On Fri, 21 Jul 2000, arachne-digest wrote: > > DOS programs, even most TSRs, run in single task mode because there is no > Task Manager. There is NO reason why you couldn't have multiple DOS programs > running semi-simultaneously (semi is all even Linux can get) if you have a Linux multitasking is real pre-emptive multitasking, not semimultitaksing or cooperative multitasking or whatever. Inside tasks, you can use additionaly multithreading (I do this, in Linux Arachne, for some stuff) > simple task manager. As long as you are talking about programs that ALREADY > have their own memory allocated - like TSRs - they could run simultaneous > with the primary program running in main memory. This is not real multitasking, as you have no control over which priority which task gets, you cannot easily kill tasks, etc... > That Task Manager could be VERY simple and VERY small. > I would write it if I was sure no one would complain because they can't run > two Arachne windows at the same time.<g> This should be possible, if 1) there is some API for graphical applications to be told to redraw (Arachne in fact can catch Alt+Tab events and redraw itself, because of such task managers) 2) there is API for apps to be able to learn if they are background or foreground process, and to be able to communicate withpreviously launched copy of the application, instead of trying to access network directly.
