DOS ain't dead

Which is the first version to support 16-bit os in any form. It still requires binutils from Watcom (a requirement removed in trunk, which also supports trunk)

Since watcom and go32v2 don't mix, 3.0 is as crosscompiler from win32 only.

ftp://ftp.freepascal.org/pub/fpc/dist/3.0.0/i8086-msdos/

Go32v2 host/target mirrored to iBiblio here for FreeDOS.

> 3.0 is as crosscompiler from win32 only.

The Linux section at SF.net has the i8086-msdos cross-compiler twice: i386 and x86_64 (.tar.xz although .rpm files exist too).

Installing the Win32 ppcross8086.exe shows units\msdos\ for 8086/80186/80286 between tiny/small/medium/large/compact. (So apparently "huge" is trunk only.)

Good news having 8086 support on Freepascal. Good to see that after Virtual Pascal died years ago.

Also improvements on optimizer and code generator in 3.0, are very welcomed.


> Which is the first version to support 16-bit os in any form. It still
> requires binutils from Watcom (a requirement removed in trunk, which also
> supports trunk)
>
> Since watcom and go32v2 don't mix, 3.0 is as crosscompiler from win32
> only.
>
> ftp://ftp.freepascal.org/pub/fpc/dist/3.0.0/i8086-msdos/

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Visit my personal blog at https://www.javiergutierrezchamorro.com

Thank you very much for your effort and new FPC version.
It is worth to mention that in this final 3.0 version is the IDE functional and it is compiled with debug support.
The incorporated GDB version is 6.1.1
If someone wants to try build with some alternate GDB verion you might try this semi-official Pierre's repository Here

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DOS-u-akbar!

> "huge" is
> trunk
> only.)

Huge, win16 and internal linker are trunk yes.

BTW, this is not really a bug, but ...

BASEDOS.ZIP and ASLDDOS.ZIP are the bare minimum, "required", .ZIPs to install. However, the installer (semi-correctly) gets confused and won't check/enable/install BASEDOS.ZIP by default because it thinks it requires LFNs. (Actually, it doesn't, but the useless readme-jvm.txt is confusing it.)

EDIT: The simplest fix is "zip -d basedos.zip *readme-jvm.txt" before installing.

> http://www.freepascal.org/down/i386/go32v2-netherlands.var
>
> 4. Optionally, you can download these files as well:
> ...
> Floating point processor emulator: wemu387.dxe (60 kB)

That file (actually named wmemu387.dxe, a 2005 recompile of DJGPP's /current/v2misc/wmemu21[bs].zip) is no longer available to download directly (on any mirror). But it's apparently still found in basedos.zip (if needed, e.g. old 486 Sx).

My point is that the website should be edited to correctly reflect this (but it's very trivial).

> That file (actually named wmemu387.dxe, a 2005 recompile of DJGPP's
> /current/v2misc/wmemu21[bs].zip) is no longer available to download
> directly (on any mirror). But it's apparently still found in basedos.zip
> (if needed, e.g. old 486 Sx).

The file wasn't added to the 3.0 download dirs (and actually 2.6.4 already missed it). Fixed.

I passed the LFN problem on to the dos packager.

> I passed the LFN problem on to the dos packager.

BTW, some .ZIPs have duplicate files in them, apparently due to some naming quirk:


CRC32: 0x0ea599f1
file: ./uregdos.zip, examples/regexpr/./testreg1.pp
file: ./uregdos.zip, examples/regexpr/testreg1.pp


So someone (or a rogue makefile?) is mistakenly adding various example files twice.

On FreeDOS developement list is now a discussion whether Freepascal needs LFN.
The answer is that in default configuration it really LFN uses but it can be easily avoided.
To be more detailed:
All important binaries are SFN and all important libraries (in pascal terminology called units) are also SFN.
The only LFN stuff are some very special units origining from later versions of Delphi.
The other LFN stuff are PATHS to some standard units - including some Turbo pascal compatible units.
Example:
C:\FPC\UNITS\GO32V2\RTL-CONSOLE\crt.ppu

This issue is annoying but it is not problem of FPC itself but of FPC installer.
But it is absolutely no problem to manualy edit the FPC.CFG and FP.CFG files and fix it. I highly recoment to install FPC with LFN support, to keep the paths as they are but in FPC.CFG anf FP.CFG files change the -Fd lines to this SFN form:
-FdC:\FPC\UNITS\GO32V2\RTL-CO~1\
-FdC:\FPC\UNITS\GO32V2\RTL-EX~1\
etc...

---
DOS-u-akbar!

> On FreeDOS developement list is now a discussion whether
> Freepascal needs LFN.

IMO,

DOS == 8.3

'nuf said

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--
http://glennmcc.org/

> > On FreeDOS developement list is now a discussion whether
> > Freepascal needs LFN.
>
> IMO,
>
> DOS == 8.3
>
> 'nuf said

Well, that is the problem in a multi OS project like FPC. Not everyone wants to limit themselves to 8.3 on all systems, because the best one can do is 8.3.

However in general the idea is to keep msdos (16-bit) and go32v2(32-bit) running on pure dos for minor development if the changes are not too intrusive, but in time bootstrapping etc only cross-.

Anyway, starting with 3.0, most units/ packages are under control of a build tool written in FPC that makes things like this easier. It might be worth posting a bugreport for the rtl-console thingy. Deriving some short package name for 8.3 target systems might be doable, and then the tool will do the rest.