Executor 2.0/executorv2.0.iso/pc/dos/extra/docs/maillist/text/archive.96/text0305.txt

Text File | 1996-07-25 | 10.6 KB | 248 lines

>>>>> "Steve" == Steve Arky <[e-mail]> writes:

    Steve> I have noticed that the video slowdown under OS/2 and WIn95
    Steve> is extremely pronounced. It is most noticeable in games
    Steve> (Maelstrom, e.g.,). Is there any chance this will get
    Steve> better in executor 2?

    Steve> I have a P100 with a Matrox Millenium card, so my machine's
    Steve> video should be up to snuff.

I've written some detailed postings in the past about why this
happens.  The short answer is that OS/2 and Win95 don't support DPMI
1.0, so we can't map the video card's frame buffer directly into our
address space.  This only really matters for games that bypass
QuickDraw (like Maelstrom).  The problem is compounded if you also
don't have VBE 2.0 in your Win95/Warp setup ("executor -info" will
tell you).

Eventually we'll support DirectDraw under Win95, and maybe DIVE under
OS/2, and theoretically this problem will go away.  There's also a
slimy way we can do it that throws away memory protection and
potentially lets an Executor crash bring down your machine, but we've
hesitated to do it (so far, anyway).

-Mat

From owner-paper Fri Feb  2 03:13:56 1996
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From: [e-mail] (Carl M Holmberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy,comp.emulators.mac.executor
Subject: Re: Can Quix save Apple?
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 12:08:40 -0800
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Clifford T. Matthews <[e-mail]> wrote:
>MacOS on PC hardware could run very fast via dynamic recompilation*
>and could run blazingly fast if compiler tools were available** to
>allow CPU intensive routines to be compiled into 80x86 code by the
>software author.
[snip]
>What we have done is *much* more difficult than what QUIX has done,
>and infinitely more useful if Apple ever wants to reward their
>software developers and potentially take on Microsoft on Intel based
>PC hardware.

What ARDI has done is comendable, technically. *However*, from a marketing
standpoint, the day Apple decides to pull a 'NeXT' is the day it shrinks
from an $11 billion corp to Claris' Windows cubicals. Why? Guesses:

a) most developers will drop the Mac versions. In a major platform switch
such as this (PPC ** 2), there are going to be plenty of problems. Who's
going to want to put in the effort when their existing Win products
already run on the h/w? If DOS/Win only shops don't port to Mac now, why
will they bother w/ Mac/Intel where they're still going to have to use new
tools and libraries?

Sierra Hotel dynamic compilation or no, ARDI isn't going to pull Apple out
of that fire. MacOS apps would get killed in product review benchmarks
until they went native...if they ever got the chance.

Sure, developers bitch about having to ass-kiss MS...but who wants to risk
getting cut off from MS tech support when they really tried to do
something about it?

b) most customers won't make the switch. New customers will go with the
known quantity. The existing base won't like getting orphaned. Apple won't
be in the driver's seat for hardware changes anymore, and who knows how
well they'll do getting drivers written or support existing drivers for
all that crap out there?

c) most sales people in the channel are married to DOS/Windows. They steer
the customers away from the Mac now. It'll be even easier when they can
point out that Apple doesn't control h/w anymore, and after all, Bill
really runs things in *this* town.

d) the trade media will hang Apple out to dry. Consider the bad press
Apple gets now as a healthy vertical semi-monopoly. The Doubt, Fear, and
Confusion factor will skyrocket. Consider their sales departments. Who's
going to take an at least *perceived* risk pissing off MS by going out on
a limb for Apple? Spare me the platitudes, this is real business.

e) will the oems cooperate? It's pretty clear that MS has beat the rap
regarding trade practices, and I seriously doubt that Justice is going to
jump back into it. Apple would be virtually forced to get back into box
production...now w/ 'Intel Inside'.

Obviously, in a PPC to Intel platform switch, a transition period would be
necessary. However, the moment the market caught wind that there *was* a
transition, the existing merchandise would rot on the docks...Osborne all
over again.

>Intel is not the enemy.

The company? This much, at least, may be true. Whatever gets their iron
out the door.

Any real effort by Apple to go h/w compatible would kill the company w/in
a year, end of story.

-Carl Holmberg-------------HMSC Bldg 805/H3---"Fine Guided Missiles,-
[e-mail]-P.O. Box 11337--------Ask for Our Free ---
---------------------------Tucson, AZ---------------Catalog"---------
---------------------------85734-1337 USA-------Well, you can ask...-

From owner-paper Fri Feb  2 08:41:46 1996
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Hi,
   I have just heard that Sun is wanting to takeover Apple.  Has anyone else
heard this?   If this is the case, tehn Ardi might be able to get the rights to use the MAC ROMS?!

    Hugh McLenaghan
    Registered executor/DOS & Executor/Linux user.

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From: [e-mail] (Joshua Tree)
Newsgroups: comp.emulators.mac.executor
Subject: Executor rebooting Linux!
Date: 31 Jan 1996 19:22:11 -0500
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I finally bought executor and got my codes to activate it and it's great
to be able to play Civilization again (Civ for Dos won't run under the
Dos emulator :(.

However when I run Chiral and the quit it reboots linux.  I've never had
a program crash linux before and I didn't think it was possible to reboot
linux (maybe with some low-level 386 register stuff).  I'm guessing that
this is a bug :)  (I certainly hope it's not a feature).

It only happens when I press the quit button on Chiral.  It doesn't
happen anywhere else.
It only seems to have started after I register executor.  I don't
remember it ever happening before I registered it (I'm not sure I play
chiral on version q1 before registering though).

I'm running
 Linux 1.3.52
 486sx/33   (Laser brand I think)
 8 meg ram
 Sound Blaster 16 and sony cdu33a cdrom

Any Ideas.  Maybe I should get a new version.

Also, is there a list of apps that work with Executor?

I'm doing a presentation at the Atlanta Linux Expo (just a demo day that
the Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts have cooked up to increase awareness of
Linux)  and I've been drafted to do a demo on Executor.  I'd like to show
a wordprocessor, spreadsheet, and a paint program (maybe Photoshop 2.5?).


Thanks guys.
Awesome job.

    -josh

From owner-paper Fri Feb  2 11:15:36 1996
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From: [e-mail] (Ryan Rothert)
Subject: svgalib executor, segmentation fault
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Organization: University of Toledo
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Hello,

I just downloaded and installed E/Lq
im getting segmentation faults with E/L-svga

Im using linux kernel 1.3.59, on a AMD 486DX4/100
with 12meg RAM....
my video card is a vlb Mach32.
Everything else that uses svgalib seems to work ok,
however i do get an error saying:
mach32-config: Invalid define command, clock is invalid
when i run some svgalib programs...
I also did have some seg faults in the Xwindows version...
i have used previous versions of E/L in X and svgalib,
withought a problem.. My system is still a.out not ELF...
Any thoughts??

thanks in advance..
Ryan Rothert
[e-mail]
[e-mail]