DOS ain't dead

SSE instructions in DOS programs? (Developers)

posted by Laaca , Czech republic, 03.01.2019, 12:51

In theory - SSE instructions use a new set of registers which have to be preserved when task swithing by OS.
So there is a security mechanism when SSE capable OS must report "I know these SSE-registers". It is done by setting bits in CR4 register.

When these bits are not set and the SSE instruction occurs it should raise a CPU exception even in single-task OS.

However today I tried to provocate this exception and I was not able to do it. I used a clean MS-DOS 7.1 without any drivers and CWSDPMI r3 from 1995 and no exception was raised.

It looks that the 9. and 10. bits in CR4 are set by my BIOS.

UPDATE:
I loaded CWSDPR0 and loaded the CR4 register. The 9.bit is set, the 10.bit not.

I am not sure what does it mean, wikipedia says this: contol registers


Anyway, I give it up, the result for me is that CPUID test for SSE is OK for real life.

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DOS-u-akbar!

Complete thread:

• SSE instructions in DOS programs? - Laaca, 02.01.2019, 00:07
  • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - alexfru, 02.01.2019, 00:31
  • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - Rugxulo, 02.01.2019, 10:08
  • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - RayeR, 02.01.2019, 22:56
    • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - Laaca, 03.01.2019, 12:51
      • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - Laaca, 03.01.2019, 12:52
      • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - RayeR, 03.01.2019, 14:32
        • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - RayeR, 03.01.2019, 14:39
    • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - marcov, 04.01.2019, 23:37
      • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - Rugxulo, 12.01.2019, 23:54
        • SSE instructions in DOS programs? - RayeR, 13.01.2019, 16:44