Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 17:46:47 -0400
Message-Id: <200207102146.g6ALkln19047@envy.delorie.com>
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From: DJ Delorie <dj AT delorie DOT com>
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
In-reply-to: <K%0X8.3190$F%6.145953@newsfep1-win.server.ntli.net>
	(Moosehead AT tesco DOT net)
Subject: Re: LD - the DJGPP linker
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There's a lot more behind the scenes than what you, the programmer,
sees.

First, you need a DPMI server.  It does the actual switches between
real and protected mode.

Second, you need djgpp's stub loader, a 2k chunk of 16-bit code that
loads the program into memory and performs the initial switch into
protected mode.

Third, you need djgpp's crt0.o and friends which parse command line
options, initialize stdio, etc.

Fourth, you need djgpp's C library, which manages the DPMI calls to
perform such functions as open(), exit(), etc.

The net effect of all this is to allow you, the programmer, to write
protected mode programs without having to worry about the protected
mode part of it.