Re: [MiNT] Shutdown() discussion

[Petr Stehlik <joy@sophics.cz>]

V Pá, 12. 12. 2003 v 18:18, Konrad Kokoszkiewicz píše:
> > It is not blocking anything.
> 
> Petr, please, accept one thing: it is.

I realized it at the end of the previous reply. But the word "blocked"
is not correct - the output is simply not drawn on the screen because
the necessary routines are missing.

> > You probably need a VT52 emulator
> 
> I must point out that I have a VT52 emulator. It is inside the ROM and works
> great until the time the fVDI is loaded.

Konrad, you may not know how it works internally. The short answer is
that fVDI does not implement the VT52 and the LineA emulation. I told
Johan many times that it was a serious problem but he never agreed with
my opinion. The only semi-solution we have are the two VT52 emulators -
one from Standa (pure GEM based, needs MiNT to work, IIRC) and the
BCONOUT.PRG (a quick hack from Johan, works only after desktop opens the
workstation, IIRC).

> Despite that, this is not a matter of the VT52 emulator, or a BCONOUT.PRG,
> because f.e. NVDI is somehow able to load and initialize without making
> GEMDOS troubles displaying text stuff.

that's because NVDI contains a lot more stuff including complete LineA
replacement. fVDI does not.

> > Normally the boot is so fast that I don't notice anything on the
> > screen, anyway.
> 
> This is why there is step-by-step initialization in MiNT. :)
> 
> > I didn't know you would need VT52 in the short moment
> > between starting MiNT and opening desktop.
> 
> This is quite a long moment and MiNT outputs quite a lot of information

It clearly depends on the order of programs in the AUTO folder. If
fVDI.PRG is the last one in the AUTO folder the amount of missing
information is close to zero.

Please note that I personally am unhappy with the current state of
console support in fVDI and I am not saying that fVDI is correct - I am
just explaining what happens inside.

Perhaps the oVDI will surprise us with complete VT52 implementation? :)

Petr