eric-develop Mailing List for Eric (Page 2)

SourceForge Headquarters 1320 Columbia Street Suite 310 San Diego, CA 92101 +1 (858) 422-6466

Guys,

Check out the newsflash given at the sourceforge.ne/projects/eric
homepage

All the best,
		Gavin.

Guys,

I have had a nice idea for a bit o' fun:

Imagine we invite a group of Micro$oft VIPs to enter a networked game of
X-Wing or equivalent. The game contract will be agreed in advance to be
completely fair. If the game is an interesting one, me and Chris can try
and get it televised on satellite...

BTW, I have experience of space combat sims since I first started
playing XIPHOS at 14 years of age. I remember sitting in the classic
'Star Wars' arcade machine when I was 5 years old. At 16 yrs I migrated
to the likes of X-Wing, and earned medals to make my brother-in-law's
eyes turn green with envy.

Seeing as though the space-combat sim is an endangered species of game,
I have recently downloaded kobayashimaru from SourceForge, which is a
space sim. This is quite interesting to look at, but I have no
intentions of wasting too much time on it...

One might say that I am the 'Last Starfighter'.

May the ports be with you..
				Gavin. (|;-)

Know any good stunt flyers? I need all the help I can get out here.

Hey,

    I will try to use FreeBSD' s keyboard driver. I always look that 
sources. It is my guide. But it is not that simple to import a 
foreign code, than writing a fresh copy of it:/ I think... I will 
keep trying directly reading from 0x60/0x64 this night. If I fail 
again, I will try to use FreeBSD' s one. 

    The HW dependency is a problem, you are right. It should have 
been 0x64, too. Anyway, we can somehow find that out, which port we 
should use.

    If we can find assembler coders, it will be great for us! But 
don' t forget, I said this before "First version is pain in the 
ass" :/ unfortunately. Someday, we can do a better OS, a famous OS, 
that evetybody can use and support or buy or they can do whatever 
they want to!

Regards.

__________________________________________________
=DCCRETS=DDZ E-MAIL ALDINIZ MI?
T=FCrk=E7e ilk Portal  http://www.mynet.com

Guys,

   I started to use eric kernel in my home. I can boot and see 
Welcome message :) anyway, I inserted some code to the kernel.cpp to 
initialize the keyboard. but i think i don' t know the sequence or 
there is a problem.

   First, the void init_kbd() function:

void init_kbd()
{
  io kKbd(0x60);  // 0x64 is not working in my box
  kKbd.outportw(0xF4) // Enable && start scan, empty buffer, return 
ACK

}

I then put another function: the reset_kb function:

void reset_kb()
{
  io kKbd(0x60);
  kKbd.outportw(0xFF);
}

i inserted these functions just beneath the hello message. I can see 
lights on the keyboard are blinking. (reset_kbd() first, init_kbd() 
second)

I then used another function, the int check_kb():

int check_kb()
{
  io kKbd(0x60);
  return kKbd.inportb();
}

but this always returned 0xFF (Buffer Overflow). Even though I used 
inportw() it return 0xFF... Is there a problem with the sequence of 
functions I called?

I forgot to message the whole source while i was home.  i will post 
it tonight i think.

PS: I lit on scroll lock led :/ but cannot start scan the kbd. I 
forgot what else i would tell. anyway, please return about this.

__________________________________________________
=DCCRETS=DDZ E-MAIL ALDINIZ MI?
T=FCrk=E7e ilk Portal  http://www.mynet.com

Guys,

I have invented a new 'semiotic' cipher language. Pls. send me your name
and addresses to recieve the key to the  'ideograms' I have created.

All the best,
		Gavin.

Guys,

Sorry to say this, but I have given up trying to produce an OpenGL-style
3d engine from the ground up. When you look at the OpenGL spec. you will
understand.

For a 'C' library, OpenGL is the simplest, and the most powerful out
there. SGI really know how to kick ass when they want to d:-D

That's why I have downloaded as much of the source for OpenGL as
possible and am on the brink of uploading the whole lot to a new
directory under eric/console.

Dont worry though, 00 gurus. We can rewrite the entire spec. in
Smalltalk code. I will be uploading the spec. to my directory in the
shell server in due course. 

May the ports be with you,
				Gavin.

PS. I have just ordered a new UNIX shell & .net site, which I shall be
configuring for open-source development. If you want details of this
site get yourselves PGP at:

http://www.pgpi.com/

Ram,

You dont need to worry about pully any strings in Berkeley; I have found
a distance-learning course that suits both me and my disability.

Thanks for listening, anyhow d;-)

All the best,
		Gav.

Chris,

I aint comin' back to college in October. 'Just wrote a letter to my
crabby old tutor tellin' him politely to stick his degree where the sun
dont shine..

All the best,
		Gavin.

Guys,

Me and my hardware buddy Chris have just founded Corellian Computers.

Chris is an absolute goldmine of information regarding customers etc.
With his hardware knowledge, and my software skills, we could go far. 

Since Corellia.net will be a 'workers cooperative', I suggest those of
us who are able set up your own companies, which can be inducted into
the Corellian sector. 

Corellia.net shall be an open-source hub, an international
gathering-place for coders, customers, and CEO's to mix, and interchange
ideas freely.

The way it should be.

Best regards,
		Gavin.

Guys,

I think that we should move away from the use of inline assembly for the
following reasons:

a) Syntax like __asm__ *yech*  
b) AT&T assembler looks even more unreadable when inline.
c) We can stuff all the complexity into a separate .S file.

By using .S files to define assembler functions, (to interface to C++),
we can modularise our code, streamline our C++ source, and generally
control complexity.

If we continue using __asm__, we will get ourselves stuck. 

To create a function skeleton in assembler use the following syntax:

gcc -S test.cpp test.S

given that test.cpp contains:

#include "test.h"

void test::test()
{

}

All the best,
		Gavin.

PS. Ramkumar, I have emailed my tutor, asking that I can take a year
out. Perhaps I could get a deferred entrance to Berkeley, Stanford or
CSU? d;-)

> Ismail PAZARBASI wrote:
> 
> Guys,
> 
>     I wrote a code in Win32 platform, that can read from keyboard
> microcontroller' s port 0x60 (96), and can write there too. However,
> actually, I did not try to write anything to keyboard...
> 
>     The thing that it makes now is simple. There is a function in a C
> code, that is reading from 0x60, this is the last pressed key's scan
> code. then there is another function to match the scan codes to ascii
> codes is called... We can read scan code, convert it into ascii...
> 
> What I want to do exactly?
> 
> I want to first, check if keyboard is present. Then, check if keyboard
> buffer is full. If it is, what is it? Did kernel processed it? If no,
> it is not full (=empty), keep tracking it. When user presses a key,
> keyboard writes some code (I dont remember it, it is in my
> bookmarks.), and we invoke kernel' s keyread function (I examined test
> directory in CVSROOT, and I realized that io.cpp!! Dammit guys, I have
> been searching for such thing for days, and it was on there, under my
> hands for 3 weeks :p :) Kernel then starts to check when key will be
> released, and is there another key being pressed. Meanwhile, kernel' s
> keyboard driver's asciimatch function matches scancode to ascii
> character, and checks for kernel' s command list for any special
> meaning of the key (e.g. alt+function keys in FreeBSD console changes
> ttys). There is also one more point here: is key pressed alone? or
> pressed with modifier keys (alt, altgr, ctrl, shift)... Keyboard then
> stops reading, when user releases key kernel stops.

Good approach.

Could you research 'defensive programming'? I believe it is mentioned in
'Software Engineering', by Ian Sommerville. We need all the defenses we
can get when doing assembler. (It's just too dangerous to do
otherwise..)

> The Mach Thing:
> 
> I tried but failed to download MachOS. I don' t know why, I could not
> do it. I could not find server (I have found address from yahoo! and
> cmu.edu). I want to have it. You guys have any URLs? Is there keyboard
> stuff inside Mach kernel currently? (PS: I need source, there are
> hundereds of sites offering *free* suggestions, knowledge, 2 lines of
> examples...)

Guys, visit this site:

ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/gnumach/gnumach-1.2.tar.gz

> After this point, I mean reading from keyboard, we can simply try to
> code in Eric environment. I believe we can use something at least we
> can write our names to screen with keyboard :p Anyway, seriously, we
> need a loader, I think it will be ELF, is this right? If it is so, we
> can use lots of compatible binaries.

Use the FreeBSD loader. 

> Finally, guys, I want to be enlightened about kernel' s current
> status, and utility (i.e. can we use it for a few stupid commands?). I
> am so excited right now, and I realized I really wrote this mail very
> untidy....

> Summary: We have a Win32 source/binary to read from keyboard, the
> scancode, and convert it into ASCII.. Win32 codes are available in C
> and Assembler (MASM) formats. Note that assembler source can only read
> codes and saves them into stack. We don' t have ANSI C/C++, AT&T
> assembler codes right now.

Use intel2gas. d;-)

> I hope we will :/ Because it did not work
> in my FreeBSD box, and a Red Hat Linux box in my school. It failed
> with "Bus error", at the line where we try to read from 0x60. Kernels
> might be restricting us to read, or my code is wrong. Code is at
> below, take a look.

Ouch. There is a timing chain problem here. 

> short port = 0x69;
> unsigned char nKeyScanCode=0;
> 
> // Initialization is cool

agreed d:-D

> __asm__ __volatile__("inb %%dx,%%al;outb %%al,$0x80":"=a"
> (nKeyScanCode):"d" (port));

Ahh, no offence, but methinks you have activated the interrupt and been
calling from the keyboard buffer without any form of buffer protection.

It might be a good idea to scrap the entire inline assembly thing, and
just put all the nasty assembler definitions into .S file. This saves on
all the *ugly* inline code...(Pls. dont take this personal, it's just a
feature of AT&T...)

> there is another code, i grabbed from somewhere else (I dunno where it
> was, but from a Linux source site)

Grab all the code you can d;-) 

There is simply no point in 'reinventing the wheel'. We have no time for
that.

>          __asm__ __volatile__("in%B0 (%1)": "=a" (nKeyScanCode) : "d"
> (port));

Even more primal, dude. *grin*. I still think you guys need to use:

1) External function defs in .S file (Fully annotated)
2) Buffer protection built in, (perhaps at the C++ level?)

All the best,
		Gavin.

Ismail PAZARBASI wrote:

 > Guys,
 >
 >
 >
 >     I wrote a code in Win32 platform, that can read from keyboard
 > microcontroller' s port 0x60 (96), and can write there too. However,
 > actually, I did not try to write anything to keyboard...
You will also need to write to port 0x64 to reset, enable, disable, run
the self test on the keyboard.

 >
 >
 >
 >     The thing that it makes now is simple. There is a function in a C
 > code, that is reading from 0x60, this is the last pressed key's scan
 > code. then there is another function to match the scan codes to ascii
 > codes is called... We can read scan code, convert it into ascii...
 >
 >
 >
 > What I want to do exactly?
 >
 >
 >
 > I want to first, check if keyboard is present. Then, check if keyboard
 > buffer is full. If it is, what is it? Did kernel processed it? If no, it
 > is not full (=empty), keep tracking it. When user presses a key,
 > keyboard writes some code (I dont remember it, it is in my bookmarks.),
 > and we invoke kernel' s keyread function (I examined test directory in
 > CVSROOT, and I realized that io.cpp!! Dammit guys, I have been searching
 > for such thing for days, and it was on there, under my hands for 3 weeks
 > :p :) Kernel then starts to check when key will be released, and is
 > there another key being pressed. Meanwhile, kernel' s keyboard driver's
 > asciimatch function matches scancode to ascii character, and checks for
 > kernel' s command list for any special meaning of the key (e.g.
 > alt+function keys in FreeBSD console changes ttys). There is also one
 > more point here: is key pressed alone? or pressed with modifier keys
 > (alt, altgr, ctrl, shift)... Keyboard then stops reading, when user
 > releases key kernel stops.
 >
 >
 >
 > The Mach Thing:
 >
 >
 >
 > I tried but failed to download MachOS. I don' t know why, I could not do
 > it. I could not find server (I have found address from yahoo! and
 > cmu.edu). I want to have it. You guys have any URLs? Is there keyboard
 > stuff inside Mach kernel currently? (PS: I need source, there are
 > hundereds of sites offering *free* suggestions, knowledge, 2 lines of
 > examples...)
 >
 >
 >
 > Establishing Our Development Environment:
 >
 >
 >
 > I would like to have source code of the kernel released. And I need that
 > bootloader also, I think. I want to migrate current kernel code with
 > keyboard*ed* code. Because, I cannot try this code neither in my home,
 > nor in work. Computer fails to stop interrupt serverices, or, I have a
 > trouble with the code that I cannot see. I have grabbed two codes: one
 > from a Linux source, implementation of "unsigned char inb(short)"
 > function, and one from Eric' s "test2/io.cpp" in CVS tree.
The source is released from the sourceforge project page.
I'm using grub to load the kernel.

 >
 >
 >
 > After this point, I mean reading from keyboard, we can simply try to
 > code in Eric environment. I believe we can use something at least we can
 > write our names to screen with keyboard :p Anyway, seriously, we need a
 > loader, I think it will be ELF, is this right? If it is so, we can use
 > lots of compatible binaries.
We also need filesystem support, Memory management, etc....

 >
 >
 >
 > Finally, guys, I want to be enlightened about kernel' s current status,
 > and utility (i.e. can we use it for a few stupid commands?). I am so
 > excited right now, and I realized I really wrote this mail very 
untidy....
When we can read from the keyboard then we could programe some internal
commands.

 >
 >
 >
 > Summary: We have a Win32 source/binary to read from keyboard, the
 > scancode, and convert it into ASCII.. Win32 codes are available in C and
 > Assembler (MASM) formats. Note that assembler source can only read codes
 > and saves them into stack. We don' t have ANSI C/C++, AT&T assembler
 > codes right now. I hope we will :/ Because it did not work in my FreeBSD
 > box, and a Red Hat Linux box in my school. It failed with "Bus error",
 > at the line where we try to read from 0x60. Kernels might be restricting
 > us to read, or my code is wrong. Code is at below, take a look.
 >
 >
 >
 > short port = 0x69;
 >
 > unsigned char nKeyScanCode=0;
 >
 >
 >
 > // Initialization is cool
 >
 >
 >
 > __asm__ __volatile__("inb %%dx,%%al;outb %%al,$0x80":"=a"
 > (nKeyScanCode):"d" (port));
 >
 >
 >
 > there is another code, i grabbed from somewhere else (I dunno where it
 > was, but from a Linux source site)
 >
 >
 >
 >          __asm__ __volatile__("in%B0 (%1)": "=a" (nKeyScanCode) : "d"
 > (port));
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > So, what can we do now?
If you send me the code I will try it in the eric kernel.

Andrew.

Guys,

    I wrote a code in Win32 platform, that can read from keyboard =
microcontroller' s port 0x60 (96), and can write there too. However, =
actually, I did not try to write anything to keyboard...

    The thing that it makes now is simple. There is a function in a C =
code, that is reading from 0x60, this is the last pressed key's scan =
code. then there is another function to match the scan codes to ascii =
codes is called... We can read scan code, convert it into ascii...

What I want to do exactly?

I want to first, check if keyboard is present. Then, check if keyboard =
buffer is full. If it is, what is it? Did kernel processed it? If no, it =
is not full (=3Dempty), keep tracking it. When user presses a key, =
keyboard writes some code (I dont remember it, it is in my bookmarks.), =
and we invoke kernel' s keyread function (I examined test directory in =
CVSROOT, and I realized that io.cpp!! Dammit guys, I have been searching =
for such thing for days, and it was on there, under my hands for 3 weeks =
:p :) Kernel then starts to check when key will be released, and is =
there another key being pressed. Meanwhile, kernel' s keyboard driver's =
asciimatch function matches scancode to ascii character, and checks for =
kernel' s command list for any special meaning of the key (e.g. =
alt+function keys in FreeBSD console changes ttys). There is also one =
more point here: is key pressed alone? or pressed with modifier keys =
(alt, altgr, ctrl, shift)... Keyboard then stops reading, when user =
releases key kernel stops.=20

The Mach Thing:

I tried but failed to download MachOS. I don' t know why, I could not do =
it. I could not find server (I have found address from yahoo! and =
cmu.edu). I want to have it. You guys have any URLs? Is there keyboard =
stuff inside Mach kernel currently? (PS: I need source, there are =
hundereds of sites offering *free* suggestions, knowledge, 2 lines of =
examples...)

Establishing Our Development Environment:

I would like to have source code of the kernel released. And I need that =
bootloader also, I think. I want to migrate current kernel code with =
keyboard*ed* code. Because, I cannot try this code neither in my home, =
nor in work. Computer fails to stop interrupt serverices, or, I have a =
trouble with the code that I cannot see. I have grabbed two codes: one =
from a Linux source, implementation of "unsigned char inb(short)" =
function, and one from Eric' s "test2/io.cpp" in CVS tree.

After this point, I mean reading from keyboard, we can simply try to =
code in Eric environment. I believe we can use something at least we can =
write our names to screen with keyboard :p Anyway, seriously, we need a =
loader, I think it will be ELF, is this right? If it is so, we can use =
lots of compatible binaries.

Finally, guys, I want to be enlightened about kernel' s current status, =
and utility (i.e. can we use it for a few stupid commands?). I am so =
excited right now, and I realized I really wrote this mail very =
untidy....=20

Summary: We have a Win32 source/binary to read from keyboard, the =
scancode, and convert it into ASCII.. Win32 codes are available in C and =
Assembler (MASM) formats. Note that assembler source can only read codes =
and saves them into stack. We don' t have ANSI C/C++, AT&T assembler =
codes right now. I hope we will :/ Because it did not work in my FreeBSD =
box, and a Red Hat Linux box in my school. It failed with "Bus error", =
at the line where we try to read from 0x60. Kernels might be restricting =
us to read, or my code is wrong. Code is at below, take a look.

short port =3D 0x69;
unsigned char nKeyScanCode=3D0;

// Initialization is cool

__asm__ __volatile__("inb %%dx,%%al;outb %%al,$0x80":"=3Da" =
(nKeyScanCode):"d" (port));

there is another code, i grabbed from somewhere else (I dunno where it =
was, but from a Linux source site)

         __asm__ __volatile__("in%B0 (%1)": "=3Da" (nKeyScanCode) : "d" =
(port));

So, what can we do now?

Andrew Turner wrote:
> 
> Gavin Robert Brewer wrote:
> 
> > Andrew Turner wrote:
> >
> > Tell me what they are, and I will help you out straightaway. I'll also
> > write the console spec. today...
> reading from the keyboard is a must. I would like some graphics support.
> 
> Gavin I have now made you an admin so would you be able to add the tasks
> in your specs to the task manager.

Thanx andy. I'll write the header for a more generic keyboard wrapper
lib whilst I am at it...

LET'S ROCK! (|B-)

Gavin Robert Brewer wrote:

> Andrew Turner wrote:
> 
>> Gavin,
>> 
>> There are some tasks I would like to complete this project to before new
>> developers are added.
> 
> 
> Tell me what they are, and I will help you out straightaway. I'll also
> write the console spec. today...
reading from the keyboard is a must. I would like some graphics support.

Gavin I have now made you an admin so would you be able to add the tasks 
in your specs to the task manager.

Andrew

Guys,

Heh, check this out...

Yours,	
	Gavin.
Guys,

I have been thinking about us getting a name for ourselves as an
eclectic anti-trust consortium, then I struck on the following site:

"With bounties placed on the heads of every Jedi and millions of
refugees searching for new homes, many have turned to the Corellian
Sector. Located in the cluster of planets commonly referred to as the
Core Worlds, every imaginable species and class can be found there.
Smugglers and senators knowingly share tables with each other while
CEO's and IRG's swap tales at the local cantina, each of them finding
their place in these times of suffering, despair, and, found in the
souls of all, hope"

Reminds you of something? Substitute Jedi->Programmer

I propose that we call ourselves the 'Corellian Alliance'.

All the best,
		Gavin.

PS. I suggest we reserve the domain Corellia.net before it is too
late...

Guys,

Just to keep you guys informed, I have started work on 2D canvas
primitives, using a dedicated machine built from bits and bobs.
(Fortunately I managed to get a VGA monitor for free).

All the best,	
		Gavin.

-- 
~--(Eric Developer)--~

   http://eric.sourceforge.net

Andy,

For an example of an optimal project, pls. visit:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/alexandria/

If there was ever a programming group we should model ourselves on, that
should be it.

Alexandria has 8 more coders than we have. So I suggest that we
hand-pick 8 of the best C++ coders that we can get on SourceForge.net. 

Proposed Advertisment:

/*****************************

C++ Coders Required:

- 3 Years Experience of C++, (pref. Self-taught rather then In-house)
- Highly Enthusiastic about Operating Systems and such.
- Basically a nice person.
- NOT a current employee of Microsoft!

Feel up to the challenge?

/*****************************

It might also be a good idea, if me, Ismail and Ramkumar are all made
admins. (look at the number of admins on the Alexandria project).

There are press releases. There are mailing lists. There are surveys
done. I know that the 'interpersonal' stuff is really a headache for
most coders, but I will handle the PR work, delegation, and routine
organization. It's a gutty job but someone has to do it. d;-)

This will be performed with Military precision (|B-)

All the best,
		Gavin.

-- 
~--(Eric Developer)--~

   http://eric.sourceforge.net

Andy,

Could you give me Admin-level clearance?

Given the near-disaster that happened when I attempted to modify the
names of various source files, I find that things are getting a tad
restrictive.

Thanks for your time,
			Gavin.

-- 
~--(Eric Developer)--~

   http://eric.sourceforge.net

Guys,

Heh, I have just thought of the ideal symbol for Eric: Che Guerva.

We can just take the classic photo of him, and edit it a little, using
photoshop. 

This would be Eric. This would stand for everything Eric stands for:
Revolution!!

Hope you like the idea,
			Gavin.

-- 
~--(Eric Developer)--~

   http://eric.sourceforge.net

Guys,

To test the MPEG code, you can download the TRON anthem from:

http://www.tronfan.com

All the best,
		Gavin.

Folks,

Courtesy Tim Kientzle, we now have MPEG capability under console/audio
!!

Best wishes,
		Gav.

Andrew Turner wrote:
> 
> Gavin,
> 
> There are some tasks I would like to complete this project to before new
> developers are added.

Tell me what they are, and I will help you out straightaway. I'll also
write the console spec. today...

		Gavin.

Gavin,

There are some tasks I would like to complete this project to before new 
developers are added.

Andrew

Gavin Robert Brewer wrote:

> Andy,
> 
> I have been thinking about the situation with our coders.
> 
> The spec. has been up for several days now, but no-one has yet attempted
> to code a line of it. Sorry to sound negative, but I think there is
> something wrong here.
> 
> We are stuck in a productivity rut.
> 
> Originally, I felt that too many cooks would almost certainly 'spoil the
> broth', but now I feel differently. If we could all get together
> physically in the same building, every day, with a private network of
> 500Mhz+ machines, then the conventional teaching on managing software
> projects would suffice.
> 
> The trouble is, it doesnt. I remember looking at the 99% projects on
> Sourceforge, and they have 20+ coders. Sourceforge.net is very well
> worked-out; if we double, maybe even quadruple the number of coders we
> have, there could be coding going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 
> 
> And every person need only do a small amount of work themselves.
> 
> It's just like the timesharing concept in modern OSs. With a firm
> foundation, and clear code layout and specs, (contributed by ourselves,
> as a decentralized net of admins), we could oversee what has already
> become a VAST project.
> 
> I got this idea from a reading we took from the I-Ching. It basically
> said that if we create a 'great vehicle' and attract many followers,
> then we can make this wondeful seed of yours a burgeoning reality.
> 
> Then VOYAGER will have truly become VGER.
> 
> Let's start the Revolution.
> 
> 				Gavin.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Eric-develop mailing list
> Eri...@li...
> http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/eric-develop

2001	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul (164)	Aug (147)	Sep (25)	Oct (2)	Nov	Dec
2002	Jan (3)	Feb (3)	Mar (3)	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

eric-develop Mailing List for Eric (Page 2)

eric-develop — Eric Developers Mailing list