On Sun, 6 Aug 2023 at 15:37, Ralf Quint via Freedos-user <freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net> wrote: > > FreeDOS, like any DOS, works only in text mode, so you can't just select any > graphics mode on the console.
I have a copy of a very handy program from the early 1990s called Laptop UltraView. It was designed for laptops in the era when they had VGA passive-matrix LCDs: 648*480 in maybe 16 colours -- sometimes 256 if you were lucky. VGA text mode is, I think, 640*400. LT/UV reset the DOS console into 640*480 and told DOS it was 80*25 mode, and could redefine the fonts in software. It then quit: it was not resident, so took no RAM. The result was bolder clearer text that was easier to read. It also defined a bunch of soft "text" screen modes, so you could tell DOS it had a 100x30 console, or anything that fit neatly into VGA graphics mode. Some very hi-res "text" modes with small characters were possible. My ZX Spectrum could just about display 64 columns of text in its 256*192 pixels, in a 4x8 character font. VGA can do about 160x50 text in that sort of resolution, but it is not good for your eyes. AIR LT/UV did not understand any VESA modes so it can't use 800*600 or 1024*768 at all. Pity. Sadly my copy is in another country right now. I can't upload it anywhere. But it was possible, and it was a very small simple program -- IIRC it shipped on one 720 kB floppy. It would probably be quite easy to clone and reimplement. -- Liam Proven ~ Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lpro...@cix.co.uk ~ gMail/gTalk/FB: lpro...@gmail.com Twitter/LinkedIn: lproven ~ Skype: liamproven IoM: (+44) 7624 277612: UK: (+44) 7939-087884 Czech [+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal]: (+420) 702-829-053 _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
