DOS ain't dead

keyb: new! memory scheme, easy TEST (Developers)

posted by Ninho , 22.05.2011, 19:10
(edited by Ninho on 22.05.2011, 20:45)

CM, All : I'm uploading a new test keyboard driver including completely revised memory management - putting an end to the (relative) memory waste when loaded low. Had to redesign from scratch since I can't lay my hands on old code of mine. Not a bad thing per se, and with the help of some aspirin...

For the TESTING COMFORT of non-French users, I made KBZERO.EXE a dummy which will NOT mess with your existing keyboard translations but otherwise behaves like the real thing and importantly will allow you, valued Testers, check memory management under the most varied circumstances...

Download : <http://www.rootshell.be/~ninho/KBTEST15.ZIP> 11,361 bytes

Test package includes :

1- ready made KBFR and KBZERO executables, v. 1.5

Use : {lh} (KBFR | KBZERO) {/F /U}

/F : suppresses int 2F resident hook, sparing 32 bytes (and prevents unloading)
/U : unload if possible

Upper memory is no more used automatically, instead loadhigh is permitted.

2- source assemblies KBINST2.ASM KBRES2.ASM KBFR.INC

Most new and hopefully interesting stuff in the KBINST2 module, installation part. I've left a lot of "int 3"s if you want to fast-forward in a debugger.

Additional notes for the valiant who would "make" from sources :

- if building the "dummy", set ?KBZERO = TRUE in "include" file,
otherwise (to build the French kb) : ?KBZERO= FALSE

- assemble with MASM (I used 6.15) : ml -c kbinst2.asm ^ ml -c kbres2.asm

Under true DOS, must provide your DPMI server (Japh's e.g. as: DPMILD32 masm -c ....)

- link, using your favored OMF linker (I used tlink.exe).
The important is to present the objects in the following order, imperative! (opposite to the order required for linking previous versions!)
tlink KBINST2+KBRES2, my_keyb.exe

- optional bit of hokus-pokus to adjust and shrink the header of the resulting EXE (left out for lack of room in the margins of this article).

Cheers, have Fun !

---
Ninho

Complete thread:

• keyb: new! memory scheme, easy TEST - Ninho, 22.05.2011, 19:10 (Developers)
  • boring - ecm, 22.05.2011, 23:58
    • boring - Ninho, 23.05.2011, 01:20
      • not that boring after all (nt) - ecm, 23.05.2011, 13:27
  • review - ecm, 23.05.2011, 13:18
    • review - Ninho, 23.05.2011, 23:10
      • review - ecm, 24.05.2011, 00:45
        • review - Ninho, 24.05.2011, 12:50
          • review - ecm, 24.05.2011, 15:20
            • of TSR powers & limits - Ninho, 25.05.2011, 11:24
              • Swap! - ecm, 25.05.2011, 14:13
                • of TSR powers & limits - Ninho, 25.05.2011, 15:14
    • fix - Ninho, 29.05.2011, 14:36
      • opinion - ecm, 29.05.2011, 14:49
        • opinion - Ninho, 29.05.2011, 16:36
          • evaluation - ecm, 29.05.2011, 17:26
            • evaluation - Ninho, 29.05.2011, 21:00
              • hardly a 100% solution - ecm, 29.05.2011, 22:17
                • hardly a 100% solution - Ninho, 30.05.2011, 19:26
                  • hardly a 100% solution - ecm, 30.05.2011, 19:33
                    • hardly a 100% solution - Ninho, 30.05.2011, 21:14
                      • hardly a 100% solution - ecm, 30.05.2011, 21:20
                        • hardly a 100% solution - Ninho, 30.05.2011, 23:50
                          • allocation no higher than the PSP - ecm, 30.05.2011, 23:56
                            • allocation no higher than the PSP - Ninho, 01.06.2011, 18:56
                              • allocation no higher than the PSP - ecm, 01.06.2011, 19:10
          • opinion - Ninho, 30.05.2011, 19:04
            • sti - ecm, 30.05.2011, 19:26