INSTALL.TXT       APRS DOS INSTALLATION
===========================================================================
Document version: 8.4.0
Document dated:   6 May 1999
Author(s):        Bob Bruninga, WB4APR <bruninga@nadn.navy.mil>
ABSTRACT:         Detailed instructions for installing APRS.
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APRS is distributed on a single 3.5 inch HD disk with these files:

  INSTALL.txt  - This file
  PKUNZIP.exe  - For unzipping APRS (omitted from some disks to make room)
  APRSxxx.zip  - ALL major files.  Builds 6 subdirectories:
                 MAPS - Holds all MAPS     POS      - Overlay files
                 HSTS - History files      SYSTEM   - APRS system files
                 BAKS - BACKUP files       README   - all README files
                 LOGS - LOG directory      MAPLISTS - all maplists
  
  Xmapsvv.zip  - Regional maps     Emapsxx.zip  - East maps
                                   NEAmapsx.zip - North East maps
                                   Mmapsxx.zip  - Midwest maps
                                   Cmapsxx.zip  - Central Maps
                                   Wmapsxx.zip  - West Maps
                                   SEmapsxx.zip - S.East maps
                                   NWmapsxx.zip - Northwest maps
                                 
*YOU MUST USE THE PKUNZIP -dn OPTION TO GET THE APRS SUBDIRECTORIES!

APRS will run on any 8088 through 486 PC with CGA,EGA, or VGA.  BUT NEEDS 
ALMOST 550 K of free memory.  You may have to remove TSR's or reduce 
the requirements of your CONFIG.sys.  APRSMIN.EXE will run with only 411K.
APRStxt.EXE will run on TEXT-ONLY palmtops.

APRS will NOT work with non standard video cards, for example, the Hercules 
Video card.  You may make this work marginally by running the readily 
available SIMCGA.COM program with the P option first to make it simulate 
a real CGA device or another TSR called HGCIBM /e.

TO INSTALL APRS on your SYSTEM:               DOS COMMAND
--------------------------------------------  --------------------------------
1.  Create APRS directory on your Harddrive-  MD APRS
2.  Change Directory into that directory   -  CD APRS
3.  Put APRS disk into A and change to A   -  A:      (or B:)
    Do Pkunzip with directories:           -  PKUNZIP -d  APRSxxx.ZIP  C:
4.  Get the maps for your area             -  PKUNZIP -d  Xmapsxx.ZIP C:
    (where X is your region, E,NEA,M,C,SE or W)
5.  Execute APRS   (APRS.BAT is included)  -  APRS
    All APRS commands are spelled out, but are actually single key strokes
    a. Give your call and other info as prompted.
    b. Use MAPS-CONFIG-CHANGE to select MAPs for your area. (USA default)
    c. Move cursor to your QTH using arrow keys and PgDn (shft-PgDN)
    d. Hit INPUT-MY-POS command and answer QTH questions
    e. Use UNPROTO command to set your VIA Digipeater path (needs TNC)
    f. Move and center map to your area of interest and range scale
    g. Save a config file using alt-S-SAVE  (repeat steps b - g at anytime)
    h. Provide your Validation # when requested during the SAVE command.
       (APRS will only ask for the V#'s for your present configuration.)
    i. WRITE DOWN YOUR V#'s on your wall.  Don't lose them!
    
6.  Troubleshooting tips.  READ TROUBLE.txt!
    a. Verify COMMS with TNC using the OPS-COMM-TNC command.
    b. For AEA or KANTRONICS, set EXPert ON or INTFACE TERMINAL in order 
       for the TNC to respond to some APRS commands
    
7.  OPERATING TIPS:
    a. APRS.BAT simply executes the latest APRSxxx.EXE version.  As a .BAT
       file, it also makes Windows happier when you exit.
    b. APRS has two command line options:  
       *  APRSxxx/n will execute APRS and NOT load the last BACKUP file
       *  APRSxxx/xyz will execute APRS from an alternate config file .xyz
          see 5g above.
    c. You may customize the TNC commands INITIALIZED and RESTORED by APRS
       in the files named InitXXXX.TNC and RESTORE.TNC, etc.
       Add commands or use the * to REM out any unused lines. BE CAREFUL,
       APRS will NOT work unless all the parameters are correct for ur TNC.

My distro disk contains the big USA maps and your regional maps.  You must
check with your local BBS or APRS friends for your own STATE maps.  Look 
for  XXmapsVV.zip where XX is your state abbreviation, and VV is the latest 
Version number.  See MAPS.txt for info on additional maps, and MAPMAKIN.txt 
on how to make maps or to customize your MAPLIST.xxx file to your area.

THE LATEST APRS is posted on the TAPR.ORG FTP site in the directory of
aprssig/dosstuff/APRSdos.  That directory contains all other files for
which I am responsible.  Other local maps may be found one directory up.
Come join the aprsnews@tapr.org on the INTERNET for the latest, or aprssig
@tapr.org for all the discussions!

************    REMEMBER TO USE PKUNZIP -dn    ***********

UPGRADES:  If you are unzipping an upgraded copy of APRS, or any of the 
XMAPS.ZIP files, the command PKUNZIP -dn will unzip only the NEW files.
Then READ NEWNOTES.txt to see what has changed!

FOR A LIST OF INTERNET and other phone line BBS's known to carry APRS, and
more state maps, see the last paragraph of the README\README.1st or 
DOWNLOAD.TXT file.  It also announces the APRSsig on the Internet for 
exchange of ideas on APRS! 

See my web page: http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html
Join the worldwide LIVE aprs data by telnetting to www.aprs.net:23

READ: README.1st, APRS.txt, HELP.txt, etc

If you want to zoom into other areas of the country, not included on your
distro disk, simply download and PKUNZIP -dn some of the other map.ZIP
files, and use the MAPS-CONFIG-CHANGE command to temporarily load the
MAPLIST appropriate to the new maps.  Then just zoom in and maps will
automatically appear.  APRS defaults to the MAPLIST.APR which is an exact
copy of MAPLIST.USA.  You can change this default by copying any other
maplist to MAPLIST.APR.

MINIMUM SYSTEMS:  Despite the 3 Mbyte size of the whole APRS system, a 
minimum system can be built in under 500K with only the .EXE, MAPLIST.xxx, 
at least one .MAP file, and all SYSTEM files.  All directories must be 
at least created even if empty. 

RUNNING ON A and B FLOPPY-ONLY SYSTEMS:  Build a Boot-System disk, copy 
only APRSxxx.EXE onto that disk.  Put that in the A: drive.  On another
disk put as much APRS as you need.  Put ALL of the SYSTEM directory there,
Make MAPS and MAPLISTS directories and put at least the MAPLIST.USA and
USA.MAP files there (add others as you have room).  Then at least create
the LOGS,HSTS,POS,README directories.  Now Boot up on the A drive, Change
default drive to B:.  Then RUN APRSxxx from B: with the command A:APRSxxx.
APRS will then use the B: drive as the default and run just fine.

DISTRO ON TWO 720K FLOPPIES:  It is easy for you to split the APRS distro 
disk for sharing with others on TWO-720K disks as follows:
  1) MD ATEMP                           (make a temporary directory)
  2) PKunzip APRSxxx.zip MAPS\*.* ATEMP (Unzip just the USA MAPS there)
  3) COPY APRSxxx.ZIP APRShalf.zip
  4) PKZIP -d APRShalf.zip  MAPS\*.*    (DELETE all USA maps from this ZIP)
  5) PKZIP USAMAPS.zip ATEMP\*.*        (Zip up all the maps into USAMAPS.zip)
  6) Now copy APRShalf.zip, about 650K onto one disk
         Copy USAMAPS.zip and your regional XmapsYY.ZIP onto the other....
  7) The 720K user then uses PKUNZIP -dn on the APRShalf and Xmaps files
     then he changes into his MAPS directory and does a regular PKUNZIP
     of the USAMAPS.zip file.

