From: Thomas Demmer Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp Subject: Re: Newbie question, newbie error Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 10:34:07 +0100 Organization: Lehrstuhl fuer Stroemungsmechanik Lines: 96 Message-ID: <34E01F0F.88796F0F@LSTM.Ruhr-UNI-Bochum.De> References: <01bd34f4$40f1e0a0$61f0a3c6 AT tracybuc> <19980209024800 DOT VAA29923 AT ladder03 DOT news DOT aol DOT com> <34DF0BB7 DOT 3D718097 AT LSTM DOT Ruhr-UNI-Bochum DOT De> <01bd3578$4a10bb00$87f0a3c6 AT tracybuc> NNTP-Posting-Host: bvb.lstm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp Precedence: bulk Robb Beggs wrote: [...] > > ARRGH! Tom, I did read the file. Drop it. I feel low enough that I have > trouble understanding the docs, and its not due to the fact that I didn't > read them. I am a linguistics major, not a computer science major like I > would suppose some of the people here are. Even remotely technical language > is lost on me. English isn't the problem, jargon is, and the docs are full > of it. This is a venture into foreign territory for me. OK, I see that is a problem. From the readme.1st: To build C programs, you'll need djdev201.zip, gcc2721b.zip, and bnu27b.zip. For C++, also get gpp2721b.zip and lgp271b.zip. To read the online manuals, get txi390b.zip and run "info". If you don't have a DPMI server installed, you'll need csdpmi3b.zip. (Windows, QDPMI, 386Max, NWDOS, OpenDOS, OS/2, Win/NT and Linux DOSEmu all provide DPMI services, so you don't need CWSDPMI in those environments.) For more details, download faq210b.zip (the full FAQ list) and read Chapter 4 there. Maybe one should change the order. ALL djgpp compiled programs require a DPMI host (Someone already pointed out what that is), so maybe the readme should say that first. Otherwise you won't get "info" to run and might get nowhere. So, maybe this is a bit clearer: DJGPP produces 32 bit executables that run in protected mode under a 16 bit real mode operating system like MS-DOS. This requires an auxiliary program to switch to protected mode and interface the operating system. If you run your programs under Windows, QDPMI..., these services are already provided. Under plain DOS, you will need to download csdpmi4b.zip. To build C programs, you'll need djdev201.zip, gcc2721b.zip, and bnu27b.zip. For C++, also get gpp2721b.zip and lgp271b.zip. To read the online manuals, get txi390b.zip and run "info". For more details, download faq210b.zip (the full FAQ list) and read Chapter 4 there. I think the problem here is to make clear that djgpp needs some help to run, and the operating system may or may not already support this, without going too deep into details, that might scare off newbies. I am not sure, do you really need to know, in the beginning, what the difference between protected mode and real mode is? I think, it is enough to know that there _is_ a difference, that there are situations where you don't have to worry about it, and then there are some where you have to. And you need a way to figure exactly this out. [...] > I'm using win 95 and tried running the program with all of your suggestions > in the auto exec, but now it tells me about a load error: DPMI not loaded. > From what I read DPMI is DOS protected mode ( a memory state?) so I /? > emm386.exe, and the only options are on/ off/ auto and w-processor on/ off. > How do I set this? I think this was answered already. > > And as far as being silent forever, believe me, by now, I am so humbled by > my ignorance, I'd love to be silent. Sorry, but this a (hmm... "stupid" is way too hard, but you'll get the idea ;-) behavior. If you want ignorant support, telling you that there are no bugs in this and that program, but you use it the wrong way, stick to MS (1). There are no stupid questions, only frequent ones. Generally, if there is something unclear, there is always a chance to make it clearer, if there is a bug, one can have it fixed. You do have the chance. Don't waste it. (1) There was an interview with Bill Gates recently in a german news magazine, where he exactly stated this. Oh, and if you didn't know, new versions don't fix bugs, they always only add new features. -- Ciao Tom ************************************************************* * Thomas Demmer * * Lehrstuhl fuer Stroemungsmechanik * * Ruhr-Uni-Bochum * * Universitaetsstr. 150 * * D-44780 Bochum * * Tel: +49 234 700 6434 * * Fax: +49 234 709 4162 * * http://www.lstm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/~demmer * *************************************************************