Project Nomad problems... again. \ VOGONS

Project Nomad problems... again.

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First post, by RayGunner

Posted on 2004-02-09, 19:35

RayGunner Offline

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I'm trying to play Project: Nomad, with DOSBox, but I have a trouble. It throws me this error: "Unable to redirect output to NUL", and DOSBox hangs heavely.

The error don't shows on the status window of the DOSBox. It shows on DOSBox main window, so I suppose that it's an error from Nomad.

I've found on this forum other thread about Nomad, for a problem on errors with the sound on 0.57, but the game itself works great. From 0.58 onwards, the game never works again. Nevertheless i've followed the method showed in that post, but I get the same error.

Some ideas on that?

PD: Someone has version 0.57 of DOSBox to try it? At Sourceforge page I only found 0.58+

Thanks in Advance.

--------------------------------------
AMD Athlon XP 2000+
Onboard Realtek Soundcard
nVidia FX 5200
Win XP Pro

Reply 1 of 9, by RayGunner

Posted on 2004-02-10, 03:36

RayGunner Offline

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More info.

I've messing around with the code on CVS and using the debugger (impressive... very very useful.. 😀 ) and i've found the problem (i think)

Digging a little the code, i've added the NUL device starting from the code of CON device. The device works ok, but I think (back on the old times of programming DOS) that certain device files (STDIN, STDOUT, NUL...) have fixed handles: Well. On DOSBox have different ones depending on what order has been opened for the first time. (look dos_files.cpp - DOS_Openfiles() )

So, back to the game, it tries to open NUL and waits for DOS to return it in handle 1! Hardcoded, no other options, sorry 😜 and DOSBox returns it on handle 8. Inmediatly, a fatal error develops...

Maybe all that text are bullshit to the programmers... I don't know very good the code yet, and I don't know if i'm doing a very bad thing... But, in fact, changing the return value of the handle and later restoring it with the debugger, the game works. Perfectly. With sound.

Can anyone of the programmers look at that? Please? Don't hesitate on asking me anything about the subject.

Thanks a lot.

Reply 2 of 9, by taiken7

Posted on 2004-02-10, 04:11

taiken7 Offline

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I'd be really interested to see your modifications, since Ive been
tinkering in the background with /DEV's for a bit ...

Here's a bit of code and a loader to successfully get 1 device driver
loading (as if it had been in the config.sys)

Add this code to the end of dos.cpp; function DOS_Init(Section* sec) to setup the table.
(We should request some memory, but I'm not sure how)

1// Create NUL Device Header
2
3RealPt addr=dos_infoblock.GetPointer();
4Bit16u TheSeg = RealSeg(addr);
5Bit16u TheOfs = RealOff(addr)+0x22;
6
7// NUL Header:
8  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs-34, (Bit16u) 0x003A-0x19); // pointer 2 1st table Ofs..
9  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs-32, (Bit16u) TheSeg); // pointer 2 1st table ..
10
11
12// real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+2, (Bit16u) TheOfs+18-0x19); // Next ..
13// real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+0s, (Bit16u) TheSeg); // Next ..
14
15real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+0, (Bit16u) 0xffff); // SetNextDeviceHeader (0xFFFFFFFF);
16real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+2, (Bit16u) 0xffff); // Hacked for Devloader
17real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+4,  (Bit16u) 0x8004); 	// SetAttribute(0x8004);
18real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+6,  (Bit16u) TheOfs+18); 	// SetStrategy(TheOfs+18);
19real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+8,  (Bit16u) TheOfs+18+6);  // SetInterrupt(TheOfs+18+6);
20real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+10, (Bit16u) 0x4e55); 	// Setname: "NU"
21real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+12, (Bit16u) 0x4c20); 	//             "L "
22real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+14, (Bit16u) 0x2020); 	//                "  "
23real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+16, (Bit16u) 0x2020); 	//                   "  "
24
25// NUL Driver code:
26 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+18+0, (Bit16u) 0x2681);
27 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+18+2, (Bit16u) 0x4f03);
28 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+18+4, (Bit16u) 0x0001);
29 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+18+6, (Bit16u) 0xcb00);
30
31 TheOfs+=26;
32
33// These seem to be getting overwritten ..
34// Header: CON
35 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+2, (Bit16u) TheOfs+18-0x19); // Next ..
36 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+0, (Bit16u) TheSeg); // Next ..
37// Attrib:
38 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+4, (Bit16u) 0x8013); 
39// Strategy:
40 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+6, (Bit16u) 0xFFFF); //OFS
41// Interrupt:
42  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+8, (Bit16u) 0xFFFF); //SEG
43// Name:
44  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+10, (Bit16u) 0x434F); //NAME
45  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+12, (Bit16u) 0x4e20); 
46  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+14, (Bit16u) 0x2020); 
47  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+16, (Bit16u) 0x2020); 
48 TheOfs+=18;
49
50// Header: AUX
51 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+2, (Bit16u) TheOfs+18-0x19); // Next ..
52 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+0, (Bit16u) TheSeg); // Next ..
53// Attrib:
54 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+4, (Bit16u) 0x8000); 
55// Strategy:
56 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+6, (Bit16u) 0xFFFF); //OFS
57// Interrupt:
58  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+8, (Bit16u) 0xFFFF); //SEG
59// Name:
60  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+10, (Bit16u) 0x4155); //NAME

…Show last 22 lines

61  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+12, (Bit16u) 0x5820); 
62  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+14, (Bit16u) 0x2020); 
63  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+16, (Bit16u) 0x2020); 
64 TheOfs+=18;
65
66// Header: PRN
67 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+2, (Bit16u) 0xFFFF); // END OF LIST
68 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+0, (Bit16u) TheSeg); // Next ..
69// Attrib:
70 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+4, (Bit16u) 0xA8C0); 
71// Strategy:
72 real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+6, (Bit16u) 0xFFFF); //OFS
73// Interrupt:
74  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+8, (Bit16u) 0xFFFF); //SEG
75// Name:
76  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+10, (Bit16u) 0x5052); //NAME
77  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+12, (Bit16u) 0x4E20); 
78  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+14, (Bit16u) 0x2020); 
79  real_writew(TheSeg,TheOfs+16, (Bit16u) 0x2020); 
80 
81

(If you want to test Ansi.sys, Emm386.exe (win9X etc, try setting the
dos version to 0x700a);

int 21/function 30:
reg_al=dos.version.major=0x7;
reg_ah=dos.version.minor=0xa;

NOTE this hack breaks after the first device is loaded, so the others
will enter an infinite loop trying to walk the chain of devices (List-of-lists)

Attachments

Filename

devload.exe

File size

5.79 KiB

Downloads

180 downloads

File comment

Device driver loader

File license

Fair use/fair dealing exception

Reply 3 of 9, by ryf

Posted on 2004-02-27, 01:54

ryf Offline

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Posts: 9
Joined: 2002-09-20, 12:34

erhh...
Isn't "Project : Nomads" a native Windows D3D game from 2002 ?! !!!

@+
_____________
RyF
http://www.abandonware-france.org
http://www.atp-fr.Com
http://www.gameproject.fr.st

Reply 4 of 9, by Yaten

Posted on 2004-02-27, 09:50

Yaten Offline

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Posts: 1
Joined: 2004-02-27, 09:46

No, I guess it's that Project Nomad.

http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=774

Reply 5 of 9, by Qbix

Posted on 2004-03-12, 15:21

Qbix Offline

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Location: Fryslan

checking

Water flows down the stream
How to ask questions the smart way!

Reply 6 of 9, by robertmo

Posted on 2004-04-01, 10:11

robertmo Offline

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Joined: 2003-06-18, 10:35

just wanted to add that the game works perfectly with sound blaster with canadacow's "0.57 tandy,modem patch" version

Reply 7 of 9, by D-1-Viper

Posted on 2004-11-04, 21:11

D-1-Viper Offline

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has anny one found a solution to the problem whit this game i really whant to play it

Reply 8 of 9, by Qbix

Posted on 2004-11-05, 09:33

Qbix Offline

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Rank: DOSBox Author
Posts: 11233
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Location: Fryslan

Remind me of testing it.. I rewrote devices support so the problems described in the first section (missing nul + opening of it on number 1) should be fixed.

(except it they start it like this nomad.exe >nul )

Water flows down the stream
How to ask questions the smart way!

Reply 9 of 9, by Qbix

Posted on 2004-11-09, 21:44

Qbix Offline

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Rank: DOSBox Author
Posts: 11233
Joined: 2002-11-27, 14:50
Location: Fryslan

Project nomad will work in 0.63

Water flows down the stream
How to ask questions the smart way!

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