Maybe a dumb question

[deoblo1]

Ok I have borland C++ 3.1 for dos...or i think it is 3.1 i dont know but it is for dos. I also have Visual C++ 6. is there any way to compile either .com files or files that when compiled are not writen useing the int 21 call (aka call to dos). So in other words i dont want to compile for dos, but since i am running windows, i have to get a compiler that works for dos or windows. Can anyone answer that, or tell me how it is done?

[CornedBee]

I don't really understand what you want. Just this: there is no compiler that can compile for both DOS and windows. Use your borland compiler if you want to make dos apps and vc++ if you want to make windows apps.

[deoblo1]

i dont want to compile for either. Think about it, what was dos compiled in? Could dos be compiled in c++? See what i mean I need a compiler that does not make calls to dos because it is not going to be there.

[CornedBee]

For what do you want to compile? Unix? MacOS? There are compilers for each of these systems (e.g. GCC for Linux). There is no "generic" compiler that can compile for all systems, because Win2k for example doesn't let you access the hardware directly, Unix neither, but DOS hasn't got any "draw text" built-in functions. MacOS runs on Macintosh computers that don't use Intel chips, so they need a total recompilation.
I still don't really get what you want to do...

[Zaei]

It sounds a lot like he is trying to create his own OS. In this case, you have to write everything in ASM, until you write your own C/C++ compiler for your OS.

Z.

[CornedBee]

I'd rather support linux than writing my own OS...

[Megatron]

They all require int 21h, because they run on a DOS platform, and Windows is just a shell off DOS. I suggest you talk to the user Knight_Vision on this subject. He's the ASM expert on these forums.

[CornedBee]

WinNT, 2k and XP are completely independent from DOS...

[Megatron]

I was referring to the standard Windows (95,98,ME).

[Dreamlax]

Originally posted by CornedBee
WinNT, 2k and XP are completely independent from DOS...

I'm not sure (that's why I'm asking!), but is the window you see when you run a DOS program in WinNT, 2K, and XP just a DOS emulator?

[CornedBee]

No, it's a windows console. It hasn't got anything to do with DOS either, except that the commands are the same. But the DOS commands come from the file command.com (still supported in NT, but running in an emulated environment and terribly slow), the NT shell is in cmd.exe. The console runs in 32-bit mode, DOS only 16-bit.

Since the real system calls are all made in the runtime (functions like printf), the best way to get an OS-independent solution is to write your own CRT. OS-independent only means that it runs WITHOUT OS, not that it runs with any OS.

[Dreamlax]

No no no, I mean when I run a DOS program, such as my old Mega Drive Emulators, Genecyst and KGen. Surely it's not just a console, and MUST have something to do with DOS.

[CornedBee]

You can run that under Win2k? I have yet to see a real DOS game to run under Win2k. (I'd like X-Wing, X-Com: TFTD, Jump'n'Bump etc.)


If that works, it has got something to do with DOS, but then it's not a console window either, but rather a DOS emulation window - but I haven't heard of such a thing.

Uh, and if it works, tell me how you do it plz.

[Dreamlax]

Well KGen and Genecyst both run well and fast but there is no sound (dunno how to get that to work). I have Win2k SP2 Multilanguage version, if that makes a difference. I would use just the plain English one but for some reason it won't allow me to have both QuanPin IME and JAIME2000 installed at once, which got rather annoying.

Now, instead of KGen I use Kega (written by the same guy) which is a Windows version of KGen.

[Dreamlax]

Wait! I just realised that Genecyst uses DOS4GW.EXE... I deleted DOS4GW.EXE and Genecyst didn't run, but KGen98 0.4b still worked.

http://www.zophar.net/ for the emulators.

[CornedBee]

I should try my games, I just assumed they wouldn't work anyway.

[Dreamlax]

The keywords here are: No sound.

I've tried all sorts of things (except look on the internet for answers) and still I can't get the sound to work.

[CornedBee]

I don't care, I'll be happy if it works at all.