) in local
mode.

DaveDDS wrote on 2025-03-11, 20:32:

DosBox does support a virtual NE2000 network card. […]
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DustyShinigami wrote on 2025-03-11, 17:50:

Hmm. Interesting. I have a modem card that came with the PC when I bought it, but no network card. So, I take it I would create a virtual network card within DOSBox, get a network card for the retro PC, and link up to it...?

DosBox does support a virtual NE2000 network card.

You need something called WINPCAP which lets DosBox interface to the network via
low-level packets (which is what that network card does).

You use the NE2000 packet driver within DosBox and that lets DDLINK
talk to the virtual NE2000 NIC.

You would need a network card in the DOS PC and whatever packet driver is needed to support it.

Then it's simple. on either end start DDLINK as a server: DDLINK P= /s

and on the other end, as a client: DDLINK P=

The client will give two directory displays I mentioned earlier, but since you
started them with P= .. It uses network packets to talk to the server, and the
right side display will be the other system .. you can copy to/from it, manipulate
files etc. just as you can with another directory (on the same system) in local
mode.

That sounds great. It's something I'll certainly have to look into. 😀 Thanks for the suggestion and info.