Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 23:52 EST
From: "Wonkoo Kim, EE, U. of Pittsburgh" <WKIM AT vms DOT cis DOT pitt DOT edu>
Subject: Re: rsx and tex386
To: sens AT fasecon DOT econ DOT nyu DOT EDU, emtex-user AT methan DOT chemie DOT fu-berlin DOT DE,
        djgpp AT sun DOT soe DOT clarkson DOT EDU

>Date: 30 Aug 93 15:57:33 EST
>From: Sunando Sen <SENS AT fasecon DOT econ DOT nyu DOT EDU>
>Subj: RE: rsx and tex386
>To:   burger AT Papin DOT HRZ DOT Uni-Marburg DOT DE (Christian Burger),
>      emtex-user AT methan DOT chemie DOT fu-berlin DOT DE
>
>Hello,
>
>I just want to make a few observations.  I don't have djgpp, but I am
>familiar with emx/gcc.  I recently downloaded the document for djgpp to
>see how it works.  It seems that djgpp works pretty much the same way as
>emx.  First you create an a.out executable, and then use a program called
>`aout2exe' (equivalent to emx's `emxbind.exe', I assume) to link the dos
>extender `go32.exe' to the compiled executable.  This requires the
>go32.exe file to be on your path, if you want to run the compiled
>program.  So, it should be possible to use aout2exe to link in rsx as
>well.  Otherwise, you can also directly merge the go32.exe to the a.out
>file with a command like `copy/b go32.exe+a.out myprog.exe' (the `/b' is
>important).  This way, you can create a stand alone executable and do not
>need to have the go32.exe around.  But the executable will be larger.
>Again, it should be possible to use the method with rsx and tex386.  It
>seems that using aout2exe is equivalent to dynamic linking under unix,
>and the direct copying is equivalent to static linking.  Please note that
>I do not have djgpp (I simply do not have DOS on my pc anymore), so this
>is all speculation.  But I intend to get at least the aout2exe and rsx
>files so that I can make some of the emx compiled programs for OS/2 run
>under DOS and Windows as well.
>
>Sunando Sen

Hi.

(I post this message also on the djgpp list since it mentions about djgpp.)
(For djgpp list: 
  tex386.exe = a TeX executable of emTeX for 386+ for dos/os2
  emx = a dos/os2 extender written by the same author(E. Mattes) of emTeX.)

Most of your observations are right, but djgpp's go32 and emx have differences
in features.  I am intensively using djgpp/gcc on my work but never used emx
package.  From time to time I saw messages mentioning "emx" on the emails but
I've disregarded.  I've been using tex386 under pure dos with VCPI and hoping
that tex386 run under windows also.   Last week I realized that tex386 was
compiled by emx/gcc and there is a dos extender named "rsx" to make tex386 to
run under DPMI 0.9, i.e. under windows.  And, I downloaded the rsx package and
a full emx 0.8g package and read docs.  As my situation(know djgpp) is opposite
to yours(know emx), I add a few historical comments(of djgpp). 

Originally, djgpp's go32 didn't support Windows(DPMI 0.9) or OS/2. The latest
released djgpp 1.10 (June 1993) now supports Windows and OS/2 but not a full
support.(Only text mode under Windows or OS/2, i.e. no graphics support, no DLL
support yet.) Anyway, text mode support of djgpp under DPMI 0.9 would be great
to make possible to run text mode programs(like tex386) under Windows or OS/2.
The rsx package was appeared in May 93 and I believe that the author of rsx
intended to replace the djgpp's go32 to support DPMI of Windows(but need go32
under pure dos+VCPI) since he put his extender package under djgpp directory of
the official djgpp's ftp site. 

But almost the same time, only a week later, djgpp 1.10(June 93) was released
and it is the first version to support DPMI. Now djgpp/gcc compiled program may
not need the rsx for dos/windows. One drawback of rsx seem to be that it always
needs a DPMI host,(i.e. doesn't run under pure dos+VCPI.) but djgpp/gcc 1.10
compiled program can run under both environments. (Again note that djgpp/gcc
lacks true Windows support yet, no graphics under windows, but dos support is 
very good.) 

On emx side, though I am not familiar with emx, as I reviewed docs of emx, emx
doesn't support DPMI 0.9 and thus tex386 cannot run under Windows (but under
OS/2). I feel that it is really OS/2 based, has good docs and seem to have a
good support for os/2 dll unlike djgpp/gcc. One drawback of emx/gcc for
dos/windows users is that it doesn't support Windows(DPMI 0.9) and thus it
needs the rsx package to run tex386 (compiled with emx/gcc) under windows. 

I can't go further details since I don't know about emx much.
I like to listen to any opinion about djgpp and emx.

Though it is very unlikely(might be impossible), if djgpp+emx/gcc can be
integrated together as a single package, then most users who are working under
several environments of dos, windows, or os/2 can enjoy the better support,
hoping that an executable(or stubbed) can run under any environment.... :)

Regards,

Wonkoo.