Author Topic: ArcaOS kernel 202 and Firefox  (Read 9032 times)

Dave Yeo

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Re: ArcaOS kernel 202 and Firefox
« Reply #15 on: November 24, 2020, 10:49:11 pm »
@Dave,

  Thanks for the insights, hadn't thought about 16 bit calling 32 bit (who does that?) or undocumented API's - definitely complicates things.

Well I used the telnet example as guessing it may have originally used the 16bit stack and not been updated to use the 32 bit stack, but perhaps a 16 bit DLL recompiled as a 32 bit DLL or a forwarder DLL. Guessing, a forwarder DLL would not work around the issue.
Another issue is that even GCC compiled DLLs may be used by other programs compiled with a different compiler, even a 16 bit compiler.
A real world example is the Screensaver, where some modules use GCC compiled DLLs such as the CairoClock using Cairo, Pixman, Fontconfig and Freetype (maybe more). When I first started maintaining it and got it to use the system Cairo DLL, I tried marking Cairo high and had bad results. Forget the specifics now and after I discovered Doodle used some weird compile options including the 16 bit FPU emulator, which I figured perhaps out of habit on Doodles part so I did change them. Rich made a comment that made me realize why, Watcom can screw with the FPU control word. Hasn't happened so I've left it but haven't tried marking Cairo high since.
Basically it is really hard to predict what programs might use a DLL.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2020, 10:50:50 pm by Dave Yeo »

Andi B.

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Re: ArcaOS kernel 202 and Firefox
« Reply #16 on: November 25, 2020, 08:58:51 am »
Quote
but why XWPS? Isn't that compiled with a recent GCC?
If you mean XWP then VAC is used. Either 3.08 or 3.65. Why do you think it's made with GCC?