Re: x86 real mode

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From	Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid>
Newsgroups	comp.arch.embedded
Subject	Re: x86 real mode
Date	Fri, 17 Oct 2014 16:07:24 +0000 (UTC)
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On 2014-10-17, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:

> What are the most conservative, *practical* expectations I can
> make living in x86 real mode:  TEXT of 64K and DATA of (disjoint)
> 64K?  BSS in it's own segment?  Or, shared with DATA?

It depends on the compiler and on the memory model you selected when
invoking the compiler.

Real-mode compilers usually had at least 4 memory models, sometimes
more.  It was a _long_ time ago I think the last time I used the
Microsoft DOS C compiler there were 5:

 tiny
 small
 medium
 large
 huge

I think tiny meant everything was in the same 64K segment (all segment
registers were equal and never changed).  That may have only been used
for .com files rather than .exe files.  All pointers were 16 bits.

IIRC, small meant there was a single 64K text segment, and a single 64K
data segment.  All pointers were 16 bits.

In medium, I think each function (or file?) had it's own text segment,
but there was still a single 64K data segment (pointer to function was
32 bits, pointer to data was 16 bits).  Or was that large.

In huge every function (or file?) had its own text segment and its own
data segment.  All pointers were 32 bit.

Or something like that.

And then there was paging/overlay support you could add into the mix.

> [What a screwed up architecture!]

Yup.

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! Jesus is my POSTMASTER
                                  at               GENERAL ...
                              gmail.com

Thread

x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 07:23 -0700
  Re: x86 real mode Arlet Ottens <usenet+5@c-scape.nl> - 2014-10-17 16:31 +0200
    Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 07:45 -0700
      Re: x86 real mode Arlet Ottens <usenet+5@c-scape.nl> - 2014-10-17 16:53 +0200
        Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 08:28 -0700
          Re: x86 real mode Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2014-10-17 18:35 +0300
          Re: x86 real mode Arlet Ottens <usenet+5@c-scape.nl> - 2014-10-17 17:36 +0200
            Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 13:54 -0700
              Re: x86 real mode Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-10-17 21:02 +0000
                Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 14:54 -0700
              Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-18 10:09 +0300
          Re: x86 real mode Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-10-17 16:11 +0000
      Re: x86 real mode Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-17 18:37 +0200
      Re: x86 real mode Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2014-10-17 12:58 -0500
  Re: x86 real mode David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-17 16:52 +0200
    Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-17 16:45 +0000
  Re: x86 real mode Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2014-10-17 10:03 -0500
  Re: x86 real mode Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-10-17 16:07 +0000
  Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-17 19:57 +0300
  Re: x86 real mode Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2014-10-17 12:57 -0500
  Re: x86 real mode Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2014-10-17 21:18 +0300
    Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-17 21:48 +0000
      Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 15:06 -0700
        Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-17 22:25 +0000
          Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 15:39 -0700
            Re: x86 real mode George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-17 22:47 -0400
              Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 21:10 -0700
                Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-18 11:32 +0300
            Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-18 11:10 +0300
              Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-18 08:20 -0700
                Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-18 20:34 +0300
                Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-18 12:53 -0700
          Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-18 10:30 +0300
          Re: x86 real mode David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-18 20:22 +0200
      Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-18 10:22 +0300
        Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-18 09:06 +0000
          Re: x86 real mode Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2014-10-18 08:43 -0500
          Re: x86 real mode Gerd Brix <gbrix@gmx.eu> - 2014-10-18 16:39 +0200
          Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-18 17:52 -0700
            Re: x86 real mode George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-20 01:35 -0400
              Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-20 10:14 +0300
                Re: x86 real mode George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-20 14:12 -0400
              Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-20 08:15 -0700
    Re: x86 real mode Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2014-10-17 18:39 -0500
      Re: x86 real mode Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2014-10-18 10:46 +0300
  Re: x86 real mode George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-17 15:29 -0400
    Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-17 14:32 -0700
      Re: x86 real mode Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> - 2014-10-18 00:09 +0200
        Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-17 22:31 +0000
          Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-18 12:04 +0300
            Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-18 23:22 +0000
            Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-18 20:59 -0700
      Re: x86 real mode upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-18 11:53 +0300
        Re: x86 real mode Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-18 09:34 -0700
    Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-17 22:00 +0000
      Re: x86 real mode Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> - 2014-10-18 00:26 +0200
        Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-17 22:36 +0000
      Re: x86 real mode George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-17 21:45 -0400
        Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-18 03:26 +0000
          Re: x86 real mode Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2014-10-17 23:26 -0500
            Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-18 05:42 +0000
          Re: x86 real mode Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2014-10-18 10:53 +0300
            Re: x86 real mode glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-18 09:12 +0000
        Re: x86 real mode Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2014-10-17 22:40 -0500
      Re: x86 real mode George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-17 22:07 -0400

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