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Index > DOS > Do you use dos extender in your projects?

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ACP



Joined: 23 Sep 2006
Posts: 204
ACP 08 Jun 2014, 17:40
I wonder how many asm programmers are still using dos extenders in their projects. If you use one please tell us which one is it.
Post 08 Jun 2014, 17:40
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DOS386



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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DOS386 18 Jun 2014, 05:36
YES I'm still using HX DOS32A D3X ... I'll drop DOS Extenders when something better is available, nowadays it obviously isn't.
Post 18 Jun 2014, 05:36
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ACP



Joined: 23 Sep 2006
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ACP 18 Jun 2014, 07:00
Why all 3? Could you please elaborate more? Secondly do you use RAW mode or in VCPI or DPMI setup?
Post 18 Jun 2014, 07:00
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DOS386



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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DOS386 19 Jun 2014, 09:07
There is no point to use DOS extenders in Windaube (forget "DPMI setup"), and I don't use EMM386 (forget "VCPI setup"), so most likely raw/XMS.

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Post 19 Jun 2014, 09:07
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ACP



Joined: 23 Sep 2006
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ACP 19 Jun 2014, 09:27
Thanks for your answer Smile You don't need Windows to have DPMI host so I don't really understand your point about it. Anyway could you elaborate more why are you using those 3 extenders and do you interface them with FASM projects? Last but not least: on which environment are you running your software: is it real hardware, virtualization like VMWare, emulator like Qemu or limited environment like DosBox?

To make a long story short I would like to know are there any people still coding under DOS using FASM and using dos extender for their project.
Post 19 Jun 2014, 09:27
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DOS386



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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DOS386 23 Jun 2014, 14:27
> You don't need Windows to have DPMI host

I'm using HDPMI32.

> elaborate more why are you using those 3 extenders

HX - can run Win32 apps in DOS (so my app can run in both DOS and Win32)
D3X - smallest and has nice NASM source, usable with DGJPP and Free-Baysic, standalone EXE
DOS32A - less buggy than D3X, nice TASM "ideal" source, usable with CC386 and WATTCOM, standalone EXE

> which environment are you running your software: is it real hardware

YES of course Smile

> emulator like Qemu

I use BOCHS if there is a special need for it (screenshooting, debugging, slowing down, ...).
Post 23 Jun 2014, 14:27
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ACP



Joined: 23 Sep 2006
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ACP 24 Jun 2014, 08:24
Thanks for clarification. I was wondering more people would use dos extenders with FASM than just you.

Only HX from your list is "actively" developed at the time. D3X and DOS32A are quite old. Why don't you use Phar Lap TNT or WDOSX? DOS4G does not provide Win32 emulation layer, so I guess this is why you don't use it.

One more question: which part of Win32 API are you using under HX?
Post 24 Jun 2014, 08:24
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neville



Joined: 13 Jul 2008
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neville 25 Jun 2014, 01:08
No, I don't use extenders at all. I can't see the point of using relatively cumbersome and inflexible pmode memory allocation strategies when flat real mode gives me 4GB of memory to use however I like, and DOS knows nothing about it Wink Why "spoil" DOS real mode with an extender?

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Post 25 Jun 2014, 01:08
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DOS386



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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DOS386 26 Jun 2014, 06:32
> D3X and DOS32A are quite old. Why don't you use Phar Lap TNT

20 more years older and proprietary.

> or WDOSX?

WDOSX is one of the better ones.

> DOS4G does not provide Win32 emulation layer,
> so I guess this is why you don't use it

And it's bloated, proprietary, and supports only 32 MiO RAM.

> One more question: which part of Win32 API are you using under HX?

Those parts that are being emulated and do actually work (console, file I/O, GUI(works less well), ...).
Post 26 Jun 2014, 06:32
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CandyMan



Joined: 04 Sep 2009
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CandyMan 05 Jul 2014, 18:13
I am still using D3X and DOS32A. D3X is stable in contrast with PMODEW. Very Happy

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Post 05 Jul 2014, 18:13
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ring0



Joined: 14 Mar 2005
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ring0 13 Jul 2014, 21:21
Neville, a little clarification please. Are you saying that you can boot into vanilla (free)dos run a little app to put the processor into FRM and then use DOS commands and functions normally - or is there a little more to it? I am really interested to pursue this.
Post 13 Jul 2014, 21:21
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ACP



Joined: 23 Sep 2006
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ACP 13 Jul 2014, 22:12
ring0 wrote:
Neville, a little clarification please. Are you saying that you can boot into vanilla (free)dos run a little app to put the processor into FRM and then use DOS commands and functions normally - or is there a little more to it? I am really interested to pursue this.


There is nothing magic in it - either you shutdown FRM after quitting your application or you install own ISR for 0Dh int (GPF) and go TSR (actually handling 0Dh even if you just enable FRM for your application is a wise thing since other apps might be running in background). Keep in mind that this will not work with VCPI/DPMI and memory managers.

The most "tricky" part is to actually distinguish source of interrupt since IRQ 5 is allso connected to int 0Dh. You need to query PIC to check if IRQ is source of int and if not handle GPF switching FRM.

FRM is also being used by some BIOSes and HIMEM.SYS so you may actually be running DOS in FRM without even knowing it.
Post 13 Jul 2014, 22:12
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ACP



Joined: 23 Sep 2006
Posts: 204
ACP 13 Jul 2014, 22:14
Guys, thanks for all the comments - are there any special functions you are going after in particular DOS extenders? Is running a DPMI server seems like a problem (except DOS386 because he already stated that)? How do you integrate particular DOS extender with your fasm projects?
Post 13 Jul 2014, 22:14
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