Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU!dave
From: dave@WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU (Dave Camp)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Re: Splitting up KA9Q-net (was: Re: Anomalies with KA9Q)
Message-ID: <8811111946.AA27155@wubios.WUstl.EDU>
Date: 11 Nov 88 19:46:48 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 20

>
>It seems entirely feasible to run multiple threads within a single dos program
>- all you need is a small interrupt driven kernel to do scheduling and 
>i/o.  I've heard that some of the Microsoft C library routines are not
>reentrant though.   Has anyone implemented a kernel for something like this?
>
I have had similiar ideas, but no (approved) time to work on it.  It seems
possible to implement a Unix kernel inside an MS-Dos environment.  It would
be necessary to have a (hidden) file on each directory containing the 
additional (Unix) information for each file in the MS-Dos directory.  I 
think the order a magnitude of this job would justify it as a substitute
for MS-Dos instead of a subprogram.  The only thing that would be kept
would be the file system, so that one could switch back to Dos programs
when necessary.  I have heard of a Unix environment that can run Dos jobs
produced by the Wendin company.  I would enjoy trying it out, but I do
not think my boss would approve.  I have tried the DesqView software, which
implements multitasking in the Dos environment.  It is not foolproof to use
it though, especially regarding Workspace size.  Some of the problems may
have been fixed in later releases though.  It is a great concept, and I may
use it if we get a version that has better reliability.