dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel VP) (11/10/88)
Not exactly sure where to post this, I chose comp.misc. I read in Info World about a program that will run ms-dos programs on a Unix box. What exactly does this program do? How does it deal with the terminal i/o ? Does it take the code straight from binary and re-code it into the native code for your box? -- Dan Troxel VP of Computer Operations @ Handwriting Research Corporation - 2821 E. Camelback Road Suite 600 Phoenix, AZ 85016 WK 1-602-957-8870 HM 1-602-435-1240 UUCP : asuvax!hrc!dan
daveh@marob.MASA.COM (Dave Hammond) (11/11/88)
In article <331@hrc.UUCP> dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel VP) writes: >Not exactly sure where to post this, I chose comp.misc. I read in Info World >about a program that will run ms-dos programs on a Unix box. What exactly >does this program do? How does it deal with the terminal i/o ? Does it take >the code straight from binary and re-code it into the native code for your box? > It is my understanding that XDOS disassembles the 8086 binary and reassembles it with 68000 instructions. Any 8086 instructions which can not be duplicated in 68000 assembler are replaced with emulation routines. Dave Hammond UUCP: ...!uunet!masa.com!{marob,dsix2}!daveh DOMAIN: daveh@marob.masa.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
evan@telly.UUCP (Evan Leibovitch) (11/12/88)
In article <331@hrc.UUCP>, dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel VP) writes: > Not exactly sure where to post this, I chose comp.misc. I read in Info World > about a program that will run ms-dos programs on a Unix box. What exactly > does this program do? How does it deal with the terminal i/o ? Does it take > the code straight from binary and re-code it into the native code for your > box? This software is made by Hunter Systems, Mountain View, CA (415-965-2400). I spoke to the inventor, Colin Hunter, at Unix Expo, where he was part of the press conference unveiling the Sony workstation. XDOS is designed to "compile" DOS programs into Unix binaries for other architectures, initially the 68000 family. Apparently, you run the DOS program through this compiler, and it converts Intel mahine codes to Motorola codes, and changes DOS calls, and BIOS calls into Unix system calls. All in binary. A small run-time package apparently does the mapping from DOS to Unix devices. Apparently they are also working on a version to convert DOS programs for use on the 88000. I have not been able to confirm that this program does what is claimed. -- Evan Leibovitch, SA of System Telly If Jesus was a Jew Located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario, Canada how come he had evan@telly.on.ca -or- uunet!attcan!telly!evan a Mexican name?
poage@sunny.UUCP (Tom Poage) (11/17/88)
In article <409@telly.UUCP> evan@telly.UUCP (Evan Leibovitch) writes: > >XDOS is designed to "compile" DOS programs into Unix binaries [. . .] > >Evan Leibovitch, SA of System Telly If Jesus was a Jew >Located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario, Canada how come he had >evan@telly.on.ca -or- uunet!attcan!telly!evan a Mexican name? What does one do with the severe licensing restrictions placed on PC (or any other) software in terms of the number of "copies" and machines? Those legal contracts you agree to (usually by opening the envelope) can, in most cases, be fulfilled if you promise to run and keep the software on only one machine. However, what interpretation exists for the "projection" of PC software onto a multi-user/tasking platform? E.g., If I have XDOS, what keeps me from buying PC-WordPerfect, or any other PC-type software) for about $300 and using this "compiler" to produce (almost) the same thing as Unix-WordPerfect which sells for $2000? Since I "happen" to have a number of PCs using PC-NFS and Telnet and a Unix workstation, all the PCs in our department can run this single copy on a single machine all at the same time! Think of the savings I could incur by buying inexpensive PC software: Lotus-123 instead of 20-20 (tongue-in-cheek, of course :-). It looks as if the term "copies" may need modification to include those in core/virtual-memory. -- Tom Poage, UCDMC Clinical Engineering, Sacto., CA ucdavis.ucdavis.edu!sunny!{poage,root,postmaster,news} ucbvax!ucdavis!sunny!{poage,root,postmaster,news}
sedwards@esunix.UUCP (Scott Edwards) (11/17/88)
In article <331@hrc.UUCP> dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel VP) writes: >Not exactly sure where to post this, I chose comp.misc. I read in Info World >about a program that will run ms-dos programs on a Unix box. What exactly >does this program do? How does it deal with the terminal i/o ? Does it take >the code straight from binary and re-code it into the native code for your box? XDOS from Hunter systems translates MS-DOS programs to run on 680x0 Unix systems, BUT according to the Nov. 14 issue of Electronic Engineering Times it cannot do it alone, it usually requires a key supplied by the original program vendor to help it through some of the more difficult sections. I suspect it also takes care of some ugly legalities that could come up when doing this sort of thing. -- Scott
mac@tolerant.UUCP (Joe McGuckin) (11/19/88)
Evidently, XDOS translates a selected number of dos programs. I was told that since many dos applications do wierd things in order to foil disassembly, the translator has to be 'tweaked' for individual programs. Thats why they specify which programs this gadget will translate. I would imagine that all bets are off if you were to try to translate just any dos program.