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  • EGA libraries or info needed!

    From Harry Potter@21:1/5 to All on Fri May 15 10:45:12 2020
    Hi! I want to create a DOS-based screensaver with NASM and have two issues: 1. I need info on programming the EGA graphics adapter; and 2. I need a EGA graphics library for NASM. I think the PCGPE has the former, and I'm willing to create the latter.
    I'm looking for EGA-specific info though.

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  • From T. Ment@21:1/5 to Harry Potter on Fri May 15 18:34:16 2020
    On Fri, 15 May 2020 10:45:12 -0700 (PDT), Harry Potter wrote:

    Hi! I want to create a DOS-based screensaver with NASM
    and have two issues: 1. I need info on programming the EGA
    graphics adapter; and 2. I need a EGA graphics library for
    NASM. I think the PCGPE has the former, and I'm willing to
    create the latter. I'm looking for EGA-specific info though.


    Ebay $5 shipping included.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Programmers-Guide-to-the-EGA-and-VGA-Cards-by-Richard-F-Ferraro-/143105581878?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c4



    And a different title on archive.org

    https://archive.org/details/egavgaprogrammer0000klie

    Free to borrow for two weeks. You must create an account on archive.org
    (easy) and download Adobe Digital Editions. Some hard heads refuse, but
    grow up people it's free.

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  • From Harry Potter@21:1/5 to All on Fri May 15 12:51:00 2020
    T. Ment, I thank you for the information. I put it on my mother's eBay watch list to purchase when her computer starts working. :(

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  • From rugxulo@gmail.com@21:1/5 to Harry Potter on Wed May 20 11:00:02 2020
    Hi,

    On Friday, May 15, 2020 at 2:51:00 PM UTC-5, Harry Potter wrote:

    T. Ment, I thank you for the information. I put it on my mother's
    eBay watch list to purchase when her computer starts working. :(

    Ferraro's book (which I've never read) is indeed considered a classic.

    Also, what is your hardware setup issue? I'm no hardware fiend myself,
    so my machines are old. But I did buy a (relatively cheap) Samsumg
    Android tablet and Dell Chromebook in recent years.

    If your needs aren't too specific, those at least let you use the web,
    email, so you can at least purchase books and videos games and whatnot
    without further hassles.

    There are, of course, fuller laptops with more advanced features,
    so while I've looked in recent months, I haven't bought one yet.
    (My old Dell/Windows laptop is getting old, but it served me well
    for many years. Again, I still get some use out of it via Linux
    USB jump drive. FreeDOS on a separate jump drive is also fun.)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From T. Ment@21:1/5 to Harry Potter on Wed May 20 18:52:01 2020
    On Wed, 20 May 2020 11:21:11 -0700 (PDT), Harry Potter wrote:

    My plans are to create a DOS screen saver using NASM on EGA
    and stuff it in EMS with a stub in Upper memory.

    Some users omit EMM386.EXE altogether, or use its NOEMS parameter.

    Why not use XMS instead. HIMEM.SYS provides that.

    The only reason to use EMS is for 8086 EMS hardware board, where no XMS
    is available. They're rare now, worth some money in working condition.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Harry Potter@21:1/5 to Harry Potter on Wed May 20 11:22:45 2020
    On Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 2:21:12 PM UTC-4, Harry Potter wrote:
    My plans are to create a DOS screen saver using NASM on EGA and stuff it in EMS with a stub in Upper memory.

    BTW, I found the information for which I was looking on Faqsys. :)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Harry Potter@21:1/5 to All on Wed May 20 11:21:11 2020
    My plans are to create a DOS screen saver using NASM on EGA and stuff it in EMS with a stub in Upper memory.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Harry Potter@21:1/5 to T. Ment on Wed May 20 13:34:21 2020
    On Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 2:52:01 PM UTC-4, T. Ment wrote:
    Why not use XMS instead. HIMEM.SYS provides that.

    The only reason to use EMS is for 8086 EMS hardware board, where no XMS
    is available. They're rare now, worth some money in working condition.

    I want to put code in EMS. I can save the current EMS settings, bank in 64k of my screen saver, call the code, reset the EMS settings then return. I can't put code in XMS. That's why. :)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From rugxulo@gmail.com@21:1/5 to Harry Potter on Wed May 20 16:42:45 2020
    Hi,

    On Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 3:34:22 PM UTC-5, Harry Potter wrote:

    I want to put code in EMS. I can save the current EMS settings,
    bank in 64k of my screen saver, call the code, reset the EMS
    settings then return. I can't put code in XMS. That's why. :)

    This reminds me of other DOS screensavers. (I think the first
    screen saver was invented for Norton Commander by John Socha.)

    DOS Navigator (freeware w/ srcs) had some external screensavers
    (non-TSR). How big do you want it? Are you trying to do "demo"
    graphics effects?
    * https://www.ritlabs.com/en/products/dn/

    FreeDOS FDAPM also has IDLEDPMS (TSR) for newer monitors:
    * http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/repos/pkg-html/fdapm.html

    Although bloated (20 kb footprint), there was also Starry Night
    TSR (w/ .ASM source):
    * http://sta.c64.org/dosprg.html

    Wolfware/WASM assembler had various examples, including Sleeper
    TSR (VGA; also EGA and MDA variants):
    * http://www.shoelesscomputers.com/software/

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