DOS ain't dead - releasing HACKWRAP.SYS

Ninho

03.12.2009, 20:43
(edited by Ninho, 04.12.2009, 13:26)

releasing HACKWRAP.SYS (Announce)

Full release still needs the documentation, but for your sake I have uploaded the (hopefully) stable binary driver:

HACKWRAP.SYS v1.0, alternate: HACKWRAP 1.0

HACKWRAP.SYS size : 853 bytes
MD5: D8F8FD626B64085AE5F1649C23B24577

Compared to the last HK31 beta (see past thread) :

- name change,
- better messages,
- no more "Press a key to continue the loading of drivers..." messages. It is assumed users know how to pause or otherwise step thru driver loading...
- finer analysis when under MS-DOS 7/8 a non-null TSRInfo is detected :
either the user is trying to install HACKWRAP multiple times, we report "not needed"; or some alien hacked the TSRInfo, or an otherwise undetermined case : we suggest user report (should not happen). In either case we do not (re)install HACKWRAP, of course.

You may download and use this program for testing or just for (illimited) use without any fee or obligation, except you don't modify or mass-distribute it without my authorisation.

While testing/playing with this toy, should you ever get the message alluded to above,

"HACKWRAP can't install, reason undetermined; probably not needed in this MS-DOS configuration. Please report..."

... well please do as you're told : report details here !!!!

Cheers ...

P.S. TASM source is available on request (drop me an email).

--
Ninho

Ninho

10.12.2009, 13:40
(edited by Ninho, 10.12.2009, 15:20)

@ Ninho

not releasing HACKWRAP.SYS (yet)

Post reply

Dear Fellow Members!

I guess it's time I gave some news; I apologise for the delay.

> Full release still needs the documentation, but for your sake I have
> uploaded the (hopefully) stable binary driver:

The documenting process has suffered, instead I have been testing this and researching other, possibly better, approaches.

While I am reasonably confident the test version HACKWRAP 1.0 is WAD, and even encouraging continuation of all of the voluntary testing [keep trying to break it! DO NOT REDISTRIBUTE!], it won't be publicly released as is :=(

I've come with different approaches which need to be developped and studied with care.

Also, Geoff Chappell has cast a doubt on an aspect of the present hack. Cf. RR's recent message & my reply in the old thread. I'm not convinced yet, but if Geoff's right, (and granted, he knows his DOS internals!) then I have to modify the way the present HACKWRAP works.

In any event further work is needed to eventually produce a better HACKWRAP based either on the present design or the possibly better one I've devised, more on that is due in another forum section.

I must apologise for optimistically calling this version "release". calling

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Ninho