Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 11:03:29 +0200 (IST) From: Eli Zaretskii X-Sender: eliz AT is To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com Subject: Re: To those of you who use NT/2000, we salute you In-Reply-To: Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com Errors-To: nobody AT delorie DOT com X-Mailing-List: djgpp AT delorie DOT com X-Unsubscribes-To: listserv AT delorie DOT com Precedence: bulk On Tue, 19 Dec 2000, dragonsong wrote: > now I'm wondering if DJGPP's working around Windows DJGPP doesn't work around Windows--it is not possible (although at times I wish it would). Everything a DJGPP program does on Windows goes through legitimate Windows code: functions of Int 31h go through the Windows' own built-in DPMI server, which is used by the Windows kernel as well; file I/O goes through Windows' protected-mode Int 21h dispatch code, where file-oriented Win32 API calls wind up as well; etc. > has other advantages - such as access to ring 0, maybe...? That, too, is a feature that Windows programs can have: many VxDs use that feature to run at Ring 0. > Or is it > just the benefit of being able to run 32-bit code in a native DOS (16-bit) > environment? And having access to a free gcc for an MS OS... I think that, for users, the single most important benefit is the ability to have access to sources of all the development tools, from the ground up, including the standard C library, and the ability to discuss that freely on a public forum, combined with the level of user support that MS software users can only dream about (even after they shell out significant amounts of money to buy such a support).