# How to use FreeDOS Help

## Using the Mouse

- Topic Links are highlighted in Yellow.
- Click on a Link to see more on that topic.
- Click on the scroll-bar to scroll the page up and down.
- Quit Help by clicking on "exit" at the top of the screen.
- More navigation is provided at the bottom of the screen.

## Using the Keyboard

- Use the arrow keys to highlight a topic, then press enter.
- Page Up and Page Down scroll the help information.
- Alt+X exits help. (Alt+F4 works too)
- Alt+Left Arrow goes back a topic. (Escape, Alt+B and Backspace work too)
- Alt+Right Arrow goes forward a topic. (Alt+F works too)
- Alt+C returns to the contents page.
- F1 gives this help screen.
- There are also other ways of scrolling the help information on screen. Home and End move to the very top and bottom of the document. Holding Alt while pressing the up and down arrow keys scrolls the help gradually.

## Understanding Help Topic "Syntax"

On most help topics you will see something like this:

       command required [optional] [/switch] [/A|/B]

Here is an explaination of the different parts of this line:

       command
       This is the name of the command

       required
       Anything that follows the command name, which is not in
       square brackets, [ and ], is a required parameter.
       The command will report an error if you don't give this
       information.

       [optional]
       options are written in square brackets, [ and ]. These change the
       way the command runs. The square brackets aren't meant
       to be typed when the command is used.

       [/switch]
       Options that begin with a / are called switches. The / symbol is
       actually typed when the switch is used.

       [/A|/B]
       When there is a | symbol, this means there is a choice between
       two options. Either /A or /B is allowed, but not both.
       The | isn't meant to be typed when the command is used.

# Other Ways of Getting Help

1. Most commands will describe their function and options, by using /? on them at the command line. For example:

       dir /?

2. The command fasthelp. This is a clone of MS-DOS fasthelp. If you can't find what you are looking for in help, it may be in fasthelp, or vice versa.
3. The commands Whatis and Apropos
4. The doc subdirectory in the DOS directory contains many of the detailed manuals for various FreeDOS programs.
5. Visit the FreeDOS website, www.freedos.org