Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 21:27:22 -0800 (PST)
From: Gene Buckle <geneb AT web DOT wa DOT net>
To: Mark Habersack <grendel AT ananke DOT amu DOT edu DOT pl>
cc: Leath Muller <leathm AT gbrmpa DOT gov DOT au>, djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: OpenDOS to be released next week!
In-Reply-To: <199701150230.DAA18881@math.amu.edu.pl>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.93.970114211246.19611F-100000@web.wa.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

> I guess since OpenDOS will be free for non-commercial use, you will be 
> allowed to distribute the copy of EMM386 along with your software, am I 
> right? Now then, I expect the EMM386 to be the Novell's original one, right? 
> If so, the whether the bugs that prevented it from running on other DOSes 
> were corrected or not?
> 

That would follow if the software you write is free for non-commercial
use.  I wasn't aware of any incompatibilities between EMM386 and other
versions of DOS.  I'll ask.

> Just to be sure: is OpenDOS based on the Novell DOS 7? If so, then I
> hope all the incompatibilities were removed (at least in the officially
> documented areas) 
> 
Even if they've not been removed yet, since the source will be soon
available, you can be assured that those problems will vanish rather
quickly once this crowd gets their hands on the code. ;)

> > I would be happy to be involved... now, wheres that fork(); :)
> Me too - does anyone know where can I find the packet drivers 
> specifications/format (I mean on Internet)?
> 

You won't need those specs.  You'll just need the *driver* for whatever
card you've got (Crynwyr driver that is).  In moving WatTCP to a TSR (that
can be loaded high) you won't need to worry about it.  This also means
that Internet capable programs won't be carrying the whole TCP/IP stack as
part of the binary.

> 
> P.S. Could we see a feature list of OpenDOS?
> 

Hmm, let's see....

Multitasking/threading support.
Multitasking DOS sessions via TaskMgr  (something like DesqView)
Personal Netware Server/Client (no source)
NetWars IPX multi-player game.  (plays like Elite)
Better memory management than PC/MS DOS. (including better than QEMM)
Drive compression via Stacker (no source)
ViewMAX graphical file manager

There is more, but I don't have a "definitive" list.

g.