Hi Jack, > HIMEMX and XMGR both improve on the "old" 30K MS-DOS HIMEM which is > overloaded with obsolete "A20" code for now-defunct PCs. Japheth > and I have some differences, but I have used HIMEMX and think it is > quite equal to XMGR. XMGR does have direct support for UMBPCI, as > I note in the README for my drivers, so I have retained XMGR as the > real-mode solution for those who do not need a full "EMM" driver. > >> ... What I see happening on real machine is XMS driver loaded, >> then some HMA message, then a hang before shell is executed ... > > If this applies to XMGR, send me a private E-Mail, and I will try to > help resolve this. Should NOT happen!
Thanks :-) > As I note above, XMGR v.s. HIMEMX is an "even call", so you can > likely keep FreeDOS as-is and go on using HIMEMX as "standard". > No knowledge of FDXMS286, as I have never used an 80286 system. As far as I remember, FDXMS286 has some issues, but it was the only free XMS driver available for 286 at all, so it is better than none. >> Boot configurations without at least an XMS driver can be quite >> troublesome as they consume lots and lots of DOS low-memory ... I would not suggest that either - but I do suggest to avoid EMS/UMB drivers in one-size-fits-all bootdisks because modern machines tend to have too much UMB conflict potential with too little compatible conflict resolution info. I agree with Jack: XMS/HMA are important, so loading HIMEM/XMGR/HIMEMX is good - as long as your A20 is safe. >> 4DOS is a bit better with this ... You mean auto-choice between XMS and disk swap? But who has no XMS? > they DESERVE to be called! Starting with Gates & Co., who SHOULD > have made CD/DVD logic go directly into the BIOS instead of making > a separate "MSCDEX" with its pack of [lousy!] add-on drivers... But then, e.g. BIOS based "VESA" sound also never really got off the ground, as a lot of other hardware also stayed without BIOS support. Also, hardware vendors now feel forced to make drivers for all sorts of Windows and it is quite possible that this not only is a burden but also a chance compared to sending everything through BIOS calls. >>> The kernel already IS doing part of the work! Try ALL of the >>> options on Lucho's "boot" diskette"! You will find that only >>> MS-DOS and PC-DOS are not hard-enabling "A20" when they load Interesting, so maybe FreeDOS kernel should reconsider mimicking MS here and make hard-enabling the default (as soon as XMS/HMA drivers are detected, call "enable A20" once, then stop touching A20) with an config sys option to reactivate MS style A20 toggline which only ancient apps need anyway and for which LOADFIX is a workaround...? Eric ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The demand for IT networking professionals continues to grow, and the demand for specialized networking skills is growing even more rapidly. Take a complimentary Learning@Cisco Self-Assessment and learn about Cisco certifications, training, and career opportunities. http://p.sf.net/sfu/cisco-dev2dev _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
