Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!caen!uwm.edu!uwvax!persoft!gorgon!dag
From: dag@gorgon.uucp (Daniel A. Glasser)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Re: Does WINDOWS run under VP/ix?
Message-ID: <1991May17.010926.338@gorgon.uucp>
Date: 17 May 91 01:09:26 GMT
References: <7516@spdcc.SPDCC.COM> <1991May14.164301.15364@aai.com> <8466@uceng.UC.EDU>
Organization: Perseus Reductions (Medusa Division)
Lines: 42

In article <8466@uceng.UC.EDU> dmocsny@minerva.che.uc.edu (Daniel Mocsny) writes:
>In article <1991May14.164301.15364@aai.com> leo@aai.com writes:
>>An update, available from ISC, is necessary to run Windows 3.0 under VPIX
>>on ISC 2.2.
>Wow! Will this update run any of the other troublesome vpix-buster
>software such as the Borland Turbo Debugger? And can it run 386-
>protected-mode DOS software such as the Borland TD386 version of
>the Turbo Debugger?

Sorry, no.  The update from ISC for VPIX lets MS-Windows 3.0 run in
real mode only.  No standard ('286) mode, no Extended ('386) mode.
It would be amusing, but Intel didn't make the '386 (or '486) such
that it is easy for one set of '386 protected mode code to simulate
the iron for another set of '386 protected mode code which is simulaing
the iron for a bunch of 8086 (real-mode) virtual machines.  It might
be possible to do, just not easy (both Unix and Windows want to directly
bang on the MMU...  This is hard to trap/simulate transparently.)
Maybe someone ought to solve the DOS under Unix problem for '386 systems
the way I've seen DOS and CP/M done for non-ISA machines for years...
A hardware solution!  A real '386sx on a bus slot with some shared RAM or
DMA and some custom ICs that look to the 'sx as if they are standard
ISA peripherals (floppy controller, HD controller, VGA registers, keyboard
port, serial, etc.) and allow the main CPU to control access to the
real devices or simulate the hardware and do wholesale swaps of
machine context to allow multiple users to use the same board without
the 'protected mode' software knowing about it at all.  You should even
be able to run some '386 version of Unix (though this might be pushing
it) on the inner box and run VPIX on that :)

					Just a few thoughts from
					the endless stream of
					meaningless drivel from
					incoherent mind of

						Daniel A. Glasser

Disclaimer:  The opinions expressed in this posting are not necessarily
             those of WOOF FM, it's management or sponsers.  They belong
             to the poster, and he is welcome to them.
-- 
Daniel A. Glasser                       One of those things that goes
dag%gorgon@persoft.com                  "BUMP! (ouch!)" in the night.