That's how the first archive viewers for OFMs were created. The last time I checked some of them were still available from file archives on the Internet:. Due to its capabilities and very high quality of programming version 3. Only after Volkov Commander was released Volkov Commander was first published in the Softpanorama Bulletin in the December its popularity started to fade, as VC was more powerful and at the same time more compact program, the real masterpiece of assembler language programming.
We will discuss it later in the chapter. Among the most successful Norton Commander early plug-ins I would like to mention Hiew short for Hacker's view is a popular console hex viewer, editor and disassember written by Eugene Suslikov.
Most of early versions were published in and distributed by Softpanorama bulletin. The program is particularly useful for binary patching. Later it became a useful tool for analyzing early computer viruses. After due to creation of more powerful clones and growth of popularity of other types of file managers primarily Xtree Gold , the popularity of Norton Commander stated to fade. The other reason was that after acquisition Symantec lost some developers including John Socha and failed to produce a new version within a reasonable interval let's assume that the reasonable internal in this case was approximately two years.
That means that competitors received unique capability to imitate and extend the Norton Commander capabilities in their products. With the growing popularity of Windows it killed all major DOS projects without understanding their potential in a new environment or their potential value in Unix market. Among other interesting products killed were XTree, PC utilities and Norton Utilities in the latter case only the name survived, but content did not: since Norton Utilities for Windows were just a pale shadow of its former self.
Here is one review from this now ancient period taken from issue of New Scientist magazine, 13 July , page Most users of personal computers will have heard of Peter Norton.
He was the man who cooked up a set of programs, known as the Utilities. Anyone who has inadvertently deleted a life's work of text or data from a hard disc will think immediately of suicide: for them Norton's Utilities are a life-saver as they can retrieve that precious lost data.
They also make the horrid MS-DOS operating system, which IBM to its everlasting shame chose for the personal computer, go at least some of the way towards accommodating the real needs of real people. Norton's company in Santa Monica went on to produce related program packages that humanise DOS even further. Norton Commander helps personal computer users to bring order to the muddle of files that will always accumulate on a hard disc.
It lists and sorts the files that are there, giving a quick view of the contents before deletion. Norton Backup helps users to make safety copies of selected files, and checks that the copies are indeed safe. The latest version of Utilities has a 'trashcan' - a hidden store that holds files intact for a week after they have been deleted. If in that time you change your mind and want to save a file, it can easily be retrieved. After that Utilities can only do its best to retrieve whatever is left of a deleted file after the personal computer has written new data over the disc space previously allocated to it.
The Utilities even make formatting a disc safe. To test it I saved a large file onto a floppy disc and reformatted it using Safe Format. The file then disappeared. I used Norton's Unformat and it reappeared. Utilities also has an improved facility to search large discs for text lost in forgotten files. Norton programs are easy to install. The computer copies them from the master floppy disc Norton supplies both standard sizes , prompting the user from the screen.
But here I found some irritating faults. I do hope this does not mean that the rapid growth of Peter Norton Computing Inc and its recent merger with the software publisher Symantec has made Norton's ever-expanding team of programmers careless. Backup is more awkward to install than the rest as its myriads of options flash past. It performs a useful test backup routine, but perplexingly leaves the disc drive light on while asking for discs to be swapped.
Personal computer users are always warned not to swap discs while the light is on. The new Commander seems not to recognise the existence of any previous version already installed. This might cause problems. Confusingly it then throws up a red error message about a menu file that is missing only because it has not yet been created.
Also it seems to insist on using a mouse if one is attached to the personal computer for other purposes, even if the operator would rather key in commands. The mouse puts a red cursor slap in the middle of the screen, until the operator moves the mouse to move the cursor. The installations for all the programs automatically modify the personal computer's set-up files Autoexec. Bat and Config. Sys but Backup erroneously added its path instruction twice when installed over a previous version.
The new Utilities uses an instruction called Image to save a snapshot of the disc's contents in case it is accidentally reformatted. When someone who is using the old version buys the new one and installs it, the new Utilities does not delete the old instruction. As stray instructions will give error messages on screen, this can be very disconcerting to all but the most computer-literate user. Sorting out silly problems like this can be time-consuming.
You still can find "how to" articles about NC3 on the Web. The section differs from the others in that I will walk you through the functions I use the most. So it is a bit like a course in using NC. This section is here because many people have purchased and use this excellent program, originally written by John Socha. The description mainly relates to the English-language version 3. As time goes by, you cram a lot of files onto your hard disk, and these are spread around in many different directories.
I have always used Norton Commander to manage files and directories. However, bits here and there might interest you enough to make you consider buying the program.
I personally find NC the easiest, fastest and smartest. NC was developed many years ago to ease the management of files and directories. You can use a mouse in NC but I will only describe the use of the keyboard.
Tab toggles between the two windows. The screen is split into two windows, as if you had two simultaneous DOS prompts, a very intelligent and handy function, especially when copying and moving files. At the top of each window is the paths of the two directories shown by the left and right windows. I call the horizontal marker the "bar. If the current directory is empty, the bar will be at the top of the screen. Both windows show files and directories in the manner you stipulate via the pull-down menus.
Try pressing F9 and Enter or the down arrow. This activates the pull-down menus. You can move around in a window by using the up and down keyboard arrows, and you move to a new window using the right or left keyboard arrows. Press Esc twice to return. The bottom of the screen shows the actions of the different function keys. You can always change it later. In the options menu, select configuration. In each dialogue box, you select with the space bar to activate a point and move with the arrow keys, Tab or Enter.
Here are my recommendations. This protects your screen. Mine is set at three minutes, but you make your own choice. Ins Moves down means that pressing the Insert key moves the bar one step down. Auto change directory means that if you have a directory tree in the left window and the corresponding files of a marked directory in the right window, the files of the new directory will be shown each time you change directory in the left window. Under other options, select: Menu bar always visible — blank.
Menu bar always visible means that the top bar for pull-down menus is always visible. Auto save setup — x, means this configuration is saved when you exit NC. Still under Options F9 and either arrow-down or Enter. You should have the following active, i. Unfortunately, you can only change one thing at a time. F9, and Enter. The menu for the left and right window is split into three sections and within each frame you can choose from one of the following:. The different options are self-explanatory.
If you need to view many files with the same extension, then select Extension. You can select either by moving with the arrow keys and then pressing Enter or by typing the capitalized letter. Try selecting Brief ; the window shows the current directory with files, though with names only. Do the same with the other window, by pressing Tab , F9 and selecting Brief. If you press F9 and regret it, press Esc.
Move the bar up and down with the arrow keys. Notice that at the bottom of the small frame you get full information about the file or directory that the bar is resting upon.. Directories are written in capital letters and files are written with lowercase letters. Now select Full for both windows F9 , Enter , Full , , which shows the files with name, size, date and time. This is my preference; you may have a different opinion. Acquisition by Symantec created some problems in development.
Symantec brass made a bet on commercial success of Microsoft Windows and decided that DOS-style products has no future. People were reassigned accordingly. While part about Microsoft Windows success was right, part about loss of value of DOS products was wrong and naive. In any case, the key PNC resources had been diverted. Additional programmers for development for Windows platform were hired to develop a File Manager and Program Manager released as Norton Desktop for Windows. All this resulted in a pause in releases of Norton Commander and for three years competitors managed to eat a significant part of NC market share.
Version 4. Here is the press release. Norton Commander 4. No other comprehensive DOS file management software is as fast, as easy-to-use and as small in memory and disk space requirements as Norton Commander 4. Norton Commander increases a user's productivity by providing immediate access to and a complete view of directories and their contents.
One keystroke or mouse click can launch applications, view, copy, move and delete files and directories. Commander lets the user view over 50 different kinds of files, including DOS and Windows application files, graphic files and compressed files. Commander Link, with new file-only transfer capability, transfers files between two PCs via both serial and parallel connector cables. The Norton Commander 4. Norton Commander lets the user copy, move and delete to and from compressed files.
With simple modifications, additional external compression programs can also be supported. Over 30 New File Viewers Added. Enhanced Commander Link. The addition of parallel link support in Commander Link lets users apply the high-speed parallel port to transfer files and directories from their laptop to their desktop PC and vice versa. Commander Mail Enhancements. Commander Mail automatically files e-mail messages and store frequently used fax numbers and e-mail ID numbers in an address book.
Quick View. Quick View lets users browse through a list of files in one panel while displaying the contents of any highlighted file in the other panel. Without first loading the parent applications, the new Quick View feature allows the user to view spreadsheet, database, graphics, word processing or compressed files in one keystroke or mouse click. When a directory is highlighted, Quick View will show the total number of the files and subdirectories of that directory and the amount of space used.
Quick View is available from both the Left and Right menus. The Zoom feature lets the user zoom a half-screen file view to full screen and back again with a single keystroke. Additional Features Directories can now be three times larger than before, containing more than 1, files per directory. For greater efficiency and convenience, all file copy, move and delete dialog boxes have an "include subdirectories" check box.
This allows the user to include both directories and subdirectories with all file operations. A more proficient Editor supports block operations and includes printing capability, letting the user create and edit existing documents without leaving Commander. In can also copy, move and delete found files.
In addition to allowing access to the DOS prompt at any time, Commander also provides a DOS history, recalling and displaying the last 15 DOS commands in a pop-up window for quick selection and re-running.
Users can easily edit the command line and copy file names to it. Commander also provides system information, making a hardware and memory information summary available from a menu option. Pricing and Availability Norton Commander 4. Symantec Corporation develops, markets and supports a complete line of applications and system software products for IBM personal computers and compatibles, and Apple Macintosh computers.
Information on the company and its products can be obtained by calling toll free, or And in Europe, the key market for the product, it has difficulties in competing with free clones, such as Volkov Commander and DN both of which were released earlier. In a way, it played catch-up Unlike version 3. Another problem was that on architectural level Symantec honchos failed to understanding that the program can enrich not only primitive DOS shell and make command line operations which are still were main way of Windows usage due to huge inertia from DOS much more palatable, but can be transformed in to GUI version of the program which can inherit associated market share of loyal users.
I suspect that Symantec was almost always "make money fast" type of company, unable to think strategically and due to this destroying most on their acquisitions.
But that's just a speculation. The hard fact was that NC 4. XTree Gold released in developed a very strong following and was innovative is several respects, first of all with its approach of "history of everything". Both companies were bought and subsequently destroyed by Symantec: in , the XTree Company was sold to Central Point Software, produced of PC Utilities, which was in turn acquired by Symantec in In production of XTree products was halted. You can find multiple screenshots of NC4.
Some comments in the discussion are really interesting:. There is a story from the mid's probably apocryphal that just about every PC that was smuggled into the old Soviet Union had the Norton Commander installed on it as the file manager for DOS export restrictions at that time forbade directly selling PCs to the Iron Curtain countries.
Just goes to show just how darn popular NC was at that time. I used it for years It is everything that NC was and so much more. I have used it since Windows NT and now use it on Win 7 bit. I developed some expertise in using NCC, and the Microsoft shells. I liked them so much, I bought a dozen copies on several occasions when I saw a bargain bin.
The XTree family is a major reason I never ran Windows 3. I supported quite a few people who ran Win 3. Win95 was the first serious challenge to my use of XTree. I still wonder if I made the right choice back then too!
I used PC Tools 6. DOS is not dead! The critiqued managers were good but, there are some newer managers to look at. Necromancer's DOS navigator is modern up to date and blows away all the others.
Another really good one is Graphic Vision File Manager. Almost as good as the NDN. All these are available for download. All the features of Norton Commander and so much more. Started over 15 years ago and still being enhanced. The author responds to bug reports and feature requests. I consider it one of my two indispensable apps. Full disclosure : I am in no way connected to File Commander or the developer.
I am just a very happy user for over 15 years. One of my favorite file managers was XTree Gold. I used that frequently over the years. I also used the Microsoft file managers, but most of the time it was XTree Gold.
NC opened the icon file, and I saved the screen shot. Then I opened the screen shot under the Icon Editor and re-saved it as an icon file. Over the years, I used NC as an analytic and diagnostic tool, as well as a file manager. The only thing usable under Windows, these days, that's at all comparable is Power Desk. Loved my Norton Commander so much I continued to use it in a dos window under Win ' I have never really gotten to like the Windows Explorer.
Norton's two-pane format and all of the intuitive extras were simply well designed and provided all the functionality I needed. Add Norton Utilities to the mix and you were an IT god back in the day. I am still using the follow-up software, nowadays known as Total Commander, mainly because of the two windows making it very simple to copy, move, look at and administer otherwise files as you like it.
It is far more comfortable than the Windows Explorer, which has not really changed since it was launched. Also the absence of the original architect were quite evident. On the other side Windows 3. GUI based file manager was included with Windows 3. Paradoxically while NC 4. All of those factors made the product much less commercially successful. I personally consider NC 4. The phase "too little too late" looks perfectly applicable.
I switched from NC 4. One interesting innovation which actually appeared in clones first was that NC 4. The distribution contained 62 files and occupied 2,, bytes.
Here is the content of the distribution:. It did not contain any innovative features which would position it above the clones that were released the same year. Volkov Commander was smaller, faster and, paradoxically, richer in features. It was written in assembler actually it was a COM program. In the heavy-weight category NC 4. DN quickly found pretty wide user community in Eastern Europe.
DN was larger then NC 4. It also supported multiple panels. We will discuss both later in the book. Due to large size components of NC 4.
Here are comparative result translated from Russian from the page Norton Commander 4. Part II 8 files. It was released in just one year after NC 4. Windows 3. There was no such understanding among Symantec brass and that probably was the root problem. But this "uncreative destruction" was typical for neoliberal companies, including most software startups. If you never tried this version to get some impression of how it looked and behaved can be done by watching a couple of videos on YouTube:.
In a way version 5. Although it was a very impressive implementation, it failed to revive commercial success of early versions as DOS itself was already in decline in and new DOS programs was less commercially successful then Windows 3. The time for the commercial success of DOS programs has gone. It just could produce less money for many years to come, which some maintenance, conversion to 32 bit API and minimal enhancement.
The core functionality was already "in" and major enhancement might spoil the broth. Here is the content of whats. Still version 5 in many way represents the pinnacle of development of Norton Commander and can be viewed as a reference implementation for OFM.
From the quality of implementation point of view NC5 was more stable. The main enhancements introduced in NC5 are:. Actually NC 4. The archive VFS provides possibilities of working with archives in a completely transparent way by viewing archives as directories. Search panel provided the following possibilities:. You can even create something called "phantom directories" to group files together logically, but not physically.
For instance, you may want to see the names of all the program files on your disk, usually files that end with the three letters "EXE. Here is an interesting comment from discussion on Slashdot Midnight Commander Development Revived. Norton Commander was great until it hit ver. It felt sluggish and ate a ton of memory, which was still pretty important then especially for those that still sported K-1M of RAM The screen covered up by two big blue panels is forever etched onto my retinas It was released in , one year after FAR.
Although at this time Norton Commander for Windows , the GUI version of Norton Commander already existed it was released in and was a bit program, Symantec did not rewrite command line version of NC for 32 bit subsystem. It remained DOS program. That was the major blunder and predetermined the huge success of FAR as better, faster and bit command line alternative. Functionally NC 5.
Related questions. What software of Norton Commander? Is norton commander a GUI or tui software? How do you see library file of C?
In the pigman book how do john and lorraine describe norton and Dennis? Why didn't John want Dennis to tell Norton about the party? How do you copy files in DOS? Whose Dennis oh girlfriend now? Who is commander of chief now?
What is Dennis Banks doing now? You lost your Norton Antivirus product key what now? Who is in charge of the AirForce? Is Dennis married? Where does Dennis Haysbert live now?
Does Dennis oh have a wife now? When did Dennis Taylor win the world snooker championship? Can imvu give your computer a virus even if your using norton? Where is Dennis Dixon back up quarterback for Pittsburgh Steelers now in ? When was Dennis Sonin born? When was Dennis Siver born? How easy is it to install Norton System Works?
Who is the governor of South Dakota state now? Finance Officer. Service Officer. Post Adjutant. Judge Advocate. Past Commander. Camp American Legon. Madison VA Hospital. WI Veterans Home, King.
Veterans Services. Publications Officer. Publicity Officer. Parades and Cermonial. Children and Youth. American Legion Baseball. National Security. Chicken and Biscuits. Corn Festival. Memorial Trust Committee. Finance Committee.
House Committee. Richard Barden. Sarah Norton. Jim Farmer. Gloria Williams. Beverly Marchant. Daryle Pasquan. Gary L. Jack Ziesch. Dean Strohmenger. Gale Chase.
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