Hi, On Mon, Mar 16, 2015 at 7:34 PM, dmccunney <dennis.mccun...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Mon, Mar 16, 2015 at 7:51 PM, Rugxulo <rugx...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> No, many compilers make it totally transparent to the end user. So you >> don't even have to write any non-portable code (usually). And this >> goes even beyond obvious "32-bit DPMI" DJGPP-based ones (GCC, GPC, >> FPC, FBC). > > They do now. They did not then.
DJGPP started in 1989. It's not new. And it wasn't the only one. > Since you *have* Linux, BSD, and even Windows, which support all that > out of the box, why should anyone *bother*? The whole point of a "free" "DOS" was to be a free/libre alternative that is binary compatible on similar hardware! None of those OSes do that! There are *many* OSes out there, often touting "legacy free". But even they have to start somewhere. Most people don't create their own cpu or write their own compiler. Heck, they port third-party apps over and use similar toolsets and formats that are already available. I mean, some of them even import drivers verbatim! Reuse is the name of the game. It just takes too much work to throw everything away. Sure, some people think it's "better" to throw things away. Some things are of questionable benefit. But it's certainly not always true. Sometimes you have to live with what you already have. Sometimes the cost of recreating something from scratch is too much. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dive into the World of Parallel Programming The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net/ _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
