Updated January June 2008

The System Parameters which define and configure the A-Shell operating environment are specified in the main A-Shell configuration file, which is normally called miame.ini. This is a standard text file that must be edited with VUE or another text editor to make changes. Each line of the configuration file is in the form of an equation defining a particular system parameter. Some of these are so critical that A-Shell cannot run at all without them, while others are more for fine-tuning the system or achieving better compatibility with a particular application. A typical A-Shell configuration file is shown below. Note that anything to the right of a semicolon (comment marker) is ignored.

SERIAL=3401OJGI-6280-BNJ-400695-L1109B   ; Serial # and key

CONAME=C:\VM\MIAME\CONAME.DAT            ; Licensee file

FILES=40,40     ; 40 files, 40 ISAM

ERSATZ=C:\VM\MIAME\DSK0\001004\ERSATZ.INI    ; Ersatz defs

LANGUAGE=C:\VM\MIAME\DSK0\001006\ENGLSH.LDF  ; Language defs

CONSOLE=NETUNIQUE,PCTDVG    ; Console device

;Device definitions

;Use this format for an individual ppn

DEVICE=DSK0:[1,4] C:\VM\MIAME\DSK0\001004\  ; Individual ppn def

;Use this format for logical disks with implicit \###### ppns

DEVICE=DSK0 C:\VM\MIAME\DSK0\   ; Pathname for DSK0:

;Subroutine aliases (alias-name:ashell-name)

ALIAS=INPUT:INFLD

ALIAS=SPOOL:EZSPL

SBR=CCYY:50,MALLOCSORT

LOKSER=ON     ; LOKSER; ISAM sequence checks

PRINTER=LP0     ; Set printer default to LP0

MEMORY=500K     ; A-Shell memory partition

QUEUE=100,DISK:C:\VM\MIAME\QFLOCK.SYS     ; Q blocks

The file is processed only at the start of an A-Shell session, so for any changes to it to take effect it is therefore necessary to exit A-Shell and start a new session.

Under Windows, the install program will configure your initial miame.ini to match your install directory, allowing you to at least launch A-Shell with no manual configuration changes. Under UNIX, however, you will need to adjust miame.ini manually before  Launching A-Shell for the first time, unless you installed it in the default (/vm/miame) directory.

You can embed system environment variables in any of the filespecs in miame.ini by using the %ENV-VAR% notation. Some examples:

CONAME=%MIAME%/coname.dat

DEVICE=TMP0:[1,1] %TMP%\

See System Parameters for detailed information on the individual parameters specified within the A-Shell Configuration File.

History

2008 June, A-Shell 5.1.1117  The ini file also permits an optional [MIAME] section header at the top, thereby making it easier to use standard INI-processing routines, including INIX.SBX, for updating it.