Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 07:41:18 +0500 (MVT) From: Prashant TR To: kalum AT newmail DOT net cc: djgpp AT delorie DOT com Subject: Re: Why did ID choose DJGPP for Quake? In-Reply-To: <99122707284400.00497@yahoo> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com X-Mailing-List: djgpp AT delorie DOT com X-Unsubscribes-To: listserv AT delorie DOT com Precedence: bulk > Could anyone please tell me the reason's why ID, who earlier used > Watcom/DOS4GW for DOOM etc switched to DJGPP. I know that > DJGPP is better than Watcom but were there any other reason's > (like financial - no royalties etc, better DPMI support etc) for > making there choice. I ask this because there was an earlier thread > which said that nearptr was added at ID's request. This is a bit off topic, but here's what I think could be the reason (for the real reason, you'll have to ask id Software ;-)). DOS4GW requires more real memory to run. I requires anywhere from 128K to 256K which is quite bad. And DJGPP programs require just around 64K of memory (that includes the DPMI). DJGPP programs run very reliably on the WINDPMI as well and it can take as less as 2K (if you stubedit) of real memory to run!! Naturally, DJGPP *is* better. Secondly, there are some bugs in DOS4G. Eg: If you have a 16-bit program like TC++ 3.0 and you shell out and try running DOS4G, it runs!, but finally crashes the system. So, maybe these were _possibly_ some of the reasons. Prashant --------------------------------------------------- One pound of learning requires ten pounds of common sense to apply it.