312 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
312 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
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From: raymoon@ms1.dgsys.com (Raymond Moon)
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Newsgroups: alt.lang.asm,comp.lang.asm.x86,news.answers,alt.answers,comp.answers
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Subject: x86 Assembly Language FAQ - A86 and D86
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Supersedes: <70vrps$1p4$6@news.dgsys.com>
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Followup-To: alt.lang.asm,comp.lang.asm.x86
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Date: 23 Nov 1998 18:10:10 GMT
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Organization: MoonWare
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Lines: 291
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Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
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Distribution: world
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Expires: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 23:59:59 GMT
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Message-ID: <73c8e2$nos$6@news.dgsys.com>
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Reply-To: raymoon@moonware.dgsys.com
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Summary: This is the FAQ for the x86 Assembly Language programmers for
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the alt.lang.asm and comp.lang.asm.x86 newsgroups. This particular
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section of the FAQ contains x86 assembly information specific to the
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Eric Isaacson's shareware A86 assembler and D86 debugger.
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Keywords: x86 Assemby Language ASM FAQ A86 D86
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Archive-Name: assembly-language/x86/a86
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Posting-Frequency: monthly (21st of every month)
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Last-modified: 1998/10/25
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------------------------------
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Subject: 1. Introduction and Intent
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This is the x86 Assembly Language FAQ for the comp.lang.asm.x86 and
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alt.lang.asm newsgroups. This FAQ is posted monthly on or about the
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21st of the month to both newsgroups and news.answers, alt.answers and
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comp.answers. It also is archived at the normal FAQ archival site,
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ftp://rtfm.mit.edu and to SimTel and its mirror sites in the msdos/info
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directory and Garbo and its mirrors in the pc/doc-net directory.
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Lastly, the current version is available from my web page as:
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As text files:
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http://www2.dgsys.com/~raymoon/faq/asmfaq.zip
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As HTML documents:
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http://www2.dgsys.com/~raymoon/faq/asmfaqh.zip
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Currently, this FAQ is broken into six sections. The following are the
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section filenames and the scope of each section of the FAQ.
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assembly-language/x86/general/part1 - This is the basic portion of
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the FAQ that contains information of interest to all assembly
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language programmers. In general, the information contained in
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this portion of the FAQ is not specific to any particular
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assembler.
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assembly-language/x86/general/part2 - This is a continuation of the
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above FAQ.
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assembly-language/x86/general/part3 - This is a continuation of the
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above FAQ.
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assembly-language/x86/microsoft - This portion of the FAQ contains
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information specific for the Microsoft MASM.
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assembly-language/x86/borland - This portion of the FAQ contains
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information specific for the Borland TASM.
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assembly-language/x86/a86 - This portion of the FAQ contains
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information specific for the Shareware A86 Assembler and D86
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Debugger.
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The scope and content of this FAQ is to go beyond just answering the
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frequently asked questions. I am including pointers to assembly
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language treasure troves that are hidden on the Internet. I believe
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that this will enhance the FAQ's value not only to the novices but also
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to the old hands.
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For the ease of determining what has changed since the last FAQ, the
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Table of Contents will have "REVISED" at the end of the subject line for
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all revised subjects. If more than one FAQ revision has been missed,
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the "Last Changed:" entry at the end of each subject can be used to
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determine which subjects have been revised during the intervening
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period.
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The information in this FAQ is free for all to use as long as you
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acknowledge the source. This FAQ can be reproduced in part or in its
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entirety as long as the copyright is included. This FAQ can be made
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available on public servers, like ftp, gopher or WWW servers. Please do
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not modify the file, such as converting it into some other format,
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without prior permission of the author.
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All references to files and locations are in Uniform Resource Locators
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(URLs) format. Some web browser will be able to use these URLs directly
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as hot links. If the format is not clear to you, get RFC 1738. It is
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available from: ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1738.txt
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Suggestions for changes and comments are always welcome. They can be
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posted to either newsgroup or e-mailed directly to me.
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Author: Raymond Moon, raymoon@moonware.dgsys.com
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Copyright 1998 - Raymond Moon
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Last Changed: 25 Oct 98
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------------------------------
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Subject: 2. Table of Contents
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1. Introduction And Intent
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2. Table Of Contents
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3. What is A86 Assembler and Where Can I Get It
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4. Structuring Assembly Language in A86
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5. A386/D386 Availability
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6. A86 Source Code Site
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7. Eric Isaacson's A86 Assembler and D86 Debugger Web Page
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8. A86 Tutorial
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9. Acknowledgments
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------------------------------
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Subject: 3. What is A86 Assembler and Where Can I Get It
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3.1 A86 ASSEMBLER - A86V402.ZIP
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The A86 is Eric Isaacson's shareware assembler. The latest version is
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4.02 and support up to the 286 instruction set. This assembler does not
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support the extended registers and instructions introduced with the 386
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processor. This assembler accepts assembly language source files, and
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transforms them directly into either: (1) .COM files executable under
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MS-DOS, starting at offset 0100 within a code segment; (2) .OBJ files
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suitable for feeding to a linker; or (3) object files starting at offset
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0, suitable for copying to ROMs. A86 is a full featured program
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designed to be as closely compatible to the standard Intel/IBM assembly
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language as possible.
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Some of A86's features are:
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* Assembly speed
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* Ease of use
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* Support modular programming even in .COM files
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* Support very large programming projects
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* Full featured macro capability
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* Support for math coprocessor instructions
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* Supported by its own debugger, D86
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New features of version 4.02 are:
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* INCLUDE file support
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* listings
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* no limit on size of source files
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* forward references in complex expressions
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* END operand
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* default ORG END in DATA SEGMENT
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3.2 D86 DEBUGGER - D86V402.ZIP
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The D86 is Eric Isaacson's shareware debugger. The latest version is
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4.02. D86 is a screen-oriented debugger that facilitates the
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troubleshooting of faulty computer programs written for the IBM-PC and
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all compatibles. D86 can freeze the state of a program so that the
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values of registers, flags, and memory can be investigated. The
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program's execution can be monitored by stepping it one instruction or
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procedure at a time; or starting the program running, telling D86 to
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stop it when it reaches certain locations. D86 recognizes the
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symbol-table output of the A86 assembler, creating a symbolic
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disassembly of a A86 program, and allowing referenced to locations and
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variables by name.
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Some of D86's features are:
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* Values of registers, flags and stack top are displayed at a fixed
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location on the screen.
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* Support for viewing memory contents in a variety of types including
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complicated structures.
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* Support for displaying math coprocessor registers
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New features of version 4.02 are:
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* Keystroke scripts
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* macro keys
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* Undo command
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* file copy and delete
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3.3 OTHER FILES
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A86CNVRT.ZIP
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This file contains information on converting MASM files into A86 files.
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The information is dated and a better source is Chapter 12 of the A86
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documentation.
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D86BIOS4.ZIP
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If your computer does not have an IBM-compatible BIOS, this file will
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help getting D86, the debugger, to work with your BIOS.
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3.4 FILE AVAILABILITY
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All files are available from SimTel
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ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/msdos/asmutl
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mget ?86* For all files
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or
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mget ?86v402.zip or the basic A86 and D86 files
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Contributor: Raymond Moon, raymoon@moonware.dgsys.com
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Last changed: 4 Nov 95
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------------------------------
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Subject: 4. Structuring Assembly Language in A86
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John Barnes has converted the macros from Kurt Schindler's "Structure:
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The Complete Toolkit for Structuring Assembly Language Programs." John
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Barnes warns that the every macro has not been proofed and tested
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completely.
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These macros are available from SimTel.
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ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/msdos/asmutl/struca86.zip
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Contributor: Raymond Moon, raymoon@moonware.dgsys.com
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Last changed: 8 Jan 95
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------------------------------
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Subject: 5. A386/D386 Availability
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I have received the following information about A386/D386 availability
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from the author, Mr.Eric Isaacson:
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A preliminary version of A386+D386 currently is shipping on the
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registered A86+D86 disk. The A386 implements the entire 386/486/Pentium
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instruction set, including 32-bit registers, 32-bit expression
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arithmetic, and 32-bit memory indexing. The only major feature not yet
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implemented is segments of type USE32 (i.e., flat mode). There is not
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any schedule date for completing that last feature.
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Note that the A86-only registered disk does not have A386. the A386 disk
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is available for $80 to get A386 ($82 overseas, $84 in Indiana). The
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printed manual that covers everything is an additional $10 ($15
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overseas, $10.50 in Indiana).
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If you already have registered A86+D86, the A386 disk is available for
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the normal update service fee of $10 ($12 overseas, $10.50 in Indiana).
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If A86 but not D86 is registered, the A386 disk is available for $40
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($42 overseas or Indiana). Again, the printed manual is extra.
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Contributor: Raymond Moon, raymoon@moonware.dgsys.com
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Last changed: 20 May 95
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------------------------------
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Subject: 6. A86 Source Code Site
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The only A86 Source code site is Simtel and its mirrors. The following
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two files are available there:
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colrboot.zip
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Writes a boot sector to floppies which displays color text if user
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tries to boot from the disk. Works with non-system disks through
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BIOS. The display is NOT a file. Choice of many displays. Can
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boot from C drive etc. Useful A86 boot sector source code included.
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kwikhelp.zip
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Lets you create your own TSR screens easily and quickly. Includes
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A86 source code.
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Contributor: Ray Moon, raymoon@moonware.dgsys.com
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Last changed: 20 Dec 96
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------------------------------
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Subject: 7. Eric Isaacson's A86 Assembler and D86 Debugger Web Page
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7.1 A86/D86 WEB PAGE
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Eric Isaacson has his own web page for the A86 Assembler and the D86
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Debugger. The URL is:
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http://eji.com/a86/index.htm
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The topics of this page are:
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Overview of A86
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Overview of D86
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A86 and D86 Features
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A386 and D386 Status
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Downloading A86 and D86
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7.2 GETTING A86 AND D86 STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH
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As indicated above, you can get the A86 assembler and D86 Debugger right
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from the author's web site. The URLs are:
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For A86: http://eji.com/a86.zip
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For D86: http://eji.com/d86.zip
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Contributor: Raymond Moon, raymoon@moonware.dgsys.com
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Last changed: 16 Apr 96
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------------------------------
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Subject: 8. A86 Tutorial
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Homer Tilton has written a simple tutorial on A86 using DEBUG as the
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debugger. It is available from:
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http://www6.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/texis/swlib/hotfiles/info.html?fcode=000804
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Contributor: Raymond Moon, raymoon@moonware.dgsys.com
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Last changed: 31 Aug 97
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------------------------------
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Subject: 9. Acknowledgments
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I would like to acknowledge all the people who have assisted me or any
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of the contributors. For their time and effort, this FAQ is a better
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product.
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John Krueger and Gary Smith
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