Lunduke
News • Science & Tech
Make Computers Fun Again - Linux, UNIX, Alternative Operating Systems, Computer History, and Retro Computing. Also dad jokes.
Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
September 17, 2022

#DOSweek

Here is a list of things that are not working quite right with my FreeDOS install on the Lenovo ThinkPad T440p:

1) Sound beyond PC-Speaker emulation. The motherboard chipset probably supports all kinds of synthesis and digitized sound playback, but I'll need some kind of driver to access that and make it available as a virtual SoundBlaster or similar device for older DOS software to use.

2) The default mouse driver loaded by some of the FreeDOS boot options sort of works with the built-in trackpad, but seems to randomly generate button presses when in the FreeDOS edit program, which can lead to random cursor jumps, which is really frustrating. Also in Arachne, the default pointer was almost useless with the trackpad. Plugging in a USB mouse seemed to help quite a lot, or maybe loading the mouse driver manually after other stuff loaded was helping. I may need to experiment a bit more to get stable mouse behavior. (😅 I just realized that last sentence would make me sound like a animal neurologist or something like that 60+ years ago.)

3) Arachne is rather crashy. I may need better setup of extended memory or something. I could also try Dillo and see if it is better.

4) Installing software originally shipped for multiple floppies is a bit hit or miss. The simple installers, such as for the Borland Turbo dev tools, just create a directory for you then copy the files from the multiple disks. I can, and did, do that manually from downloads that have multiple disk .img/.ima files by using Linux to mount and copy them to a flat folder on an USB stick. But some apps have installers that manipulate the files, or generate files from your setup parameters, or modify you autoexec.bat and config.sys, etc. etc. I don't know if there is a way to have FreeDOS virtualize the insertion of floppy disk images (or file sets in folders) one by one so the installer can load them as it wants and then prompt for the next one. I'd really like to get PC/GEOS GeoWorks Pro installed, but the installer is doing some stuff I don't know whether I can manually reproduce.

5) It doesn't have a Forth on it yet!!! I can fix that real quick though. 😉

Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
Articles
Google Tells Courts How Google Should Be Punished (and Tried to Hide it)

Released Friday before Christmas -- the ideal time to hide any announcement -- in response to losing an antitrust suit, Google proposes no real changes to their company or search business. Unsurprisingly, Mozilla (who likes Google's money) agrees.

00:27:44
December 19, 2024
ChatGPT Can Not Say "Bryan Lunduke"

Move over David Mayer, Lunduke joins the list of names which OpenAl will not display. Here's how this was accomplished.

00:22:23
December 19, 2024
Mozilla Executive Pay Doubles as Loss of 80% of Revenue Looms

"Mozilla has shifted much of its work toward Al" as funds directed towards African "Digital Justice", "Queer Youth Inclusion", & "Digital Activism for Young Feminists".

00:25:04
November 22, 2023
The futility of Ad-Blockers

Ads are filling the entirety of the Web -- websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. -- at an increasing rate. Prices for those ad placements are plummeting. Consumers are desperate to use ad-blockers to make the web palatable. Google (and others) are desperate to break and block ad-blockers. All of which results in... more ads and lower pay for creators.

It's a fascinatingly annoying cycle. And there's only one viable way out of it.

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links? Check here:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

The futility of Ad-Blockers
November 21, 2023
openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"

Those in power with openSUSE make it clear they will not allow me anywhere near anything related to the openSUSE project. Ever. For any reason.

Well, that settles that, then! Guess I won't be contributing to openSUSE! 🤣

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links?
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"
September 13, 2023
"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

This episode is free for all to enjoy and share.

Be sure to subscribe here at Lunduke.Locals.com to get all shows & articles (including interviews with other amazing nerds).

"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

Not what I was hoping for this afternoon, but still nice to get some classic Mac time in. Grabbed a game from Macintosh Garden; Starship Titanic. I’ve never played it, but I remember being really curious about it as a kid.

Moved it over to the Mac via sneakernet. It’s been decompressing for over 30 minutes… just realized I forgot the onboard USB is 1.1 and I didn’t transfer the files to the HDD before running StuffIt on it. Whoopsie 😅. I really love old systems.

rando win... just click, click, click ... and it goes!
when embracing a system like #Haiku (or Plan9 or OS/2 or I suppose Apple and Microsoft provide, for instance), there is lots of structure in place that provide hooks where you can add new function/feature with very little code.

In the Haiku world, there is an easy way to implement new function in the desktop Tracker called Add-Ons. Implement a bit of code that handles the process_refs() method - essentially all Haiku code works this way, listens for BMessages and reacts.
The default standard Haiku dev IDE has many samples to get started. The Tracker Add-On puts in the boiler-plate for the process_refs() method where you can put your bits. The sample code takes a listing of the current Tracker Selection and lists it in a popup.

Having done these frequently before, I knew it was a small amount of code to get easy utility from Add-Ons. I had high confidence to engage with CoolWhip ***create a Haiku native C++ Tracker AddOn that ...

Computer nerdery meets manly things like fire and steel and hitting things with big hammers. If nothing else, this is an amazing demonstration of how robust QR codes are. (If... you know... taking a blurry photo on your phone from ten feet away at a wonky angle isn't enough.)

Go ahead. Grab a Lifetime Subscription. Treat yourself. (Bitcoin option available.)

Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscriptions are available through December 26th.

Grab one for yourself.  Grab one for that special nerd in your life.  Support the last bastion of truly independent Tech Journalism.

Everybody wins.

The Famous Lifetime Subscription via Locals (+ Gift Option)

The "World Famous Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscription" is exactly what it sounds like. Pay once and get full access to The Lunduke Journal (with all the perks of subscription on Locals). For life.

Plus: They make a great, nerdy gift.

New Lifetime Subscriptions are available, for $200, from now through December 26th. Then this option goes "back into the vault".

Here's how to grab one of these coveted bad boys for yourself:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Select "Give Once".

  3. Enter "200" into the amount field.

  4. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

Want to purchase a Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscription as a gift for someone else?  Here's how:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Select "Give Once".

  3. Enter "200" into the amount field.

  4. Send an email to "bryan at Lunduke.com" with the subject "Lifetime Gift Subscription".  Include the email address and / or Locals user name (if they have one) of the person you would like to gift the subscription to.
  5. Lunduke will email you to confirm details.

The Famous Lifetime Subscription (with Bitcoin)

You can also obtain a Lifetime Subscription via Bitcoin.

  • Make sure you have a Lunduke.Locals.com account (a free account works just fine).

  • Send $200 worth of Bitcoin (or more) to the following address:

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with the following information: What time you made the transaction, how much was sent (in Bitcoin), and the email address you use (or plan to use) on Locals.com.

Nice and easy.

-Lunduke

Read full Article
December 20, 2024
post photo preview
Funny Programming Pictures Part LXVII
More funny, nerdy pictures than you can [idiom for large quantity understandable by humans]

There are XXXIX pictures in part LXVII of "Funny Programming Pictures".

IX out of X people reading that sentence just googled "Roman Numeral Converter".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read full Article
December 18, 2024
The real "Year of The Linux Desktop"...
Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals