Sender: root AT sympatico DOT ca
Message-ID: <32A6C9C7.4A99CAF@sympatico.ca>
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 08:10:31 -0500
From: "Mike A. Harris" <mharris AT sympatico DOT ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: fighteer AT cs DOT com
CC: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: SVGALIB stuff
References: <Pine DOT HPP DOT 3 DOT 95 DOT 961204140704 DOT 3670B-100000 AT santaka DOT sc-uni DOT ktu DOT lt> <32A6410A DOT 5823 AT gbrmpa DOT gov DOT au> <32A6655B DOT 1E57 AT cs DOT com>
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John M. Aldrich wrote:

First off, my apologies for the horrible margin widths.  My .Xdefaults
has too small of a message composition size for NSmail. (fixed now
hopefully).

> Leath Muller wrote:
[snip]
> I'd like to use Linux, but too much of what I do > is only relevant to
> DOS.  (Has anybody managed to get Descent 2 to > > work in Linux, for example?  ;)

As a matter of fact, yes.
DOSemu 0.64, Linux 2.0.26, Pentium 120 w 20M physical memory and 32M
swap.  Descent, Warcraft, Doom, Heretic, Hexen, and many others run
easily from DOSemu under Linux.  It does take some time to configure,
however it does work and is very playable (although slower than raw
DOS).

> I've considered setting up partitions and
> whatnot, but it's just not
> worth the effort right now.  Maybe later.  
> However, I have used Unix
> extensively and I agree that it's more 
> gcc-friendly than DOS.  But
> that's sort of inevitable, IMHO.

Setting up partitions is pretty easy.  Either backup and re-partition,
or just use FIPS, or don't bother with partitioning and just install
Linux into your existing MS-DOS file system (UMSDOS).  I've done all
methods and each was equally easy. (Back then time being very much a
beginner.)  I now do about 95% of my DOS developement in Linux (Using
DOSemu, Borland C, TASM and DJGPP.)

The multitasking is ROCK SOLID.  I've NEVER crashed the machine
(although programs crash DOSEMU occasionally).  Being able to have 12
text windows simultaneously available AND Xwindows AND DOSemu ALL
running at once is absolutely the most wonderful programming environment
I've ever used. (Not to mention what WINE will add to this.)

My advise to any programmer (Text mode nut OR GUI nut) is to try out
Linux for developement.  Granted there is a learning curve (as there is
with any new OS), and a lot of configuration to do, however when you're
done, you can sit back and enjoy the frills.

Mike