Three C questions

an********@gmail.com wrote:

Hello

I am seeking the best way (speed and portability) to program
mode 13h (320 x 200 256 colors), and mode X.

Golly. I haven't seen anyone trying to use those old CGA video modes
since the early nineties!

What are your suggestions. Do I have to write my own C and ASM
routines

You can't do this in Standard C, and under Win2K or later, you won't be
able to use interrupts directly either. You'll need to ask some borland
experts in a borland group, and possibly some DOS experts, if you can
find them

I am also having problems - I need to have around 30 files open
simultaneously in one program, but I only succeed in opening 20 and
then fopen fails. Does anyone have any idea what the problem should
be?

Read your DOS manual for the FILES directive. And ask furthr DOS related
questions in a DOS programming group...

--
Mark McIntyre

CLC FAQ <http://c-faq.com/>
CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>

Jan 18 '08 #8

On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:36:56 -0600, Mark McIntyre wrote
(in article <13************@corp.supernews.com>):

an********@gmail.com wrote:
>Hello

I am seeking the best way (speed and portability) to program
mode 13h (320 x 200 256 colors), and mode X.

Golly. I haven't seen anyone trying to use those old CGA video modes
since the early nineties!

>What are your suggestions. Do I have to write my own C and ASM
routines

You can't do this in Standard C, and under Win2K or later, you won't be
able to use interrupts directly either. You'll need to ask some borland
experts in a borland group, and possibly some DOS experts, if you can
find them

Find Ray Duncan's old book, I think he covers it in detail, but it's
been a long time since I cracked it open, and I can't find it atm.
--
Randy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR)
"The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those
who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

Jan 19 '08 #9

Coos Haak

Op Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:36:56 +0000 schreef Mark McIntyre:

an********@gmail.com wrote:
>Hello

I am seeking the best way (speed and portability) to program
mode 13h (320 x 200 256 colors), and mode X.

Golly. I haven't seen anyone trying to use those old CGA video modes
since the early nineties!

According to Ralf Brown's Interrupt List, it was VGA. And the fact that the
whole page fitted in one 64 KB segment helped a lot ;-)
Many games in those day used this mode.
--
Coos

Jan 19 '08 #10

Kaz Kylheku

On Jan 18, 3:12*pm, anon856...@gmail.com wrote:

Hey look what's your problem? Plenty of people don't have unlimited
cash to buy new computers all the time and keep up with the latest
gadgets and dongles, so don't make fun.

Where did I say anything about needing cash? I can get a much better
computer than yours from someone for free. In fact, I could probably
charge for the service of hauling it away.

In fact, about six years ago I got, for free, a machine with two 400
Mhz Celerons and 128 megs of RAM.

I'm calling your bullshit, troll boy.

DOS still has a huge installed base

Not any installed base that would be a viable target market for new
DOS games, or any new software, really.

and it's definitely a viable platform for C development.

What would you know about viable? In the real world, viable
development means making a decent living. The people doing viable game
development today are not doing it with DOS, and don't dick around
with 16 Mb computers running Windows 95 when they come home.

Jan 19 '08 #11

Jack Klein

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:25:43 -0500, CBFalconer <cb********@yahoo.com>
wrote in comp.lang.c:

an********@gmail.com wrote:

... snip ...

I am also having problems - I need to have around 30 files open
simultaneously in one program, but I only succeed in opening 20 and
then fopen fails. Does anyone have any idea what the problem should
be?

This is all off-topic for c.l.c. Try a newsgroup that deals with
DOS.

BTW, I believe adding "files = 35" in config.sys will do.

Ah, the hazard of answering off-topic posts...

That modification to config.sys won't do with those old Borland
compilers.

--
Jack Klein
Home: http://JK-Technology.Com
FAQs for
comp.lang.c http://c-faq.com/
comp.lang.c++ http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++
http://www.club.cc.cmu.edu/~ajo/docs/FAQ-acllc.html

Jan 19 '08 #12

CBFalconer

an********@gmail.com wrote: *** and top-posted. Fixed ***

Kaz Kylheku wrote:
>anon856...@gmail.com wrote:

>>Well my machine only has 16 MB of RAM and a 200 MHZ processor

Go to the alley behind the building; there is an awesome upgrade
system waiting for you in a dumpster.

Hey look what's your problem? Plenty of people don't have unlimited
cash to buy new computers all the time and keep up with the latest
gadgets and dongles, so don't make fun.

DOS still has a huge installed base and it's definitely a viable
platform for C development. IMO YMMV.

He gave you good advice. Those machines are available all the
time. Free.

Please do not top-post. Your answer belongs after (or intermixed
with) the quoted material to which you reply, after snipping all
irrelevant material. See the following links:

<http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html>
<http://www.caliburn.nl/topposting.html>
<http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html>
<http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/ (taming google)
<http://members.fortunecity.com/nnqweb/ (newusers)

--
[mail]: Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net)
[page]: <http://cbfalconer.home.att.net>
Try the download section.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Jan 19 '08 #13

Coos Haak wrote:

Op Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:36:56 +0000 schreef Mark McIntyre:

>an********@gmail.com wrote:
>>Hello

I am seeking the best way (speed and portability) to program
mode 13h (320 x 200 256 colors), and mode X.
Golly. I haven't seen anyone trying to use those old CGA video modes
since the early nineties!

According to Ralf Brown's Interrupt List, it was VGA.

Indeed - CGA was only 16 colours.
Days of yore.

Jan 19 '08 #14

Syren Baran

Mark McIntyre schrieb:

Coos Haak wrote:
>Op Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:36:56 +0000 schreef Mark McIntyre:

>>an********@gmail.com wrote:
Hello

I am seeking the best way (speed and portability) to program
mode 13h (320 x 200 256 colors), and mode X.
Golly. I haven't seen anyone trying to use those old CGA video modes
since the early nineties!

According to Ralf Brown's Interrupt List, it was VGA.

Indeed - CGA was only 16 colours.
Days of yore.

Nope. CGA only had four colors.
Either you mean EGA or hi-res VGA.

Jan 20 '08 #15

an********@gmail.com wrote:

>
Well my machine only has 16 MB of RAM and a 200 MHZ processor, which
is quite far below Windows XP minimum specs - do you think it would
run OK? I wouldn't think so.

Try to install one of those Linux mini distributions. In this way your
programs will also run in larger Linux machines, and if you use portable
libraries your programs will also be able to be compiled for Windows.

http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributi...Distributions/

Jan 20 '08 #16

Kaz Kylheku wrote:

>
Where did I say anything about needing cash? I can get a much better
computer than yours from someone for free. In fact, I could probably
charge for the service of hauling it away.

In fact, about six years ago I got, for free, a machine with two 400
Mhz Celerons and 128 megs of RAM.

I think you should relax. If this was the case, in undeveloped/under
development countries, then we would not need the "one laptop per child"
project.

Jan 20 '08 #17

Syren Baran wrote:

Golly. I haven't seen anyone trying to use those old CGA video modes

>>>since the early nineties!

According to Ralf Brown's Interrupt List, it was VGA.

Indeed - CGA was only 16 colours.
Days of yore.
Nope. CGA only had four colors.
Either you mean EGA or hi-res VGA.

If I recall correctly, VGA had 256 colours.

Jan 20 '08 #18

Syren Baran

an********@gmail.com schrieb:

Hello

I am seeking the best way (speed and portability) to program
mode 13h (320 x 200 256 colors), and mode X.

asm{
mov AX,13h
int 10h
}
Mode X is more complicated, though, providing 4*64K of video ram at
A000h in 4 bit planes.

What are your suggestions. Do I have to write my own C and ASM
routines
to do Mode 13h and Mode X? I could not find an updated BGI driver
from Borland.

Check the book PC-Intern from Michael Tischler, it should answer all
questions you could have about low level vga coding (and a lot you
wouldnt even have considered youself) and features really good code samples.

>
Thanks.

Jan 20 '08 #19

Syren Baran

Syren Baran schrieb:

>What are your suggestions. Do I have to write my own C and ASM
routines
to do Mode 13h and Mode X? I could not find an updated BGI driver
from Borland.
Check the book PC-Intern from Michael Tischler, it should answer all

Sorry, the name is Tischer. Version 3 of the book is probably the best.

>>
Thanks.

Jan 20 '08 #20

CBFalconer

Ioannis Vranos wrote:

Kaz Kylheku wrote:

>Where did I say anything about needing cash? I can get a much
better computer than yours from someone for free. In fact, I
could probably charge for the service of hauling it away.

In fact, about six years ago I got, for free, a machine with
two 400 Mhz Celerons and 128 megs of RAM.

I think you should relax. If this was the case, in
undeveloped/under development countries, then we would not need
the "one laptop per child" project.

I think the child will have problems hauling about that system. It
probably weighs at least 60 pounds, and has a fairly large and
heavy CRT display.

--
[mail]: Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net)
[page]: <http://cbfalconer.home.att.net>
Try the download section.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Jan 20 '08 #21

Regan Revised

"Jack Klein" <ja*******@spamcop.netwrote in message
news:10********************************@4ax.com...

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:25:43 -0500, CBFalconer <cb********@yahoo.com>
wrote in comp.lang.c:

>an********@gmail.com wrote:
>
... snip ...
>
I am also having problems - I need to have around 30 files open
simultaneously in one program, but I only succeed in opening 20 and
then fopen fails. Does anyone have any idea what the problem should
be?

This is all off-topic for c.l.c. Try a newsgroup that deals with
DOS.

BTW, I believe adding "files = 35" in config.sys will do.

Ah, the hazard of answering off-topic posts...

That modification to config.sys won't do with those old Borland
compilers.

Jack Klein on windows, folks. Thanks for your money.
--

Regan R.
Deep within the heart of every evangelist lies the wreck of a car salesman.
-- H L Mencken, describing the Christian author Ray Comfort.

Jan 20 '08 #22

Ioannis Vranos wrote:

an********@gmail.com wrote:
>>
Well my machine only has 16 MB of RAM and a 200 MHZ processor, which
is quite far below Windows XP minimum specs - do you think it would
run OK? I wouldn't think so.

Try to install one of those Linux mini distributions.

Not even a minilinux will run in 16MB ram - I've just wasted a weekend
trying to recycle an old dell laptop with 64MB memory. Sure, I can get
DSL running - but usably? No...

http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributi...Distributions/

--
Mark McIntyre

CLC FAQ <http://c-faq.com/>
CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>

Jan 20 '08 #23

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:40:39 -0600, Mark McIntyre wrote
(in article <13*************@corp.supernews.com>):

Ioannis Vranos wrote:
>an********@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
Well my machine only has 16 MB of RAM and a 200 MHZ processor, which
is quite far below Windows XP minimum specs - do you think it would
run OK? I wouldn't think so.

Try to install one of those Linux mini distributions.

Not even a minilinux will run in 16MB ram

I find this hard to believe. SysVR4 would run quite well, including a
full X11R4 and Motif window manager in 16MB of RAM (or less). Surely
you should be able to get linux running with a minimal window manager,
no optional packages, etc. the same way.

Aha.. here's proof.

TinyLinux: Requirements: i386 of better, 8MB RAM minimum.
http://tiny.seul.org/en/

So much for that theory. I used it once years ago (or a distro with
the same name) for a project where Linux need to run out of a CF flash
module, back before SSDs were even a dream.

- I've just wasted a weekend

trying to recycle an old dell laptop with 64MB memory. Sure, I can get
DSL running - but usably? No...

Maybe you could hire someone to help you. :P
--
Randy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR)
"The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those
who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

Jan 20 '08 #24

Willem

Randy wrote:
) On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:40:39 -0600, Mark McIntyre wrote
)- I've just wasted a weekend
)trying to recycle an old dell laptop with 64MB memory. Sure, I can get
)DSL running - but usably? No...
)
) Maybe you could hire someone to help you. :P

I guess the major problem is getting a web browser running comfortably.
Starting a fresh copy of Mozilla (not the leanest of browsers, I admit)
shows it eats over 100MB right off the bat. Showing a blank page.

SaSW, Willem
--
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for any of the statements
made in the above text. For all I know I might be
drugged or something..
No I'm not paranoid. You all think I'm paranoid, don't you !
#EOT

Jan 20 '08 #25

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 06:43:41 -0600, Willem wrote
(in article <sl********************@snail.stack.nl>):

Randy wrote:
>On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:40:39 -0600, Mark McIntyre wrote
>>- I've just wasted a weekend
trying to recycle an old dell laptop with 64MB memory. Sure, I can get
DSL running - but usably? No...

Maybe you could hire someone to help you. :P

I guess the major problem is getting a web browser running comfortably.
Starting a fresh copy of Mozilla (not the leanest of browsers, I admit)
shows it eats over 100MB right off the bat. Showing a blank page.

Perhaps that can be traced to the use of a suspect xmalloc() wrapper.
--
Randy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR)
"The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those
who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

Jan 20 '08 #26

Randy Howard wrote:

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:40:39 -0600, Mark McIntyre wrote
(in article <13*************@corp.supernews.com>):

>Not even a minilinux will run in 16MB ram

I find this hard to believe. SysVR4 would run quite well,

Heck, if I go back far enough I can run it in virtually no memory at
all. I occasionally fire up V5 on my PDP11 emulator just for kicks. I
could probably run OpenVMS on it too...

including a
full X11R4 and Motif window manager in 16MB of RAM (or less). Surely
you should be able to get linux running with a minimal window manager,
no optional packages, etc. the same way.

Without optional packages its completely useless on a laptop. Sure I can
get it running - with a severely broken GUI, no wordprocessor, a
horribly maimed browser, and with more swapping than Saturday with Noel.

Aha.. here's proof.

TinyLinux: Requirements: i386 of better, 8MB RAM minimum.
http://tiny.seul.org/en/

So much for that theory.

Tried it, no dice. For one thing, where do they expect me to get twelve
floppies? I haven't use these since the iMac came out. :-)

- I've just wasted a weekend
>trying to recycle an old dell laptop with 64MB memory. Sure, I can get
DSL running - but usably? No...

Maybe you could hire someone to help you. :P

Feel free to drop round and do it for me.... The only one that reliably
worked on my dell was DSL. With just the bare min of apps running, it
takes about 8MB. Load up any app at all and you're into swap-city.

Jan 20 '08 #27

Mark McIntyre wrote:

>
Feel free to drop round and do it for me.... The only one that reliably
worked on my dell was DSL. With just the bare min of apps running, it
takes about 8MB. Load up any app at all and you're into swap-city.

Are you talking about using X.Org? The fellow with "16 MB of RAM and a
200 MHZ processor" is running DOS and ancient borland compilers.

I suppose he can run an uptodate Linux in console mode and use a recent
GCC along with some simple console editor like nano, joe, or others.

Jan 21 '08 #28