Sender: crough45 AT amc DOT de
Message-Id: <97Sep20.162730gmt+0100.11650@internet01.amc.de>
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 15:32:13 +0100
From: Chris Croughton <crough45 AT amc DOT de>
Mime-Version: 1.0
To: mschulter AT value DOT net
Cc: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: 32bit DOS.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Precedence: bulk

M. Schulter wrote:

> The most important question, it seems to me, is whether a 32-bit DOS is
> the best direction for our efforts -- or, more specifically, for DJ and
> the others with the skill to work on it. If this discussion helps them to
> decide with the benefit of our feedback and support, then it seems to me
> well worthwhile.

What I'd like isn't necessarily a full 32-bit DOS (i.e. everything 
rewritten in flat model etc.) but a layer which could sit on top
of DOS (like Win3 does, or DesqView) and provide multiple DOS
sessions with other useful features like LFN support and 
interprocess communication.  DesqView and Windows each have problems 
from my point of view.  DV provides real pre-emptive multitasking and
many interprocess and other options, but takes up far too much of
the bottom 640K in its DOS windows (it only shifts itself into the
64K HMA part, not fully into 32-bit space).  Windows doesn't have 
that problem, DOS boxes are often around 600K+ free, but has all
the baggage of the GUI which I don't want (and it's almost impossible
to do things like start an parallel application from DOS without even
more addons).

I'd be willing to help with such a project, even...

Chris C