HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: c60b-1fk@e260-1c.berkeley.edu (Ahmon Dancy)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Programmable Interrupt Controller
Date: 9 Sep 1992 02:27:45 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: e260-1c.berkeley.edu
Originator: c60b-1fk@e260-1c.berkeley.edu


Greetings.  I am looking for information on the 8259 Programmable
interrupt controller.  Specifically, what protected mode programs 
are actually doing when they reroute hardware IRQs.  I have the
code but I'd like to know what the numbers really mean.  Any
information is appreciated.

email: c60b-1fk@webworm.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: bjorn.myrland@sipaa.sintef.no (Bjorn Myrland)
Subject: MSDOS 5.0 vs other DOS 5s : Bug?
Summary: Difference between MSDOS and PCDOS++ 5.0 is identified
Keywords: MSDOS, bug
Organization: SINTEF
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 15:19:53 GMT

I have a problem that I hope at least one of you out there could shed some 
light on. We have a program that functions very well when run on machines 
with all other DOSs than Microsoft's own DOS 5. It runs ok on DOS 3.3, 4 and 
on OEM versions of DOS 5, but *not* on the original MSDOS 5.

I have not had the opportunity to do much debugging on the program yet, but 
it is a fairly simple one written in Microsoft C, mostly doing some file 
handling stuff. When run in a DOS shell under Windows, it is aborted by 
Windows with a message saying "...illegal instruction, close down and 
reboot...". Windows hangs when exiting, making me suspect that some DOS code 
or data area is overwritten.

A call to Microsoft's MSDOS technical support did not do much good. The MS 
guy believed that the OEM versions were all based on Microsoft's code, with 
only minor changes. Furthermore, no revisions of MSDOS 5 have ever been 
issued (i.e. no 5.01 etc). If this is the case, then my application should 
run equally good or bad on all DOSs, which it obviously does not.

There is a bug in my application, no doubt, but with some rather odd 
properties that I partly will have to explain to the users who cannot 
run the program even on plain vanilla machines with the original MSDOS 
5 installed. So, could somebody help me clear up on these DOS matters a 
little bit? For example:

	- Who licences DOS code from who?
	- Who uses IBMBIOS.COM/IBMDOS.COM and who uses IO.SYS/MSDOS.SYS ?
	- Are there any known functional differences between the different 
	  DOS brands? Any of the OEMs having bug-fixed the original 
	  MSDOS code?
	- If the program fails on MSDOS 5, what other OEM DOSs should I 
	  expect it to fail with?

Thanks,
Bjrn.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
   Bjorn Myrland                  *  bjorn.myrland@sipaa.sintef.no
   SINTEF Safety and Reliability  *  N-7034 Trondheim, NORWAY
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
   SINTEF - The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research
                at the Norwegian Institute of technology
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: todds@code3 (Todd Stevenson)
Subject: Questions about the diskette Volume Serial Number
Organization: 3M Health Information Systems
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 19:29:20 GMT

It appears that each time a floppy is formatted, a quasi-unique serial
number is generated.  How can I access that in my programs?

Thank you.

Todd Stevenson
3M Health Information Systems
todds@code3.com

Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: silvia@rcf.rsmas.miami.edu
Subject: Re: DES encryption
Reply-To: silvia@rcf.rsmas.miami.edu
Organization: RSMAS
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 16:39:58 GMT

In article <4RcZoB1w164w@jksclub.scol.pa.us>, jks@jksclub.scol.pa.us (Jeremy K Summers) writes:
>Does anyone know of some fully documented code on implementing the DES 
>encryption standard on the computer?  I have articles on it, but no info  
>on  porting it to the computer.
>
>  J|eremy    |  /
>  K|enneth   |_/  jks@jksclub.scol.pa.us
>  S|ummers   | \  jks@hogbbs.scol.pa.us
>         ____|__\

I now  this is kind of old but did you receive any info on DES encryption?



            Manolo
From: TEB106@psuvm.psu.edu (Tom billet)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Julian date function
Date: 14 Sep 92 14:20:54 GMT
Organization: Penn State University

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has a good Julian Date function.  In particular, it
needs to account for leap years.  If anyone has a book that contains the
Function I would be willing to purchase one, or if it is short enough to type
in the pseudocode I would be much appreciative.  I will be converting the
Function to a QuickBasic routine.  Thanks in advance.


Tom Billet
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: vdkamp@rullf2.leidenuniv.nl
Subject: Svga mouse bgi TP60 ET4000
Organization: Leiden University, Medical Informatics
Date: 10 Sep 92 14:15:55 +0100

Greetings,

We have two problems

1) We need mouse support for the SVGA 800x600 and 1024x768 graphics modes.
   (ET4000 but general SVGA if possible)

2) We are also looking for a (Borland) BGI file that really supports every
   GRAPH function in TurboPascal6.0
   We met a problem using SVGABG31.ZIP (Jordan Powell Hargrave) the SetBkColor
   function doesn't work.
   in  software (just didn't work).

PLEASE help us ! (we give hugs and kisses)


Marco Roessen
Bob van der Kamp
Academic Hospital / Leiden University
Holland.





ps.

Hugs e.t.c. only through Email
From: mlevis@ringer.cs.utsa.edu (Mike Levis)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: studying executables
Date: 7 Sep 92 03:49:36 GMT
Distribution: comp
Organization: University of Texas at San Antonio

In article <1992Sep6.232408.11684@zooid.guild.org> ross@zooid.guild.org (Ross Ridge) writes:
>ara@zurich.ai.mit.edu (Allan Adler) writes:
[...]
>>First, it seems to me that every compiler and every assembler must have its
>>own idiosyncratic way of producing the executable. Is that true?
>
>For compilers yes, for assemblers no.  With assemblers every byte of
>the execuatable is under the programmers control.

Actually, assemblers have their own way of producing executables, too.
There is a share-ware assembler (I think it is called A86) that even
says that it creates opcodes different from other assemblers.  This
way, the author can sue unregistered owners for not registering.
There are different ways an assembler can create a "fingerprint".
One example is ``MOV BX, AX''.  An assembler can generate either
``89h C3h'' or ``8Bh D8h'' for the opcode (I don't have A86, so I
don't know which opcode set it uses for ``MOV BX, AX'').

Likewise, an assembler can optimize the code for speed and/or size.
For example, I have TASM, which converts a far call into the same
segment into a push cs and near call.

TASM also automatically generates code for you, such as when using
Language modifiers.  For example, you can call a C function from
your ASM program.  TASM will push your parameters (using the C
parameter passing protocol), make the call, then adjust the stack
for you.

[...]


-- 
==== Mike Levis   mlevis@ringer.cs.utsa.edu ====
::   ftp ftp.cs.widener.edu (147.31.254.132)  ::  .--.
::   for ``The Simpsons'' information.  Get   :: (OS/2)
:::: ``Simpsons'' FAQL in dir /pub/simpsons ::::  ~--~
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: hollen@megatek.UUCP (Dion Hollenbeck)
Subject: Re: malloc overhead?
Organization: Megatek Corporation, San Diego, California
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 16:26:49 GMT

>>>>> On 9 Sep 92 02:21:23 GMT, rwed@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (N7YVM) said:

N7YVM> In article <DAVIS.92Sep8201040@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu> davis@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu  (John E. Davis) writes:

>important. If I malloc some space of length size, how much additional overhead

N7YVM> I wondered about this too.. without trying to remember too many details,
N7YVM> I noticed all my mallocs in TurboC were displayed as pointers in the form
N7YVM> segment:0008.. The word at segment:0000 was the size of my block+8,
N7YVM> the word at segment:2 looked like a pointer to another block.. the others
N7YVM> I couldnt determine.. 

N7YVM> Id be interested in finding out what this information is..

I have done LOTS of malloc'ed memory debugging with linked lists in
the large model in Turbo C and the address is ALWAYS segment:0008.
This comes from literally thousands of times looking at returned
malloc'ed pointers.  I would be very confident of saying that the
overhead for a malloc in large model is 8 bytes.

BTW, this brings up a helpful hint.  Do not ever neglect to include
<alloc.h> when using malloc().   This is no problem in the 64k data
models because the type of malloc() is assumed to be int - 16 bits and
a near character pointer is 16 bits, the malloc'ed value being
returned in the AX register.  In the large data models, malloc()
returns a 32 bit segment:offset pointer in AX, DX and if you have not
declared malloc() to be char far *, then the next instruction after
the call to malloc is CDW (convert word to double word) and your
result is ALWAYS 0000:0008 and the first time you use the pointer, you
piss all over your interrupt vectors.

-- 
Dion Hollenbeck       UUCP: {uunet, ucsd, sun}!megatek!hollen
                      INTERNET:            hollen@megatek.com
Megatek Corporation  9645 Scranton Rd.  San Diego, Ca.  92121
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: nigel@cotswold.demon.co.uk (Nigel Roles)
Subject: Re: Threads/Coroutines for DOS
Distribution: world
Organization: Interconnect
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 15:03:50 +0000


In article <1992Sep8.050225.1013@iti.gov.sg> stan@iti.gov.sg (Tan See Mong) writes:

> 
> I need a (p.d.) threads package for DOS for the project I'm working on.
> I checked out CTASK by Thomas Wagner -- it's a great piece of work
> but a little too heavyweight.  All that's required here is non-premeptive
> coroutines that will work with Borland 3.0 C/C++.  Is there anything like this
> around?
> 
> stan
> 
> 
BC++ 3.1 reference manual on longjmp states it is sufficient for implementing
coroutines.
Xref: sparky comp.os.msdos.programmer:9098 sci.math.symbolic:2331
From: hartung@crl.ucsd.edu (Jeff Hartung)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: Borland NZ complaints (longish)
Date: 15 Sep 92 17:22:22 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <1992Sep15.064208.25085@cs.aukuni.ac.nz> pgut1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz (Peter Gutmann) writes:
>Posted for a Usenet-challenged friend....
>			    -----------------------
>Am I a whinger or what?
>
>When Borland (NZ) released the BC3.1 upgrade I trotted along tuit-suite as fast
>as my little legs would carry me only to find out that they'd sold all the 3.5"
>copies and I'd have to make do with a 5.25" one.  No problem... my machine's

[stuff about needing to install on machine w/ only 3.5" drive deleted] 

>Looks as if Borland's install program is too smart for its own good.. it
>"knows" that if you're installing off 3.5" HD media then you only need 16 disks
>so the other 2 in my set were completely ignored.

[stuff about Borland being less-than-helpful <grin> deleted]

We, I'm not too surprised at the sluggishness from Borland (seems they
are willing to help if money is involved, e.g., "Sure I can solve your
problem!  There's this new version out that fixes that problem and for only
$139 you can upgrade to it.  Butwait, there's more!  For another $99 you can
also get this handsome simulated wood grain finish carrying case for the
manuals. :-)  However, personality conflicts with Borland's technical/
customer support people aside, an easier solution might have been to make a
backup of the directory (and sub-directories) with BC++ in them and restore it
to the other computer.


-- 
 --Jeff Hartung--  	
 Disclaimer: My opinions only, etc., etc., BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!...
 InterNet - hartung@crl.ucsd.edu    	 BITNET - hartung@ucsd
 UUCP - ucsd!crl.ucsd.edu!hartung
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: yogi@cs.ubc.ca (Yossi Gil)
Subject: Re: How does INT 16 know that INT 9 has executed?
Organization: Computer Science, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 14:52:00 GMT

yogi@cs.ubc.ca (Yossi Gil) writes:

>Suppose you call int 16 with ah=0 and that there are no
>keys in the keyboard queue. Int 16 codes then waits for
>a keystroke to occur and return it.

>Q:  What is the communication mechanism? How does int 9 signal
>to int 16 that a keystroke occured. 

>I did few experiments and as far as I can tell, int 16 doesn't loop
>until head != tail for the keyboard queue. 

Checked again, disassembling the BIOS (AMI) and discovered that I 
was wrong in my first conjecture. 

Basically, int 16, ah=0 waits for keystroke by doing the following:

	1. Disable interrupts.
	2. Compare Head to Tail
	3. Enable interrupts
	4. If not equal goto 7. 
	5. Call INT 15, AX=9002
	6. Goto 1.	

	7. Read key.
	8. If keyboard status changed, set the leds.
	9. If enhanced key goto 1.
	10. Return key.

I used this to patch INT 9 to add a new keystroke for ScrollLock. My
code is:

	1. Record Scroll Lock shift status.
	2. Call original int 9.
	3. If key pending add it to the queue tail. 
	4. If scroll lock status has not changed return. 
	5. If keyboard buffer is not full, push "Scroll Lock" keystroke in
	6. If full, toggle key pending status.
	7. Return	

Using this patch, I can detect change in status of scroll lock without
polling the keyboard status word.
	

	


--
Joseph (Yossi) Gil                 {alberta,uw-beaver,uunet}!ubc-cs!yogi
Dept. of Computer Science          yogi@cs.ubc.ca (cs.ubc.ca=137.82.8.5)
6356 Agricultural Road., Univ. of B.C.,             Tel: +1-604-822-8175
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z2, Canada.       Fax: +1-604-822-5485
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: levin@world.std.com (Levin F Magruder)
Subject: Recommendation on editor for C / Brief only $99 now
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 18:30:34 GMT


I know/think there's a editors group, but in my opinion this
is a msdos question.  Flame by mail, if necessary.  Thanks.

The only programming I do is in C.  What I'd really like is
an emacs clone that works right, but I've given up on DEMACS.
I would keep trying with DEMACS if it ran right under DesqView,
but it still doesn't, right?

I've tried qedit, and don't like it.  The version I tried is
about three years old, does anyone think much of it, if it's
changed much since?  (As I recall, you couldn't even write a
macro that would, say, ask for a string at the time of running
the macro, search for that string and do something.)

I tried an editor call PE (perfect editor, shareware) and 
dislike it.  Same problem with macros, and it's irritating in
how it handles the ring of loaded files.  I'm forever accidentally
renaming files and quitting files.

Brief is on sale from Borland now.  I'd still rather not spend
the $99, but if it's as good as its reputed to be, I guess
I'd take the plunge.  

My main criteria is that it can automatically handle braces, etc.
(You'd think that would be simple enough, but I've never been
pleased with the way any editor does it...) and have a quick to
learn and flexible macro language.  And work under Desqview.

Those of you who use brief, does it meet these criteria?  Other
suggestions are welcome, bearing in mind that I begrudge even
$99 expense.  I am not a professional programmer, I write little
filters and things like that.

An example of how I write follows.  I think it's pretty standard
and auto formatting should be able to indulge my preferences...

int proc(char *arg)
{
  char localc ;
  char *cp ;

  while(*cp != arg)
  {
    dothis(*cp) ;
    getanother(cp) ;
    eflag = estat(*cp) ;
   }
  
   return(something) ;
}

I would like to be able to make it autoexpand ); to ) ; and
}\n to }\n\n if the first non-white char after } \n is not }.

Thanks for suggestions.
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: dnanian@uw.com (Dave Nanian)
Subject: Re: Recommendation on editor for C / Brief only $99 now
Reply-To: dnanian@uw.com (Dave Nanian)
Organization: UnderWare, Inc.
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 00:51:46 GMT

In article <1992Sep7.053018.21433@news2.cis.umn.edu> wright@epx.cis.umn.edu  
(Mark Wright) writes:
> I have no connection with System Solutions or Borland or whoever owns Brief
> today (and for such a great package, it does seem to change hands alot.
> Didn't a company named Underware own it at one point, too?)  I've just
> been using it for around three years now and I love it...

Yes, we actually designed and wrote BRIEF -- started in 1983 and sold the  
product to Solution Systems in 1990 (the last version we did was v3.0).  Since  
then, we've watched the product change hands along with the rest of you,  
wondering when someone would take control and really start revising the  
product.  Here's hoping BORLAND does a great job with our "baby"!
--
Dave Nanian, UnderWare, Inc. (dnanian@uw.com, uunet!uw!dnanian)
NeXT Mail Preferred, but any mail cheerfully accepted.
From: bu254@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephen Groundwater)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: BC++ Far new()
Date: 8 Sep 1992 20:19:53 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: bu254@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephen Groundwater)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, bu254@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephen Groundwater) says:

>>
>>Question : how can I call the far version of 'new()' from a small memory
>>           program ?
>>
>char far *MyBuf;
>MyBuf=(char far *)new(100L);
>
>Voila, 100 bytes of far memory, the important bit is the L.
>
Opps, what I meant to say was
MyBuf=(char far *)new[100L];
sorry.

Steve
Xref: sparky comp.os.msdos.programmer:9137 alt.graphics.pixutils:2116
From: rwed@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (N7YVM)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer,alt.graphics.pixutils
Subject: indexed 256 color palette selection
Date: 7 Sep 92 21:54:43 GMT
Followup-To: comp.os.msdos.programmer


 Hello!


  Ive got a bunch of raw images, i.e. image that are stored as memory as
  separate r g and b images, each byte being between 0 thru 255 and
  indicating intensity...

  What I need is an algorithm that selects the best indexed 256 color
  palette for a particular image.

  In other words I got some jpegs I need to convert to GIFS :)

  Does anyone know of ANY algorithms that select such palettes? I think
  the optimum palette would have each palette entry used an equal number
  of times? I have developed an algorithm that does this for greyscales,
  but cant seem to find one that handles rgb palettes..  Thanks if you
  have any advice to offer me !!
From: beaurega@ireq.hydro.qc.ca (Denis Beauregard)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: PRINT.EXE a binary file?
Date: 10 Sep 92 14:59:39 GMT
Organization: Institut de recherche d'Hydro-Quebec, Varennes, Canada

In article <1992Sep5.001106.24945@newstand.syr.edu> amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) writes:
>
>In@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> yawei@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (~{QG9p~}) writes:
>>...
>>PRINT.EXE via the DOS multiplex interrupt calls so that it can
>>be printed in the background. Everything worked perfectly 
>>until some bytes with values 0x0D or 0x1B sneaked into the files.
>
>>It turned out that PRINT.EXE was only equiped to handle non-binary
>>files! (This was confirmed after checking the manuals.) An 
>
>I didn't see it my manuals either, but many dos level programs intended
>for text files, have a hidden (or poorly documented) /b switch for
>use with binary files.  Try print /b file.ext
>
>al
>--
>Al. Michielsen, Crouse Hinds School of Management, Syracuse University
> InterNet: amichiel@mailbox.syr.edu  amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu
> Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE 

My problem consisted in printing output of Word for Windows in a remote
printer (a HPLJ 3).  This is a binary file.
Print will expand tabs and other annoying and not wanted conversions.

My solution:
copy /b a:myfile lpt1:

I know this is not a spooler, but I was using the other PC and nobody
was on it, so that spooler was ne necessary.
And this works!

-- 
  \_\    Denis Beauregard  *  internet:beaurega@ireq.hydro.qc.ca
 /   \   Genealogiste officiel : Beauregard/Jarret/Jarest/Vincent
J   __>  Un Quebec renouvele dans une Amerique renovee
\_.-===                                                  Opinions ? Et pis non !
From: ralf+@cs.cmu.edu (Ralf Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: int 9h
Date: 12 Sep 92 23:10:33 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.BuHn1n.Kwq.2
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon

In article <18t26lINN3jm@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> noesis@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (95016000) writes:
}at the end of your interrupt you need an 'out 20h, 20h' or your machine will
}lock.

But only if you DON'T chain to the original INT 9 handler.  The original
handler will issue that OUT (it tells that interrupt controller that the
highest-priority pending interrupt has been handled).  If you issue it
again, it is possible that a lower-priority interrupt (i.e. anything but a
timer tick) which has occurred while INT 9 was being handled will be lost.
For that reason, it is preferable that you issue an OUT 20h,61h instead
(this says that IRQ1 has been handled).

-- 
Internet: RALF+@CS.CMU.EDU   |The University would disclaim this if it knew...
FIDO: Ralf Brown 1:129/26.1  |
BIT: RALF%CS.CMU.EDU@CARNEGIE|"Success has a simple formula: do your best,
AT&Tnet: (412)268-3053 school| and people may like it."   -- Sam Ewing
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: todds@code3 (Todd Stevenson)
Subject: Formatting Diskettes for copy protection?
Organization: 3M Health Information Systems
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 19:33:23 GMT

I am trying to add a minimal copy protection scheme to my program by
changing the sector numbers using the format bios call.  All the
books I read make reference to this as a way to do a simple copy
protection.  But all documentation is somewhat vague about the details
of doing this.  I am struggling to make it work.  Does anyone have
any code samples that explain how to do this???

Thank you.

Todd Stevenson
3M Health Information Systems
From: ralf+@cs.cmu.edu (Ralf Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: New AMISLIB available
Date: 13 Sep 92 20:35:11 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.BuJAIn.FKA.2
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon


Version 0.90 of AMISLIB, a sample implementation of the Alternate Multiplex
Interrupt Specification I have been touting for a year, is now available for
anonymous FTP.  It now supports version 3.5 of the specification, which I am
formally releasing today (if you got an earlier copy from me, please delete
it, as there has been some fine-tuning).  AMIS 3.5 provides a method for TSRs
to avoid hotkey conflicts.

AMISLIB is a public-domain library (including full source code) for writing
assembly-language TSRs complying with the Alternate Multiplex Interrupt Spec.
TSRs written with AMISLIB will load themselves into high memory if it is
available, and can be removed in any order among themselves and other AMIS-
compliant TSRs.

You can get it from CS.CMU.EDU [128.2.222.173] in /afs/cs/user/ralf/pub
(change directories with a *single* command) as altmpx35.zip (the spec)
and amisl090.zip (the library).  It will shortly be available on SIMTEL20
as well.

	Ralf

PS.  I will be unsubscribing this newsgroup for the next several months in
order to concentrate on completing my degree.
-- 
Internet: RALF+@CS.CMU.EDU   |The University would disclaim this if it knew...
FIDO: Ralf Brown 1:129/26.1  |
BIT: RALF%CS.CMU.EDU@CARNEGIE|"Success has a simple formula: do your best,
AT&Tnet: (412)268-3053 school| and people may like it."   -- Sam Ewing
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer