Re: EMM386 not installed - protected mode software already running.

[Bryan J Smith <b.j.smith@ieee.org>]

Most of the 386, and all of the 286, PharLap Extenders required not just EMS 
and/or XMS, but pre-date DPMI (DOS Protected Mode Interface) APIs.  They would 
use an earlier approach called VCPI (Virtual Control Program Interface).

The main difference between DPMI and VCPI is that DPMI programs have a governing 
Ring 0 manager they are serviced by.  In DOS, this is HIMEM/EMM386.  In NT, this 
is the NTVDM.  In Linux, this is the DOSEmu system.  This allows multiple 
programs to utilize memory extensions.

VCPI is where one program and only one program can take control of Ring 0 for 
its own uses.  And that makes it not only incompatible with DOSEmu, but also 
NTVDM (i.e., won't run under Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, etc...).  DPMI 
addressed the shortcomings with VCPI.

Only latter PharLap extenders supported DPMI, and all of them were 386 IIRC.  My 
knowledge is a bit aged, but I believe this information is correct.  Attempting 
to run the program under any 32-bit NT 4/5/6 release would also verify the same.

DOSBox _may_ be an option, as I've seen VCPI programs sometimes execute under 
it.

-- 
Bryan J  Smith             Professional, Technical Annoyance 
Linked Profile:           http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith 
------------------------------------------------------------ 
"Now if you own an automatic ... sell it!
You are totally missing out on the coolest part of driving"
-- Johnny O'Connell



----- Original Message ----
From: Steve Cohen <stevecoh1@comcast.net>
To: Mike McCarty <Mike.McCarty@sbcglobal.net>; linux-msdos@vger.kernel.org
Sent: Tue, October 19, 2010 12:54:33 PM
Subject: Re: EMM386 not installed - protected mode software already running.

On 10/19/2010 10:55 AM, Mike McCarty wrote:
> Steve Cohen wrote:
>> More on the "Hoo Boy this is going to be interesting" front:
> 
> [...]
> 
>> DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE frame=none x=C000-C7FF x=E000-E7FF [Y,N]?Y
>> EMM386 not installed - protected mode software already running.
>> 
>> What does this mean? What protected mode software is already running?
> 
> None. The environment of DOSEMU provides a DPMI w/o having to
> load a driver, so it has the same effect as though a driver
> were loaded, however.
> 
> Mike

OK, trying to wrap my head around this though the 20-year fog.  EMS, XMS, UMB, 
DPMI.  Yecch.

I've tried commenting out the
    DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE frame=none x=C000-C7FF x=E000-E7FF
line.  This gives me the "No UMBs" error on the first devicehigh= call

As can be seen from my earlier posts, this application, as designed, made use of 
HIMEM.SYS, EMM386.EXE, etc.  This does not appear to be compatible with DOSEMU 
as configured out of the box.

Looking for opinions here.  Would you think I am best off trying start from 
Freedos and tweak memory as needed or from MS-DOS?  If I use MS-DOS under DOSEMU 
what is the solution to add UMBs?  Or, am I best advised to avoid all this UMB 
and devicehigh stuff and just try to load them "normally"?

Here is the config.sys I am trying to load:

BREAK=OFF
FILES=30
BUFFERS=30
STACKS=9,256
DOS=HIGH,UMB
LASTDRIVE=V
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE frame=none x=C000-C7FF x=E000-E7FF
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
SHELL=c:\command.com c:\dos\ /E:1024 /P
DEVICEHIGH=C:\NFS\PCNFS.SYS
DEVICE=C:\NFS\SOCKDRV.SYS
DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\PROTMAN.SYS /I:C:\LANMAN
REM INTEL ETHERPRO16
DEVICEHIGH=C:\LANMAN\EXP16.DOS
DEVICE=C:\LANMAN\NFS-NDIS.SYS

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