DOS ain't dead

Borland 32RTM.EXE (Miscellaneous)

posted by awik, 03.02.2024, 12:22

> > > Did Borland ever claim that it can run under plain DOS?
> >
> > I can't cite any particular claim on Borland's part, but it is pretty
> > obvious that they intended it. Otherwise, they wouldn't be adding a DOS
> > loader stub to their EXE-files.
>
> Not necessarily. Version 4.5 was intended to work like this (from DOS), and
> they may not have cleaned out enough of their build infrastructure for
> version 5, which is how the loader stub might accidentally have been left
> in there, but never used, because the product was supposed to be operated
> from 32-bit Windows.

Hypothetically, that is possible. However, I think the INSTALL.TXT file would mention an inability to run under DOS, especially considering that it mentions the ability to *create* DOS programs.

Moreover, with a little help, the BC++ 5.x compiler can create 32-bit DOS executables just fine:

C:\tmp>bcc32 -WX -Lc:\bc45\lib tmp.c
Borland C++ 5.2 for Win32 Copyright (c) 1993, 1997 Borland International
tmp.c:
Warning tmp.c 4: Call to function 'printf' with no prototype in function main
Turbo Link Version 2.0.68.0 Copyright (c) 1993,1997 Borland International

C:\tmp>tmp.exe
Hello World!

For 32-bit DOS, an add-on called "PowerPack for DOS" is required for BC++ 4.x. It includes DPMI32.LIB and a batch of other files. This add-on is not fully compatible with BC++ version 5.x, but if you link with the version 4 libraries, and after copying copying 32STUB.EXE to the BIN directory, it works fine. If you link with the version 5.x libraries, you get unresolved externals upon linking.

Anyway, whether or not Borland intended BC++ 5.x to run under DOS, the same problem occurs with version 4.x.

-Albert.

Complete thread:

• Borland 32RTM.EXE - awik, 01.02.2024, 13:39
  • Borland 32RTM.EXE - Ringding, 01.02.2024, 18:47
    • Borland 32RTM.EXE - awik, 02.02.2024, 11:08
      • Borland 32RTM.EXE - Ringding, 02.02.2024, 16:35
        • Borland 32RTM.EXE - awik, 03.02.2024, 12:22
          • Borland 32RTM.EXE - Ringding, 03.02.2024, 14:40
            • Borland 32RTM.EXE - awik, 03.02.2024, 15:00
              • Borland 32RTM.EXE - Ringding, 03.02.2024, 18:01