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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: dannyp1 on February 28, 2007, 09:32:05 PM
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This may be a dumb question but what does the command NIL mean in the user startup file? I can't find it in my AmigaDOS book. Thanks, Dan :-?
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It means dont show.
Run NIL: (what ever)
Do not show it running, for an example
Mike.
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AFAIK, NIL: is a mysterious 'black hole' device, you can copy (redirect in this case 'Run .. >NIL:' ) anything to it and it will vanish, Windows has NUL: (Linux probably one too)
don't try 'Dir NIL:' who knows what might happen! :egad:
:-D
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orange wrote:
don't try 'Dir NIL:' who knows what might happen! :egad:
:lol:
That's kept me laughing for a few minutes.
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Yeah, essentially, the NIL: device is "black hole." You can output anything to NIL and it'll just vanish. This is actually more helpful than you might think, especially in the startup-sequence. You can run something with output directed to NIL: so the Amiga doesn't try to open a screen for your output before workbench sets the proper resolution. :-)
for example to silently set an assignment, you'd:
c:assign >NIL: myassign: dh0:mydir/
this will output nothing whatsoever (even if dh0:mydir/ doesn't actually exist), but will still make the assignment, if possible. (Of course, if dh0: doesn't exist, I think this would still throw a requestor asking for dh0: to be inserted in any drive. :lol: )
(Linux probably one too)
/dev/null
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"No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of."
:-D :-D :-D