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From: iarocci@eneevax.UUCP (John Iarocci)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: BIOS re-entrancy
Message-ID: <966@eneevax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 5-Jul-87 18:20:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: eneevax.966
Posted: Sun Jul  5 18:20:15 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Jul-87 22:45:20 EDT
Reply-To: iarocci@eneevax.umd.edu.UUCP (Bill Dorsey)
Distribution: world
Organization: Amgem, Inc.
Lines: 38

In article <767@atari.UUCP>, apratt@atari.UUCP (Alan Pratt) says:

> I'm writing a multi-tasking kernel, and trying to find
> a safe way ...
>
> | Bill Dorsey          'Imagination is more important than knowledge.'

>>You sure are imagining...  There are no safe ways to do *anything* with
>>the current GEMDOS in terms of a multi-tasking kernel.  If you want it,
>>buy Beckmeyer or write your own OS.  It can be done (we're considering
>>it) but it ain't easy, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to force this on the current
>>GEMDOS.  How did Beckmeyer do it?  He wrote his own OS.  Sorry, kids. 
>>
>>/----------------------------------------------\
>>| Opinions expressed above do not necessarily  |  -- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp.
>>| reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else. |     ...lll-lcc!atari!apratt
>>\----------------------------------------------/	(APRATT on GEnie)

Maybe I was really imagining when I bought my ST and expected to be able to
get technical support on occasion!  The last thing I expected was a statement
that what I want to do is impossible when it has already been done (micro-
RTX).  Of course, the, "Sorry kids," reference didn't help my self-esteem any
either.

By the way, Allan, I believe Mr. Beckemeyer did not re-write the BIOS,
XBIOS, and GEMDOS routines in his Micro-RTX package.  I am told he uses the
existing OS functions, simply not allowing a context switch while the processor
is in these OS functions.  Therefore, there would appear to be no need to
re-write the entire OS.  Thanks again for the informative tips.

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| Bill Dorsey          'Imagination is more important than knowledge.'        |
|                                            - Albert Einstein                |
|     'He who has imagination without learning has wings and no feet.'        |
|                                            - Joubert                        |
| ARPA : iarocci@eneevax.umd.edu                                              |
| UUCP : [seismo,allegra,rlgvax]!umcp-cs!eneevax!iarocci                      |
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