Date   : Tue, 13 Aug 1985 00:32:43 GMT
From   : "Richard L. Klappal" <rlk%wlcrjs.uucp@BRL.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Osborne I software portability

In article <1214@hcrvx1.UUCP> hugh@hcrvx1.UUCP (Hugh Redelmeier) writes:
>I just bought three pieces of Osborne I software (issued by Osborne
>itself), hoping to run them on my Kaypro II.  The programs should be
>generic CP/M because they do not require bypassing the operating
>system.  And yet two out of the three don't work.  Is it the case that
>Osborne hobbled its software to prevent it to run on other brands
>of machines?  If so, how did they do it?
>
>Note: the software is not the bundled stuff that came with an Osborne.
>The two packages are MuSimp/MuMath (Soft Warehouse's symbolic algebra
>package), and Bascom (Microsoft's BASIC compiler).  I bought new copies,
>still shrinkwrapped, from an Osborne dealer (they were very old stock).
>Nothing in the license seems to preclude running on a Kaypro.
>
>Symptoms:
>
>MuSimp: Whenever a "RECLAIM();" is executed, the system crashes.
>   Usually the machine locks up, but sometimes it gets a BDOS error,
>   indicating some kind of wild jump.
>BASCOM:    BASCOM loads and then immediately does a warm boot.
>
>Hugh Redelmeier (416) 922-1937
>{utzoo, ihnp4, decvax}!hcr!hugh

I also ran into the same problem taking BASCOM from the Os1 to CP/M
on a co-processor board in a Fortune 32:16.  Fix is as follows (and
probably the same for Mu*).

Using ddt (or preferferably zsid) trace execution through the init
sequence of the program.  Very shortly after starting, the program
will jump above 4000H.  trace that code, looking for a section of
about 32 bytes, beginning with a DI (disable interrupts) and
ending with EI (enable interrupts).  This section of code
does a bank switch, and verifies that there is ROM at 0100H.
replace this 32 bytes of code with 00h, exit and save the image.

Works for me.

For the record, Drive B on the Os died again, so I am only using the software
on one CPU (albeit a Z80B, running as a task under UNIX on a 68K).
Who says you can't do what you want?  (The MIMIX (tm) software even
lets me use vi as the replacement for CP/Ms ED.)



Richard Klappal

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