Command: buffers
BUFFERS tells FreeDOS how many disk buffers it should allocate.
BUFFERS is a CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS command.
Syntax:
buffers=nn[,m]
nn is the number of primary disk buffers, in the range 1-99.
m is the number of secondary disk buffers, in the range 1-8.
Options:
Usage:
The default setting depends on the amount of conventional memory
your system has:
Memory (KB) Primary Buffers Secondary Buffers
----------------------------------------------------------------------
< 128 3 1
128 - 255 5 1
256 - 511 10 1
512 - 640 15 1
Comments:
Increasing the number of BUFFERS can improve the speed of programs
that work with a large number of files, but also uses up more
memory resources.
The secondary buffer option is available for compatibility with
other DOS kernels, but is ignored by the FreeDOS kernel. In MS DOS,
a secondary buffer can used to read-ahead data. FreeDOS does not do
this. Buffers are stored in HMA by FreeDOS, unless you select nn to
allocate more buffers than fit in HMA. If nn is smaller, unused HMA
space will be used for further buffers until something else allocates
the HMA space for something else. Even then, at least nn buffers will
always be available. You can set nn to a negative value to disable
the use of unused HMA space: BUFFERS=-10 only uses 10 buffers, further
free space in the HMA will just stay unused.
BUFFERS is a command internal to kernel.sys and needs no other file
in order to work.
Examples:
IN CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS:
buffers=3,1
See also:
buffershigh
config.sys
fdconfig.sys
File:
Please read this command's lsm file also.
You will find the updated version (internet) here and
the version described in this manual page here.
The lsm file contains information about the name of the programmer,
the download site, and some other command related information.
Copyright © 2003 Robert Platt, updated 2008 by W. Spiegl.
This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.