U211344@HNYKUN11.BITNET (Olaf 'Rhialto' Seibert) (03/02/89)
I very recently purchased a 2M memory expansion that (unfortunately)
was not auto-config, but otherwise very attractive. So I immediately
wrote my own AddMem replacement program, that 1. is smaller than
AddMem, 2. is idempotent (i.e. you can run it multiple times without
causing any harm, unlike AddMem), and 3. sticks around in memory for
the next time you boot, via a rom-tag at priority 115.
In particular that last point is the most interesting: you only need
to run AddMemForever once, and subsequently the previously non-
autoconfig board is now as good as a real autoconfig one. It is even
better in one aspect: since it gets added right after exec is up and
running, even the expansion library base ends up in the fast memory pool.
This is so because exec.library lives at priority 120 and the
expansion.library at priority 110, so my rom-tag will be initialized
between exec and expansion.
Now I have a few questions:
- In case I would add a real autoconfig memory board in addition to
the manu-config one. Is the expansion.library smart enough to see that
there is already memory in the 2M - 4M range, and configurate the
other memory from 4M upward?
If this won't work for software reasons, will it be possible to
change this for 1.4?
It is, using my program, possible to avoid adding the manu-config
memory by pressing (what else) the left mouse button during the
boot. This might somehow be helpful.
And a 'political' one:
- Should I submit this program to Bob Page for general benefit of all
owners of manu-config memory boards? A possible objection that some
people might have is that this program is an excellent starting point
for virus writers who have not yet figured out how rom tags work. Once
you have executed AddMemForever, its rom-tag won't go away unless you
use a hammer (to stomp on ExecBase.KickCheckSum, for example).
As an alternative, I could only mail it to persons who ask me
personally, so its distribution would be limited somewhat. Or I could
just distribute the binary, but that does stop nobody from disassem-
bling it.
What does 'the net' think about this?
Freely_Distributable=Greetings(Not_For_Any_Commercial_Purpose)->
Olaf.Seibert;
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Q: How many lines does it take to screw in a disclaimer? A: Only two.
--- Olaf Rhialto Seibert the Marvellous --- U211344@hnykun11.bitnet ---
Study safely - stop deets 7167 BYTES FREE Too painful to do right
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*bader+@andrew.cmu.edu (Miles Bader) (03/04/89)
U211344@HNYKUN11.BITNET (Olaf 'Rhialto' Seibert) writes: > - Should I submit this program to Bob Page for general benefit of all > owners of manu-config memory boards? A possible objection that some > people might have is that this program is an excellent starting point > for virus writers who have not yet figured out how rom tags work. Once > you have executed AddMemForever, its rom-tag won't go away unless you > use a hammer (to stomp on ExecBase.KickCheckSum, for example). Please don't refrain distributing useful software because you want to avoid enlightening the wrong people. Viruses are bad enough without people being afraid to do anything for fear of them. -Miles