Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!apple!usc!samsung!olivea!orc!inews!iwarp.intel.com!gargoyle!igloo!infopls!system From: system@infopls.chi.il.us (SYSOP) Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc Subject: Re: Some questions about drivers : video and printing Message-ID: Date: 6 Jan 91 20:15:59 GMT References: <1991Jan3.230016.3106@ingres.Ingres.COM> Organization: INFOPLUS support, Wheeling, IL Lines: 37 sergio@ingres.com (Sergio L. Aponte) writes: > 1) My VGA card is almost (never) listed as an available driver since > I have a TCI brand card. If the software I buy does not have driver > for it (and most dont), and the flopy does not include one, what are > my options? Can Joe "home" programer put this things toghether? Many video cards typically only use a few chipsets. (Just like only a few companies make VCR's, despite the number of 'brand names.') My Infoplus program (available on Simtel20 as PD1:INFOP141.ZIP) will identify many chipsets. You might then be able to find a 'name brand' board that your board is closely compatible to. Many programs use the chipset name instead of the name brand because of this. > 2) Why are this drivers "unique". If I write a driver for device X, how > come different software need different drivers? Am I wrong to think > drivers should go with a particular piece of hardware, not with > a particular piece of software? Unfortunately, outside of the 'standards' set by IBM, every chipset (and sometimes boards) works differently. Most programs have no standardized format for adding device drivers (I mean between different programs.) To some extend, the new VESA standards will help alot. A program written for this can use a special call to determine the video modes available, and, better yet, HOW to use those modes! Many newer boards have it built in, and older boards can be used with small TSR's. > 3) Same case with the printer. If my printer is not listed, I go thru > some of the similar capability ones to see if one works. Being a very > simple, 9 pin Citizen MSP-10, I get it working 98% of the time. Printers are a real problem. What you are doing is about the only way to do it. So far, Windows is the only program that lets many programs use a standardized driver (provided the program is a Windows program!) --------------- Andrew Rossmann | Sysop of Infoplus BBS, +1 708 537 0247 andyross@infopls.chi.il.us | Infoplus Support, latest version available ..!uunet!ddsw1!infopls!system| by logging in as infoplus.