Re: STiNG, CAB, and Multitasking (strikes back)

[Jo Even Skarstein <joska@nuts.edu>]

On Tue, 10 Mar 1998, Konrad Kokoszkiewicz wrote:

> Peter's proposal is that MiNT would install its handlers at the end of
> XBRA chain, not at the begin, as it does now. At the end, i.e. just after

Nononono! If it does this then a lot of software (like HS-Modem or
even NVDI) will probably cease working.

> - if we agree that the privilege violation exception vector should be
> installed as Peter says, should MiNT install ALL its vectors the same way?

I believe so, inconsistencies will probably lead to more confusion and
problems than the current situation.

> - if all MiNT vectors would be installed at the end of XBRA chain,
> wouldn't it have the same effect as loading MiNT as the first program in
> the AUTO folder?

Yes, there you said it :-) I believe it will, and although there might
be other reasons why some programs fail if loaded after MiNT I think
this will definelately worsen the situation.

> - at the other hand, if we agree that this fix applies only to the
> privilege violation handler, how to substantiate the inconsistency with
> other vectors?

As I said, incostistencies would probably just worsen the situation.

> In other words, the question is not whether MiNT uses XBRA legally or not,
> but if STiNG legally uses the exception vector. This time I would like,

Even if the use of this vector has been endorsed by an Atari official
once, this really doesn't mean much today (see Konrad's initial
posting). And Atari themselves has discouraged the use of earlier
"standards" (like LineA), so why can't we (the MiNTlist) as the
current maintainers and "owners" of MiNT do the same?

Perhaps it's time to write a new programmers-guide for MiNT? I'm not
very fond of the current docs.

> Being back to the question of XBRA chain, I think, that the current MiNT
> behaviour is probably not perfect, but the best in current circumstances. 
> Yes, MiNT installs its handlers arbitrarily at the begin of the chain, but
> it is at least user-tunable by the AUTO folder sorting (yes, this has also
> some advantages!). If MiNT would install its vectors always just after
> TOS, we couldn't tune anything by resorting the AUTO folder.

Well, you've convinced me.


/*
** Jo Even Skarstein    http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~josk/
**
**    beer - maria mckee - atari falcon - babylon 5
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