Charlie Balogh / is on Nostr

Some say, I'm a hacker. I say I'm just obsolete. Random content, might contain traces of old computers and cats. No politics.

Last Notes

2024-11-17 21:37:37

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@nprofile…5zd4 I think you meant the third? But yes. Also, way too easy:
#pastpuzzle 77
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1/4 🥇
https://www.pastpuzzle.de

2024-11-17 00:20:06

I involuntarily (cheers @nprofile…5zd4!) spent my Saturday on tracing down an ancient Turbo C bug. 😅
The intr() function, used to call DOS/BIOS interrupts will pass the wrong BP register value to the interrupt. BP is heavily used in stack handling, so intr() generates a BP-reload-and-INT-trampoline on the stack, but the BP reload offset it creates is off-by-four.
Fix: Look for the sequence C6 46 F4 E2 in affected binaries, and change E2 to DE.
More details in reply. 🧵
#msdos #retrocomputing
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/495/402/529/709/633/original/326066e12a183020.jpg

2024-11-16 12:30:39

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@nprofile…5zd4 I doubt, as in the code you linked, the first intr() call also returns values in ES:BP, and I printf'd out the values, and they're perfectly reasonable - C000:1916, which is indeed inside the VGA BIOS.
However, I can't make things fail in DOSBox-X, it's like that example call. to set the new charset does nothing for me. 😅 But that doesn't mean anything, I just quickly downloaded DOSBox to be able to fiddle with TC, so probably it's my setup.

2024-11-15 23:02:27

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@nprofile…5zd4 I wouldn't necessarily first assume it has a bug. It could be that you do something that flies in the face of Turbo C memory models or how it handles segment registers. Plus BP could be special on x86 anyway and used in the function stack frame. Any example code that reproduces the issue? Probably a small .exe would be simpler to disassemble and debug than the library. (Although my 16bit x86 skills were never great, and by now they rusted further.)

2024-11-10 13:01:17

Motherboards of some disassembled vintage computers from the last berlinCreators Retro Computer meeting. How many can you recognize? 😉
(Note: Image Alt-Text contains the solutions.)
#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/458/676/104/878/644/original/b32f8b13a951226b.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/458/681/561/178/287/original/8f3081730f1dfa0e.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/458/706/471/098/769/original/8a4e54153e103222.jpg
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2024-11-10 13:01:17

2024-11-10 12:04:56

If you want to know how bad Google Search has gotten - after probably 20+ years, I started curating my set of bookmarks/link collection again, as it has gotten very hard to find anything that isn't sponsored or an ad in some shape or form, or it's a niche interest.
Now I wonder when webrings will be back.
#tech #enshittification

2024-10-03 19:59:33

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@npub1tvq…l6jk I'm on Discord, but I still hate this...

2024-08-31 06:02:57

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@npub1gfd…7gg6 None. We need a record of all of our mistakes, to prevent them happening again... Or at least happening again too often.

2024-08-17 10:13:34

An Alternative Platforms compo entry, submitted on a 3D save icon. 🤪 💾
#amiga #evoke25
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/976/808/758/168/328/original/af5ca775c61ff66e.jpg

2024-07-29 17:05:59

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@npub1up2…k6en I wrote it down in my other reply to your previous post. That process will 100% work in original C= 3.1 HDToolBox.

2024-07-29 17:01:54

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@npub1up2…k6en You don't need HDInstTools to change MaxTransfer. In fact, it can cause problems if you change the drive with HDInstTool if you originally partitioned it with HDToolBox and vice-versa.

2024-07-24 21:31:48

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@npub1up2…k6en AmigaKit is well known for their extra-fast delivery... 🙄

2024-06-03 21:53:06

I've never been so insulted by something I 100% agree with.
(From X: https://x.com/forrestbrazeal/status/1797643911516786986 )
#softwaredevelopment
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