I think the text you are referring to applies only to CP/M Version 3. The CP/M 2.2 User Manual from Digital Research that I have does not contain that text.
In stock CP/M 2.2, the SYS bit only prevents the file from being displayed with DIR. The User Number field always applies regardless of what the file status bits are set to. When I follow your procedure on stock CP/M 2.2, I get the same result you do on REX i.e. file not found. Jerry On Sun, Aug 3, 2025 at 1:57 PM bput <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello! > > It has been way too long since I played with CP/M on the M-100 using > REXCPM. Now I'm playing with it again and I have a question. > > The CPM 2.2 User Manual says: > "system attribute (SYS): > > **File attribute.** You can give a file the system attribute by using > the SYS option in the STAT command or by using the set file attributes > function, BDOS Function 12. A file with the SYS attribute is not > displayed in response to a DIR command. > If you give a file with user number 0 the SYS attribute, you can read > and execute that file from any user number on the same drive. > Use this feature to make your commonly used programs available under > any user number." > > I cannot seem to make this work, so I wonder if anyone else who is > running REXCPM could try it? > > The steps to take are: > > 1. Enter CPM on your REXCPM :-) > - You will start in USER area 0 (zero) by default. > > 2. Pick a program to make it executable from any user area. > I picked D.COM. > > 3. Use this command to set the "System" attribute: > STAT D.COM $SYS > > 4. Either DIR or STAT will show if the executable has the "System" > Attribute by displaying the filename with parentheses: > DIR D.COM > STAT D.COM > > 5. Now switch to a different user area where that program does not > exist: > USER 5 > > 6. Try running D.COM (or whatever program you picked) from user area 5. > D > > I get "D?" back, indicating that CP/M could not find the D.COM > executable from User area 5, but if I'm reading the documentation > correctly, it should find it in User area 0 and run it from there. > > It is certainly possible that the version of CP/M in REXCPM doesn't > implement it. And it's no good me checking against CPM on my Kaypro > because it is CPM 2.2H, probably with vendor additions as well :-) A > clue about that is that the prompt looks like "A0>" on the Kaypro > instead of "A>" on REXCPM. > > Having such a large hard drive is wonderful, and splitting it into > functional areas via the USER command is better. I was hoping it might > be doable. :-) > > Can anyway else replicate my findings? Thank you! > > Regards, Bert > > > >
