Thread: Help with mode13 with djgpp on win XP

I really want to be able to use mode13, but for some reason I cant seem to access the video memory at 0xA0000, if I call my plot pixel function the program just exits, here is my plot pixel function:

Code:

void plotPixel(int x, int y, byte color)
{
	VGA[y*SCREEN_WIDTH+x] = color;
}

however if I change it to:

Code:

void plotPixel(int x, int y, byte color)
{
	union REGS regs;
	regs.h.ah = 0x0C; 
	regs.h.al = color;
	regs.x.cx = x;      
	regs.x.dx = y;      
	int86(0x10,&regs,&regs);
}

it does work, but it is too slow. Does anyone know what I can do to access the memory directly? I have a Geforce4 440 mx with the latest drivers if it is important

Here is the complete code.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <dos.h>
#include <conio.h>

#define SCREEN_WIDTH 320
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 200

typedef unsigned char byte;

byte *VGA = (byte*)0xA0000;

void enterMode13()
{
	union REGS regs;
	regs.h.ah = 0x00;
	regs.h.al = 0x13;
	int86(0x10, &regs, &regs);
}

void exitMode13()
{
	union REGS regs;
	regs.h.ah = 0x00;
	regs.h.al = 0x03;
	int86(0x10, &regs, &regs);
}

void plotPixel(int x, int y, byte color);

int main()
{
	enterMode13();
	plotPixel(0, 0, 5);
	getch();
	exitMode13();
	
	return 0;
}

void plotPixel(int x, int y, byte color)
{
	VGA[y*SCREEN_WIDTH+x] = color;
}

You don't have direct memory access on XP.
Fakery of old systems for backward compatibility can only take you so far - obviously not far enough for what you want to do.

Try getting dev-c++ (another port of gcc) and get the libsdl graphics package if you want to do graphics.

I see, so there is NO way to access the video memory on XP?
If I used linux (ubuntu) would I be able to directly access the memory?

> NO way to access the video memory on XP?
Use a graphics library (or write your own)
Of course writing a graphics library which accesses video memory needs a lot more knowledge about the innards of the XP driver model than I know about.

> would I be able to directly access the memory?
Sure (it too has graphics and graphics libraries doesn't it?)
Again, the driver model will be completely different.
This is why libraries like OpenGL exist to hide all that awkward detail.

You can access the memory directly in DJGPP but you must use farnspokeb and/or farnspoke(x) family of functions. XP does not allow you to map 0xA000 into your address space and therefore the old DJGPP near-pointer hack solution does not work anymore.

This also applies to the LFB modes. You cannot extract the LFB address from the card using the near-pointer hack from the DOS/95/98 days.