On 2/17/2016 3:28 PM, Jose Antonio Senna wrote: > Maarten Vermeulen said: > >> It�s not really about FreeDOS� but it has something to do >> with it. :) >> I thought that maybe if you all like the idea, I could make >> a GUI shell. > I, too, do not care much for a GUI shell. > > I think instead that it would be much better if someone > wrote a graphics API for DOS (something like Windows GDI) > that could be loaded as a TSR and used by programs that need > graphics, for one weakness of DOS is that every program that > displays graphics (CAD, image viewers, drafting) has to > provide its own functions to do so. > Well, but do you realize how many different kinds of video adapters you have to support for such an API?
There used to be a workable attempt on such a thing back in the days of Borland, called BGI (Borland Graphics Interface). That was fairly open, so people could (and did) provide their own drivers for cards that were not in the default set though someone infected with the Stallman virus might bark at that notion... The same problem, not being able to provide video drivers fast enough, for a large variety of video adapters, was IMHO a problem which resulted in (Open/Free)GEM not going very far, although from the concept, it was far ahead of any other attempt of a GUI shell that I have seen ever since... If anyone is really interested in improving the situation in terms of having a more up to date GUI for FreeDOS, I would concur with Jim that OpenGEM might be the best way to go and help fixing the shortcomings, in particular for the video driver support. All the other basics, specially on how to actually integrate with DOS, is already in place, as it was from the start designed to work on top of DOS... just my 2c, Ralf --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Site24x7 APM Insight: Get Deep Visibility into Application Performance APM + Mobile APM + RUM: Monitor 3 App instances at just $35/Month Monitor end-to-end web transactions and take corrective actions now Troubleshoot faster and improve end-user experience. Signup Now! http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=272487151&iu=/4140 _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
