hafer@infbs.UUCP (Udo Hafermann) (05/31/89)
What is the TOS variable 'the_env' (at 0x4be) used for? The documentation says it is an evironment pointer and is 0L. Does any software use it?
hafer@infbs.UUCP (Udo Hafermann) (06/05/89)
How is the TOS variable 'the-env' at 0x4BE intended to be used? Is it possible to use this variable to build an environment which will be recognized by shells?
kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) (06/07/89)
In article <1232@infbs.UUCP> hafer@infbs.UUCP (Udo Hafermann) writes: | What is the TOS variable 'the_env' (at 0x4be) used for? The documentation | says it is an evironment pointer and is 0L. Does any software use it? The system variable the_env is currently not used by the OS, but is reserved for use by Atari. It is documented as a "null environment; four bytes of 0." Back in the dark ages of TOS, before the environment started getting set up later on in system startup, these four bytes were a convenient place for GEMDOS to pick up a null environment string. It's done differently these days, but the cruft of the_env is still lying about. If you're looking for low memory space to put something, there are much better places than at the_env. Please don't use it. I don't know of any software that uses it currently. I am still planning (someday) on releasing the DA/program environment-setter that I have put together, and as system software, I may have it use the_env for something meaningful. If I do, I'll be sure to document its purpose far and wide. -- ||| Ken Badertscher (ames!atari!kbad) ||| Atari R&D System Software Engine / | \ #include <disclaimer>