UCO/Lick Observatory Computing Facility: A Guide for Using Mtools

Mtools: Read/write/modify files on your PC diskette

This package of programs allows Unix systems (SunOS and Digital UNIX) to read, write, and manipulate files on an MSDOS filesystem (such as a PC diskette).

See the Mtools man pages and Alain Knaff's extensive documentation for additional information.

Each member of the Mtools family is listed below:

• mattrib - change MSDOS file attribute flags

• mcd - change MSDOS directory

• mcopy - copy MSDOS files to/from Unix

• mdel - delete an MSDOS file

• mdir - display an MSDOS directory

• mformat - add an MSDOS filesystem to a low-level formatted diskette

• mlabel - make an MSDOS volume label

• mmd - make an MSDOS subdirectory

• mrd - remove an MSDOS subdirectory

• mread - low level read (copy) an MSDOS file to Unix

• mren - rename an existing MSDOS file

• mtype - display contents of an MSDOS file

• mwrite - low level write (copy) a Unix file to MSDOS

Usage Examples

Check to see if a diskette is in the disk drive:

% eject -q

diskette NOT in drive

Put the disk in the disk drive. Check again:

% eject -q

diskette in drive

Get a file listing of the PC diskette:

% mdir

Warning: "/u/ksa/.mcwd" is out of date, contents ignored

Volume in drive A is karl

Directory for A:/

STUFF <DIR> 9-18-96 9:42a

TIME TXT 3291 9-18-96 9:44a

PAPERS <DIR> 9-19-96 10:45a

IMAGES <DIR> 9-19-96 10:45a

FILES STUFF <DIR> 9-18-96 9:42a

5 File(s) 1447424 bytes free

The warning message tell you that you have an old copy of .mcwd (mtools creates this file to keep track of the current working directory of your diskette). Read the man page on mcd for more information.

You can change directories to overwrite your old copy of .mcwd:

% mcd a:

See the Mtools man pages and Alain Knaff's extensive documentation for additional information.