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FAQ for Executor [last updated 95-05-16]
This set of answers to Frequently Asked Questions is not designed to
take the place of our Executor manual. However, currently our manual
is not available on-line, so this FAQ does briefly touch on some
issues that are covered more in depth in our manual.
In addition to this FAQ, there should be README files bundled with
Executor and there is also an Executor/DOS document that describes how
to get started with Executor/DOS from a DOS user's point of view,
which may be useful to users of Executor on other platforms as well.
That document is called "ERNSTOUD.TXT", since it's hard to come up
with useful names when constrained by the DOS 8.3 filename limits and
the author of the document is Ernst J. Oud.
Changes in this issue of the FAQ are denoted with ">>" in the beginning
of a line.
[1] Executor in General
[1.1] What is Executor?
[1.2] On which platforms is Executor available?
[1.3] Who makes Executor?
[1.4] Pronunciation?
[1.5] Does Executor require you to obtain ROMs or System Files
from Apple?
[1.6] How long has Executor been in development?
[1.7] What techniques were used to rewrite the OS and Toolbox?
[1.8] What limitations does Executor have?
[1.9] Does Executor run all applications?
[1.10] What do the various Executor version numbers mean?
[1.11] Where can I pick up the Executor demos?
[1.12] Is Executor shareware?
[1.13] How do the demo versions differ from the commercial versions?
[1.14] What's next?
[1.15] When will 2.0 be out?
[1.16] How can I get in ARDI's beta program?
[1.17] Does Executor have networking support?
[1.18] How do you install Fonts and Desk Accessories (DAs)?
[1.19] Will Desk Accessories work under Executor?
[1.20] Does E/D run xxx?
[1.21] What's the best way to keep informed about Executor?
[1.22] Why shouldn't I send e-mail to ctm@ardi.com?
[1.23] What is an ".hfv" file?
[1.24] Can I launch apps directly from the command line?
>> [1.25] What are all the command line switches?
[1.26] Can I have Executor use more than 8Mb for the application zone?
[1.27] An app I'm trying crashes. What should I do?
[1.28] How do Executor's "license keys" work?
[1.29] Don't your "license keys" allow people to pirate Executor?
[1.30] I want to bundle Executor on a CD-ROM. Can I do that?
[2] Executor/DOS
[2.1] Which FTP sites will carry stable versions of E/D?
[2.2] What are the hardware requirements for Executor/DOS?
[2.3] What do I do if my Super VGA card isn't VESA compliant?
[2.4] Executor crashes with "GrSetMode ; unknown adapter type
in driver."
[2.5] Does E/D require an ASPI driver to access SCSI?
[2.6] Have you released Executor for OS/2 yet?
[2.7] Why won't Executor/DOS work with my Diamond Viper PCI card?
[2.8] Why doesn't my mouse work when I run Executor under OS/2 Warp?
[2.9] Does Executor work under Windows '95?
[3] Executor/Linux
[3.1] Can I buy the Linux version now?
[3.2] Why can't the Linux version access floppies with option-shift-2
[3.3] Are we ready to hear about Executor/Linux bugs?
[3.4] Should bug reports be sent one at a time or in a big list?
[3.5] Why is there no Executor for NetBSD or FreeBSD?
[3.6] Where are the bitmaps stored on the Linux version of executor?
[3.7] Will there be an SVGALIB version of E/L in the future?
[3.8] Why do all the non-Executor Windows get creepy colors when
Executor is running?
[3.9] How does printing work under Executor/Linux?
[3.10] Why does Executor complain that it cannot find 'libXt.so.6'?
[3.11] Which FTP sites have E/L
[3.12] Why does Lemmings' splash screen take so long to be drawn?
[4] Executor/NEXTSTEP
[4.1] Why hasn't there been an Executor/NEXTSTEP release in a while?
[1.1] What is Executor?
------------------------
Executor is a commercial emulator that allows non-Macintosh
hardware to run some applications originally written on a
Macintosh. Executor has many limitations, see below.
[1.2] On which platforms is Executor available?
------------------------------------------------
Executor/DOS (E/D) is an implementation that runs under
DOS and Windows. Executor/NEXTSTEP (E/NS) is an implementation
that runs under NEXTSTEP, both on original NeXT hardware
and Intel based hardware running NEXTSTEP. Executor/Linux
is an implementation that runs under Linux, using X-Windows.
[1.3] Who makes Executor?
--------------------------
ARDI questions@ardi.com
Suite 4-101
1650 University Blvd., NE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
+1 505 766 9115 Phone +1 505 247 1899 FAX
[1.4] Pronunciation?
---------------------
Ig-zek'-yu-tor
[1.5] Does Executor require you to obtain ROMs or System Files from Apple?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Executor reimplements from scratch the Macintosh
Operating System and Toolbox.
[1.6] How long has Executor been in development?
-------------------------------------------------
Work began in September of 1986.
[1.7] What techniques were used to rewrite the OS and Toolbox?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Entirely clean-room techniques. That is to say none of the
Apple ROMs or Apple System File were ever disassembled.
Instead ROMlib (the section of Executor that emulates the OS
and Toolbox) was written from the manuals "Inside Macintosh",
and Tech. notes. That isn't sufficient to get the degree of
compatibility that we need, so tests were written and run on
Macs to see what a real Mac would do. In addition, we run
applications under Executor and when they deviate from how
they would behave on a Mac, we take a look at what is going on
and fix Executor accordingly.
[1.8] What limitations does Executor have?
-------------------------------------------
Because the OS and Toolbox have been rewritten from scratch,
Executor has many limitations, including no AppleTalk, no
sound, no System 7, no INITs, no CDEVs and no
Internationalization. Executor can read and write 1.4 Mb Mac
formatted floppy disks, but can not format floppies, nor can
it read or write 800 Kb floppy disks.
E/NS can access the serial ports and can print, E/D and
E/L can not access serial ports, but can print to a Postscript
file that you can then send to a Postscript printer.
The reason Executor can't read 800 Kb floppy disks is that physically
they're written in a different way than most floppy drives can
read, so this limitation won't disappear soon.
[1.9] Does Executor run all applications?
------------------------------------------
Currently, no. In addition to applications that won't run
because they require something that we currently don't
support (e.g. System 7), due to our rewriting of the OS
and Toolbox, there is room for enough incompatibility that
many large programs do not work. For this reason, we make
demo versions of Executor available for potential customers
to run before purchasing Executor (see below).
We are in the process of cataloging what we have tested
and will include that as appendix A.
[1.10] What do the various Executor version numbers mean?
----------------------------------------------------------
Any 1.x release other than 1.99 is a black and white release.
Any release that ends in a lower case letter is technically an
"experimental" release. In general, experimental releases are
pre-beta or beta releases that will eventually be released
with a higher version number.
The most recent non-experimental release of Executor/NEXTSTEP
is version 1.3. The most recent non-experimental release of
Executor/DOS is 1.2. There has not yet been a
non-experimental release of Executor/Linux.
Currently, with the recent addition of color support to
Executor, Executor is experimental for all platforms. We are
trying to release new versions for all platforms in lockstep,
so 1.99b has roughly the same feature set and bug set under
DOS, Linux and NEXTSTEP. Unfortunately, we haven't released
a NEXTSTEP release in a while; see [4.1] for an explanation.
[1.11] Where can I pick up the Executor demos?
-----------------------------------------------
The canonical place to find Executor demos is ftp.ardi.com.
However, ftp.ardi.com is currently only connected to the
Internet via a 28.8kb modem, and as such is really only useful
to provide data for mirror sites. When you connect to
ftp.ardi.com it will give you a current list of those mirror
sites.
As long as they put up with us, the primary mirror site for
ftp.ardi.com is ftp.cs.unm.edu in /pub/ardi. However,
ftp.cs.unm.edu does not have the bandwidth to accept many
simultaneous users, so now that we're happy with the stability
of our color experimental versions, we also make them
available on the traditional sites for commercial demos of the
given platform. See the platform specific answers for a list
of these sites.
We don't mind people making our current experimental versions
available on other sites, but *please* be sure to include all
the READMEs and FAQs which will allow users to find more
current versions of Executor as they're released.
[1.12] Is Executor shareware?
------------------------------
No. Executor is a commercial program available from ARDI.
Unregistered demo versions are the only versions that should
be found on bulletin boards or FTP sites. If you find a
non-limited version of Executor available to download, it was
put there illegally.
[1.13] How do the demo versions differ from the commercial versions?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Prior to Executor 1.99j, ARDI released two separate versions
of each Executor/DOS and Executor/Linux release: a
time-limited demo, and a full-fledged commercial version.
NEXTSTEP versions could be "unlocked" by entering a serial
number and registration key purchased from ARDI.
The E/D, E/L and E/NS "locked" demos are time limited to ten
minutes of use. Once your ten minutes are up, you are thrown
out, but you can restart the program again and run for another
ten minutes as many times as you want.
See [1.28] for more information.
[1.14] What's next?
--------------------
Our immediate goal is to get Executor 2.0 out. Back before
1.99 was out, we had a set of goals for what would be in 2.0.
We have had enough trouble implementing 32-bit color QuickDraw
that we have had to pare some features out of what we had
orginally proposed for the 2.0 feature set. Features present
in 2.0 are *still* subject to change, but our current plans
are to add:
A file browser -- we've written one in house. We will
be releasing it with source.
Better documentation
The ability to change the screen "depth" (number of colors
that can be present at one time on the screen) and size
on the fly.
A simpler method for installing fonts and Desk Accessories
A better set of demo and utility programs
We also have a set of general and platform specific bugs that
we need to have fixed before we can freeze 2.0.
Beyond 2.0, we want to make Executor compatible with Apple's
System 7.5, so you'll be able to purchase a copy of System
7.5, install it on top of Executor and get even more
compatibility and features.
[1.15] When will 2.0 be out?
-----------------------------
The answer here is embarrassing. Our original target was
summer of 1994.
Here's what is planned between now and when 2.0 ships:
1.99m will have a significantly faster blitter under DOS,
(we're hoping for about a speedup of about a factor
of five). It will also support some screens with 16
bpp (thousands of colors) and 32 bpp (millions of colors).
We also hope that the remaining
DPMI provider bug that we know of will be fixed by
then, and we will be paying attention when people find
browser bugs. I don't know if System 7 spoofing will
be in "m", but it is my goal (however, of all the ARDI
employees, I'm the one who is most likely to not meet
my goals). Floppy disk formatting and the ability to
install fonts and DAs by dragging them into the hot
band are also tentatively slated for 1.99m, as is a
"death certificate" that tells you *why* Executor died
when it dies unexpectedly.
1.99n will have any of the features mentioned above in 1.99m
that don't make the cut. Tentatively, 1.99n will be
the last experimental version to have new
functionality.
Beyond 1.99n we plan to fly Cotton out to Albuquerque (he
normally works out of Boston) and have a two or
three (three is preferred) week "hackathon", where
without having to worry about getting a new version
out the door, and without any of us having to add new
functionality or chase DOS extenders, we'll work
exclusively on making more applications run.
After the "hackathon" is finished, Executor will go into a six
week beta period where we only fix major bugs, and
document minor bugs. During this time we'll also be
working on our packaging and documentation, working on
our list of how well which apps work and which don't,
and lining up our distributors, writing our press
releases and placing our ads in popular magazines.
After those six weeks have elapsed, 2.0 will ship.
[1.16] How can I get in ARDI's beta program?
---------------------------------------------
Our beta program is really boring. The only thing that you
get that you can't get over the net is an actual set of
floppies that contain installation scripts. As such, we
really don't need new beta members. Just pick up the
experimental versions and keep us informed.
[1.17] Does Executor have networking support?
----------------------------------------------
Currently, no. Nor, will it be available in Executor 2.0.
Networking support is planned for release 3.0, but we do not
yet have an estimated date of completion for 3.0. The first
platform to have networking support built in will probably be
Linux.
[1.18] How do you install Fonts and Desk Accessories (DAs)?
------------------------------------------------------------
The short answer is "wait for our new file browser feature
that will allow you to install fonts and DAs via drag and
drop."
However, if you are an old time Macintosh user and you have a
copy of Font/DA Mover on a Mac, you can copy the Executor
System file over to a Mac, install the Fonts/DAs over there
and then bring the System file back to Executor. This is
tricky and not for the faint of heart.
[1.19] Will Desk Accessories work under Executor?
--------------------------------------------------
Currently Desk Accessory support is very weak; most will not
run. After we get the browser released that allows easy
installation and removal of desk accessories, we'll spruce up
our DA code and work on insuring that some of the more popular
DAs work.
[1.20] Does E/D run xxx?
-------------------------
With all the rush to get 2.0 out the door ASAP, we're
putting our testing people to work testing new experimental
versions, instead of testing 1.2. There is plenty that
1.2 will not run, and as such, we recommend people try out
the demo before purchasing Executor.
We will be making a list of what runs and what doesn't available
as part of this document as Appendix A, but that information is
not available in this release of the FAQ.
[1.21] What's the best way to keep informed about Executor?
------------------------------------------------------------
Join the Executor mailing list. Send a message to
"executor-request@nacm.com". Make sure your subject line is blank
and your message body says:
subscribe
We try to post important events to the net, and send new
release information via U.S. mail to our current customers,
but the Executor mailing list is where we post news about our
experimental versions and where you can send mail to talk with
other people who are using Executor.
If you'd rather get the Executor Interest information in a
daily digest form, send the same subscribe message to
"executor-digest-request@nacm.com", instead of
"executor-request@nacm.com".
To remove yourself from either mailing list, send a message to
the address that you used to subscribe, saying:
unsubscribe
This will work only if you send the unsubscribe message from
the same account that you used to send the subscribe message.
You can also send a message of "help" to executor-request and more
information about how to use it will be e-mailed to you. If
you are still having trouble, you can send e-mail to
"majordomo-owner@nacm.com" and that will be processed by a
person, although it may take a few days for the person to get
around to to your request.
Even after you have unsubscribed to the list, you will
continue to get any messages that were posted to the list
before you unsubscribed but were not actually sent
immediately, but once you have unsubscribed, any new messages
that come in will not be sent to you.
The Executor Interest mailing list is administered by a
volunteer. We do not directly control the list. Lately there
has been a request that we operate a mailing list for
announcements only. Although we can't provide that right now,
we're hoping the digestification will make such a separate
list much less needed.
[1.22] Why shouldn't I send e-mail to ctm@ardi.com?
----------------------------------------------------
Cliff gets tons of e-mail. E-mail sent to questions@ardi.com
is answered much more punctually.
[1.23] What is an ".hfv" file?
-------------------------------
Executor has the ability to store an entire Macintosh "volume"
(i.e. filesystem corresponding to a disk drive or a partition
within a disk drive) in a DOS or UNIX file. Under DOS, this
feature is very handy because there is no way to have files
with long names and upper and lower case characters in their
names unless you use a ".hfv" file.
[1.24] Can I launch apps directly from the command line?
---------------------------------------------------------
Yes. If an app resides within a UNIX or DOS filesystem, you
can specify the name of the app, and documents that you would
like the app to open when it starts up, on the command line.
Apps that reside in ".hfv" files can't currently be launched
from the command line. This will change soon.
[1.25] What are all the command line switches?
-----------------------------------------------
NOTE: we are currently in the process of revamping how executor
processes command line switches. This should allow
us to have much less confusing documentation.
Switch Min Max Default Default when switch
is present, but with no
value specified
nobrowser
bpp 1 8 8 8
refresh 0 60 0 10
shadow 0 1 0 1
nosplash 0 1 0 1
noclock 0 1 0 1
drivecheck 0 1 0 1
nomouse 0 1 0 1
applzone 128 8192 1024 2048
syszone 128 4096 512 1024
stack 64 4096 256 128
size 512x342 varies 640x480 illegal
nativecode 0 1 1 1
Additional Linux/X windows options
----------------------------------
privatecmap
invertedcursorbug
geometry
synchronous
The relatively new switch "nobrowser" prevents Executor from trying
to run the file browser upon startup. Sometimes this is a handy
to start an appliction a little more quickly and other times it can
be useful if the browser save file gets corrupted and the browser
refuses to run.
The switches bpp, refresh and shadow all affect how the screen
is emulated. The number of bits per pixel that the program
running under Executor sees is specified by bpp. If bpp is
set to 1, then there are only two "colors" (black and white)
available. If it is set to 8, then 256 colors are available.
For Executor/DOS, you need a SVGA board with a VESA compatible
driver to get 8 bits per pixel and screen sizes larger
than 640x480.
When Executor first starts up, a "splash screen" is printed.
You can omit this splash screen with the nosplash switch.
One of the hardest things to emulate properly is the internal
timing mechanisms of a Macintosh. Sometimes it is desirable
to turn off our clock emulation. The noclock switch does
this.
When Executor displays a standard "get" or "put" dialog box,
there is a button marked "drive" that allows you to cycle
through the Macintosh volumes that Executor knows about. You
can use the drivecheck switch to have Executor examine your
DOS drives each time you click the "drive" button. In
general, this is more annoying than it is useful.
The switches applzone, syszone and stack control how much
memory is allocated to the application, the system, and the
application stack. In general, if you have more memory,
you should override the default applzone and allow Executor
to use more memory.
For X windows users, privatecmap specifies that Executor
should use a private colormap. This is the fastest graphics
mode and gives you the most accurate colors, but at the
expense of radically changed colors in your other windows
whenever the cursor is in the Executor window, and radically
changed colors in the Executor window whenever the cursor is
outside of it. Because this is annoying, this mode is not the
default. When not in this mode, the pixels in Executor's
internal frame buffer are converted to the nearest X colors
before being drawn to the screen.
Executor 1.99<x> uses a new "synthetic CPU" which is much
faster than the synthetic CPU in previous releases of
Executor. The speed increase is due to our use of native
code; Executor now translates the 68k code being emulated into
80x86 code "on the fly" and runs the 80x86 code. However,
like anything that is new, there's a chance that our
improvement has some hidden drawbacks. You can turn off the
use of native code by specifying nativecode 0.
Here is an example of some of those switches:
executor -applzone 4096 -noclock -nativecode 0
That would allocate 4 Mb of memory for the applications use,
turn off our clock emulation and revert to a slower type of
68LC040 emulation -- an unlikely combination of switches.
[1.26] Can I have Executor use more than 8Mb for the application zone?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently, no. We are reorganizing our memory layout to allow
you to do this in the future.
[1.27] An app I'm trying crashes. What should I do?
-----------------------------------------------------
Perhaps the most common avoidable cause of crashes is
insufficient memory for the emulated application. You can fix
this by increasing the "applzone" parameter. For example,
many programs which normally die quickly will work with
"executor -applzone 4096" (which allocates 4Mb of space for
the emulated application; see the list of command line
switches and their meanings elsewhere in this document).
Some programs are unhappy when they discover that Executor
does not provide sound support, and crash. You can turn on
the "pretend sound" option before running the application in
question and see if this helps. In addition, some programs
have menu items, or preference check boxes that can be used to
disable sound. It is always recommended that you disable
sound from within a program in addition to using the Executor
sound preferences.
One example of a program that will have problems with sound is
"Ultimate Solitaire". If you do not disable sound from within
Ultimate Solitaire, the game will play fine, until you win.
At that point it will tell Executor to start playing a sound
and request that Executor notify it when the sound is done
playing. Even with "pretend sound" enabled, this will result
in Ultimate Solitaire hanging after you win a game.
Some programs also save preferences in a file, and if
something bad happens to that file, the program can then get
confused and will not run properly. Occasionally this happens
to Microsoft Word, and you need to use HFS_XFer to delete the
file "Word Preferences" from your "System Folder".
Although it should not happen, even our file browser keeps a
file around that can cause trouble if it becomes corrupt.
That file is "godata.sav". It stores which folders you have
open and the contents of your "hot-band". If that file gets
corrupt, the file browser may not run. In the rare case that
the browser won't run, you can use the "-nobrowser" switch
when you start Executor to bypass the browser, then you can
run a program and from that program you can bring up HFS_XFer
and find and rename "godata.sav" and see if that fixes the
problem with the browser.
The "noclock" switch has also been known to help.
[1.28] How do Executor's "license keys" work?
-------------------------------------------
We have now added this "unlocking" capability to the DOS and
Linux versions. NEXTSTEP versions have always had license
keys. Now any Executor owner can pick up the latest Executor
release from the Internet, "unlock" it with his serial number
and registration key, and take advantage of the latest
features and bug fixes. This does not mean that all future
upgrades will be available for free in this mode, but we
intend to make "minor" upgrades free.
The "unlocking" process actually modifies your copy of
Executor, stamping *your* serial number into it permanently.
For this reason, once you have registered a copy of Executor,
you may not redistribute it, nor should you leave it on an
unprotected machine, where someone may illegally copy it.
[1.29] Don't your "license keys" allow people to pirate Executor?
------------------------------------------------------------------
No. If the proper license fee has not been paid to ARDI, then
the use of a fully registered copy of Executor is illegal, no
matter how it was acquired. It is true that since license
serial number, authorization key pairs are small bits of text,
it is easier to disseminate unauthorized serial key pairs than
it is to disseminate unauthorized Executor binaries, but
that's beside the point.
We decided to use serial numbers and authorization keys as a
convenience to our customers, especially while we're still
pressing toward the release of 2.0 and each new experimental
copy is (usually!) much better than the one that preceeded it.
We prefer prosecuting the pirates to punishing our patrons.
Our demo mode allows the honest person to evaluate our product
before making the decision to purchase it and become a
customer. The use of an authorization key allows our
customers to automatically participate in our beta and even
pre-beta testing. This leads to faster development cycles and
a better product.
[1.30] I want to bundle Executor on a CD-ROM. Can I do that?
The short answer is "yes".
You are able to freely copy and distribute demo versions of
Executor, as long as you follow the restrictions set forth in
Executor's license panel:
Complete, unregistered distributions of Executor may be
copied and redistributed as long as all copies are
unmodified and contain all of the original files in their
entirety. Once it is registered, Executor may be copied
only for backup purposes. Licensee may not modify or create
derivative works based on Executor or any part thereof.
A suggestion: contact us to make sure you have the latest
version of Executor. We can also tell you if a new release is
imminent.
[2] Executor/DOS
=================
[2.1] Which FTP sites will carry stable versions of Executor/DOS?
------------------------------------------------------------------
E/D is available from the SimTel mirrors. The primary
SimTel mirror is oak.oakland.edu, and you can find the
Executor/DOS demo within the "SimTel/msdos/emulator"
directory. Look for exec199?.zip (where ? is a letter,
the further into the alphabet the letter, the more recent
the experimental release).
Other SimTel mirrors are:
St. Louis, MO: wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4)
/systems/ibmpc/msdos
Corvallis, OR: archive.orst.edu (128.193.2.13)
/pub/mirrors/simtel/msdos
Australia: archie.au (139.130.4.6)
/micros/pc/oak
England: src.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.2.10)
/pub/packages/simtel
Finland: ftp.funet.fi (128.214.248.6)
/pub/msdos/SimTel
France: ftp.ibp.fr (132.227.60.2)
/pub/msdos
Germany: ftp.uni-paderborn.de (131.234.2.32)
/SimTel/msdos
Hong Kong: ftp.cs.cuhk.hk (137.189.4.57)
/pub/simtel/msdos
Israel: ftp.technion.ac.il (132.68.1.10)
/pub/unsupported/dos/simtel
Poland: ftp.cyf-kr.edu.pl (149.156.1.8)
/pub/mirror/msdos
Sweden: ftp.sunet.se (130.238.127.3)
/pub/pc/mirror/SimTel/msdos
Switzerland: ftp.switch.ch (130.59.1.40)
/mirror/msdos
Taiwan: NCTUCCCA.edu.tw (140.111.1.10)
/PC/simtel
Thailand: ftp.nectec.or.th (192.150.251.32)
/pub/mirrors/msdos
See also [1.11]
[2.2] What are the hardware requirements for Executor/DOS?
-----------------------------------------------------------
For Executor/DOS 1.2 you need a '386 or better, VGA, 7 Mb disk
space, a 3.5" 1.44 Mb floppy drive, and 4 Mb RAM. A SCSI
Controller is needed only if you want to access external
Macintosh hard disks or PowerBooks.
Executor/DOS 1.99<x> should work in sixteen colors on any VGA,
although we do not have the facilities to test more than a few
in house. In addition, if you have a Super VGA that is "VESA
compliant", Executor/DOS should be able to provide 256 colors
and a range of screen sizes.
[2.3] What do I do if my Super VGA card isn't VESA compliant?
--------------------------------------------------------------
There is a shareware SVGA utility that provides VESA compliance
for SVGA cards that normally are not VESA compliant. At the time
this FAQ was last modified, univbe50.zip was the most recent
release of this extender.
It is not a product of ARDI, but as a convenience to people
picking up experimental versions of Executor, the file
univbe50.zip is available in
ftp.cs.unm.edu:/pub/ardi/Executor_DOS. If you use it, you
should pay the shareware fee as described in the documentation
included in the zip file. If you have a recent SVGA card you
probably don't need univbe. There may be a more recent
version of univbe in oak.oakland.edu:/SimTel/msdos/graphics.
This directory also has several other card specific VESA
drivers, some of which can be found in vesa-tsr.zip and
vesadrv2.zip.
[2.4] Executor crashes with "GrSetMode ; unknown adapter type in driver."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
You must be running an old version of Executor; this error
cannot occur in versions >= 1.99h.
1.99b had problems when Microsoft's display.sys driver is in
config.sys. We have updated the code that had this problem
and hope that the problem is now fixed. If it is not, you
must remove display.sys from the config.sys section you use
when you're using Executor/DOS. Please report this bug if you
see it in E/D 1.99e or later.
[2.5] Does E/D require an ASPI driver to access SCSI?
------------------------------------------------------
If your SCSI drivers patch the "INT 13" BIOS calls, then an
ASPI driver is not needed. As long as "INT 13" can allow Executor
to read a SCSI drive, there is no need to use ASPI.
[2.6] Have you released Executor for OS/2 yet?
-----------------------------------------------
We plan on making an OS/2 specific version of Executor, but only
after we get Executor 2.0 shipping. However, Executor 1.99l
is reported to work well under OS/2 Warp.
[2.7] Why won't Executor/DOS work with my Diamond Viper PCI card?
------------------------------------------------------------------
Executor/DOS requires VESA compliant graphics cards. Many
cards are not directly VESA compliant and need a tsr to be run
before they will work with Executor/DOS. On a Gateway
computer, you can do this with the "vprmode VESA" command.
[2.8] Why doesn't my mouse work when I run Executor under OS/2 Warp?
If it's not already there, you may need to add this line:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VMOUSE.SYS
to your CONFIG.SYS. This, and related issues, are described
on pages 206-207 of _User's Guide to OS/2 Warp_. This line
should already have been added for you when you installed Warp.
Also, you may need to load MOUSE.COM in your AUTOEXEC.BAT, for
example:
LOADHIGH C:\OS2\MDOS\MOUSE.COM
You can also create an AUTOEXEC file specifically for Executor,
place it in the same directory as Executor, and configure Warp
to execute that file whenever you launch Executor.
[2.9] Does Executor work under Windows '95?
Several users have reported that Executor/DOS 1.99l works
well under Windows '95. We have not yet created a version
of Executor specifically for Windows '95, but we plan to do
so in the future.
[3] Executor/Linux
===================
[3.1] Can I buy the Linux version now?
---------------------------------------
(Technically, our software is licensed, not sold). You can
now license Executor/Linux and be provided with a serial
number and license key from ARDI and "unlock" the experimental
Executor 1.99<x> releases as well as Executor/Linux 2.0.*.
However, currently there is no printed manual available for
Executor/Linux.
[3.2] Why can't the Linux version access floppies with option-shift-2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(like the DOS version does)?
----------------------------
This problem was fixed in Executor/Linux 1.99j.
[3.3] Are we ready to hear about Executor/Linux bugs?
------------------------------------------------------
Yes. Send them to "bugs@ardi.com" and make sure that you
identify what version of Executor you're running (i.e.
Executor/Linux 1.99k) as well as what kernel and X-Windows
you're using. Please mention what Mac software you were
running when you encountered the bug and explain whether the
bug is reproducible or not. If Executor provides some sort of
debug output, please include that as well. Our NEXTSTEP
version has a bug-sending facility that automatically fills in
all that information for you. If we get some time, we'll
incorporate that code into Executor/Linux.
Executor/Linux is bundled with a "send-pr" package that allows
you to submit bug reports directly into our "gnats" bug
tracking database. We prefer that you use this tool, although
it's not necessary. See [3.4] for more information.
[3.4] Should bug reports be sent one at a time or in a big list?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In general, it's easier for *us* if you send them one at a
time. Internally we use "gnats", a free bug-tracking tool and
we need to separate each bug into a single file for tracking.
On the other hand, since by providing us with bug reports
you're helping us out, we won't refuse bug reports that are
collections.
In fact, if you're particularly brave, you can pick up the
file "send-pr.tar.gz" and install a program "send-pr" which
will allow you to send us bug reports pre-formatted for gnats.
This will save us time and also give you a bug tracking number
that you can refer to in further e-mail to ARDI about the bug.
[3.5] Why is there no Executor for NetBSD or FreeBSD?
------------------------------------------------------
We don't currently have the manpower to support it. The Linux
release is a byproduct of the fact that we use Linux in house.
After we've cleaned up the Linux version and get some
Executor/Linux sales, we'll look into the feasibility of
Executor for NetBSD and FreeBSD.
[3.6] Where are the bitmaps stored on the Linux version of executor?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
All versions of Executor maintain an internal bitmap
corresponding to the actual screen. We accrue a "dirty rect"
as the program draws to what it thinks is the screen via
Executor's QuickDraw implementation. We periodically update
the _real_ screen (e.g., the X window) by transferring the
"dirty rect" across. So basically our graphics interface to
the host machine consists of nothing more than blitting
rectangles to the screen, which aids our portability. Under
X, we use shared memory extensions for speed, but we don't do
anything fancy like trying to cache Mac fonts on the X server
side. Spending time trying to do so would be a bad idea for a
number of reasons we won't go into.
"Refresh" mode is useful when the program directly manipulates
the frame buffer itself. In this mode, we periodically
analyze the internal screen memory to decide what has been
changed, and transfer the changed data to the real screen.
[3.7] Will there be an SVGALIB version of Executor/Linux in the future?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Probably. Executor/Linux would clearly get a major
performance benefit from an SVGALIB implementation. We are in
the process of rewriting our graphics and event handling code
so that it will be easy to add this sort of capability, but we
don't yet have a timetable for doing so.
[3.8] Why do all the non-Executor Windows get creepy colors when Executor
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
is running?
-----------
This is no longer true for recent versions of Executor.
Executor/Linux can run in two modes on 4 or 8-bit X servers.
1) "private colormap" mode. In this mode, Executor "takes
over" all colors on your screen when the cursor is in the
Executor window. That means that the colors for all your
other windows will suddenly change radically. This is
the fastest mode, and provides the most accurate colors,
but it can be a real eyesore. Still, if you're playing
Wolfenstein 3D or some other interactive game, you may
want to maximize performance by using this mode. You can
enable this mode with "-privatecmap".
2) "non-private colormap" mode. In this mode (the default),
Executor coexists nicely with other X windows by not
mucking about with the colors they use. This mode loses
some accuracy and speed, because Executor cannot set the
entire color table to exactly what it wants and it must
convert its internal graphics representation to one
appropriate for the X screen whenever it updates your
display. We have carefully optimized this conversion
process, so you won't notice the performance penalty most
of the time.
The "-privatecmap" flag is irrelevant to 16, 24, and 32-bit X
servers, since they don't have a color table.
[3.9] How does printing work under Executor/Linux?
---------------------------------------------------
Executor expects to print to a PostScript printer, or to send
output to a PostScript compatible filter, like GhostScript.
When an application prints under Executor, a PostScript stream
will be created and sent through the program "executor_filter"
which you can create by hand to "do the right thing", or "lpr"
if there is no "executor_filter" for Executor to run.
On our systems, "lpr" automatically does the right thing, so
other than occasionally setting our "PRINTER" environment variable,
we don't have to do much to print from Executor.
If you need to write your own filter, you can test it by typing:
myfilter < myfile.ps
where "myfile.ps" is some PostScript file you have lying
around. The "<" is VERY important! Executor does NOT give
your filter any command line arguments; it just "pipes" the
PostScript file through it.
CAVEAT #1: The PostScript that is currently produced relies on
some "Encoding" changes that appear not to work with
GhostScript. As such, certain characters are improperly
mapped. Word output for example can not print apostrophes!
Yes, we know this is very bad and are looking for a remedy.
CAVEAT #2: Different apps running under Executor have different
levels of success when printing. As always, *especially* with the
experimental versions, try first to make sure Executor will do what
you want it to.
[3.10] Why does Executor complain that it cannot find 'libXt.so.6'?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
If Executor complains as soon as you start it up, you are either
running an old version of Executor (prior to 1.99e, at least) or
you are running XFree86 2.x instead of XFree86 3.x. Currently we
do not have the time to create two separate versions of E/L, so
use the "current" XFree86 server/libraries.
It has been reported that you can install the XFree86 3.x shared
libraries and still use an XFree86 2.x server. We have not
verified such trickery here at ARDI -- you're on your own.
When E/L 2.0 is released, we'll reevaluate our "3.x" only policy
and if there are a significant number of XFree86 2.x users that
would like to run E/L, we'll consider offering a version that links
with the XFree86 2.x libraries.
[3.11] Which FTP sites have E/L?
--------------------------------
Other than ftp.ardi.com:/pub/Executor_Linux (too slow) and
ftp.cs.unm.edu:/pub/ardi/Executor_Linux, you can also find
Executor/Linux in
sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/system/Emulators/executorlinux199?.tar.gz.
See also [1.11]
[3.12] Why does Lemmings' splash screen take so long to be drawn?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As mentioned in [3.8] Executor/Linux by default now tries to
cooperate with X-Windows when assigning colors. That leaves X
in charge of "the colormap", which means Executor can't
quickly change the colors in the colormap itself. If you use
the "-privatecmap" option when you start Executor, you'll find
that Lemmings splash screen will come up much quicker, but
you'll also experience the "creepy colors" problem in other
windows.
[4] Executor/NEXTSTEP
======================
[4.1] Why hasn't there been an Executor/NEXTSTEP release in a while?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently we've revamped how Executor handles graphics
internally. This broke our NEXTSTEP support, so we have not
released a NEXTSTEP version in a while. Since we have to
rewrite that part of Executor anyway, we are looking into some
NeXT tools that allow programs to implement very fast
graphics. Before we can use these tools, we need some
information from NeXT which thus far has not been forthcoming.
Howeever, we've now resigned ourselves to the possibility that
nobody at NeXT will officially answer our questions. As such,
we're prepared to do the (re-)port of Executor to NEXTSTEP
without taking addvantage of these fast screen access methods.
We hope to have the port done by the end of May, 1995.
Perhaps after we have the port done using the standard screen
access methods, someone at NeXT will decide that it's worth
allowing us to speed things up.
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