spotlessmind1975
commented
1 year ago Hi @odflor , first of all thank you for the suggestion!
Adding support for IBM PC computers, with a system like ugBASIC, is something very challenging.
In fact, beyond the need to integrate support for the Intel 8086 processor, I will need to support a series of alternative hardware configurations (CGA, EGA, CGA+AdLib, EGA+AdLib, and so on) and not selectable at "run time", as happens with DOS.
In other words: as it is done now, ugBASIC programs should boot in full autonomy, taking possession of the PC, and therefore has no possibility of being launched from MS-DOS or in any case from any DOS compatible with IBM hardware .
This path is essentially the only one with computers that have custom hardware, like Commodore or Spectrum. Since it is not viable for IBM PCs, because the hardware is too varied and too different, and they share a very complex standard to master without the help of the operating system, it would be necessary to interface ugBASIC at least with the BIOS if not with the services exposed by DOS.
Obviously, DOSBox represents on the one hand a simplification, because we have the hardware all at hand but, on the other hand, it is a complication because it allows us to emulate many different machines. I went to look and, just for the video, we have hercules, cga, ega, pcjr, tandy, svga_s3, ... not to mention the audio alternatives. As you rightly write, it is not necessary to support them all, but it is clear we need to establish which configurations of interest may really be.
In any case, thank you for the suggestion!
Please, when is possible to allow to use the DOS platform. Then I can use DOSBOX to execute the programs.
For me a CGA (with palette select capability) or EGA screen mode is enough.
AdLib or PC speaker for sound.
Best Regards.