Message-Id:	<337AB86A.7260@canvaslink.com>
Date:	Thu, 15 May 1997 03:16:58 -0400
From:	Tom Grandgent <tgrand AT canvaslink DOT com>
Reply-To:	tgrand AT canvaslink DOT com
Organization:	Canvas Link, Inc.
Mime-Version:	1.0
To:	krystyna DOT de DOT heras AT mailbox DOT swipnet DOT se
Cc:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject:	Re: Using Windows TCP/IP with DJGPP

> Most people use WIN95/WIN NT to access the internet with the TCP/IP
> protocol. I want to program an app with DJGPP that runs like QUAKE, that
> does its stuff in DOS (using allegro) and gets information from the
> internet via some strange windows bridge.
> 
> 1) Is it possible to do this?
> 2) Has anyone any thoughts about it?
> 3) Has anyone had any experinece even?

I have done a small bit of research about this and will gladly share
what I have learned so far.  Perhaps others will be able to add to this.

I know of three ways for DJGPP programs to access Win95's TCP/IP
protocol.

-=== WSOCK: http://www.rangenet.com/markiv/wsock.html ===-

One is a free C++ library called WSOCK, which may be the only way to
do this without legal limitations.  It apparently provides a partial
Winsock environment by communicating directly with WSOCK.VXD and
WSOCK.386.  The bad part about this is that it's not compatible with
Winsock2, which is used in NT4 and the Memphis beta (or so I've heard).
Another problem is the lack of documentation.  All you get are two
example programs- one is a web server, which is basic but works, and
the other resolves hostnames into IP addresses.  However, the Resolve()
function currently relies on a method called BOOTP to obtain the
address of your DNS.  This has not worked for me or anyone I know
who has tried this, although the program reports to be able to contact
the BOOTP server successfully.  The fix is to manually specify your
DNS address like this: BOOTP_DomainNameServer = dotaddr(205,247,201,2);
I don't know of any larger applications (like games) that have
successfully used WSOCK, but I would like to see some.  I will
probably try to use it for the game I am currently writing.

-=== Mpath Winsock Tunnel: http://www.mpath.com/quake_faq.html ===-

The most famous usage of Windows TCP/IP (and UDP) with DJGPP....
Quake!  Quake used Mpath's Winsock Tunnel.  Unfortunately I was
unable to find out too much about this, and Mpath has completely
ignored the two emails I sent to their developer's email address.
The files used by Quake are: qlaunch.exe, genvxd.dll, and
mgenvxd.vxd.  mgenvxd.vxd seems to be the most interesting, containing
functions such as CONFIGMG_Read_Registry_Value()...  Perhaps this is
how it obtains the DNS address?  There are also functions like:
__VCOMM_OpenComm(), __VCOMM_ReadComm(), and many many more.
This wouldn't appear to do us much good- Mpath hasn't released
any documentation or anything to the public.

-=== TEN: http://www.ten.net/html/ten_developer.html ===-

Total Entertainment Network has an SDK that allows for easy (?)
porting of Windows or DOS (even DJGPP) games to work on their
gaming network.  However, they give you as much control as you
want, so I believe that you could use their SDK to do any kind of
Winsock programming.  The problem is that their SDK relies on a
special VXD that they wrote, which must be installed along with
your game.  Somehow I don't think they'd appreciate finding out that
someone went and used their VXD and SDK in their own game without
TEN support.  The SDK is interesting anyway, and they have a good
developer's site with lots of valuable information, so I recommend
checking it out.  All you have to do is fill out a really short
form and they'll send you a password to get into the web site.
I think the password is the same for everyone...  You'll see. :)

So anyway..  That's just about all I've found out about this topic.
If anyone knows anything else, I'd really like to hear from you.

Thanks,

	Tom Grandgent
	tgrand AT canvaslink DOT com
	Canvas Link, Inc.

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