One of our members and WordStar - Page 2

tomsem · 08-07-2024, 07:05 PM

I knew some of the people who worked at WordStar in its heyday, and met more of them when working at Symantec and Autodesk, where some of them wound up.

imax · Today, 09:26 AM

I wonder if anyone started reverse engineering WordStar binaries, in order to port it to modern OSs and make running it less of a hassle.

Quoth · Today, 10:16 AM

It's DOS. DOSbox and similar let it run on almost all OS and CPUs.

It's zero hassle to run DOS text mode programs like this.

theducks · Today, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imax

I wonder if anyone started reverse engineering WordStar binaries, in order to port it to modern OSs and make running it less of a hassle.

I don't think I ever tried to run WS 5.5 after I installed Win 3.11.
What made many of the programs of that era incompatible, was the tricks (direct BIOS calls) to get SPEED. IIRC Wordstar Printing did this.

FWIW Paradox DOS 4.5 still sorta' runs (printing is difficult) on W10.
W98 was the last Windows my home-grown Green Duck (where 'theducks' came from) point of sale application ran in its full capacity. I shelled out to send my purchase orders by FAX (DOSFAX Pro)

imax · Today, 10:30 AM

Yeah, I've used DOSBox quite a bit. I wouldn't say it's "zero hassle" though. Even with a provided config, long filenames are still a problem, as are window size changes, amount of available memory, etc.

And with a proper source-level port all the tweaks performed via WSCHANGE.EXE by patching the binary could be made into actual configuration knobs.

Anyway, I was asking if anyone's aware of any work in that direction, not trying to get into discussion if it should be done or not.

ratinox · Today, 01:31 PM

There's WordTsar. No idea if it's any good.

cromag · Today, 06:46 PM

I read this the other day. It has been a while since I fired it up, but I still have an Epson PX-8 (or Geneva) with Portable WordStar on a ROM. As the years passed I used an RS-232 serial cable to connect it to a UNIX computer (true System V) and could carry the Epson around to write, convert the files to text, and then upload them to the UNIX box for further use. Good times.

08-07-2024, 07:05 PM	#16
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,608 Karma: 26963509 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I knew some of the people who worked at WordStar in its heyday, and met more of them when working at Symantec and Autodesk, where some of them wound up. Last edited by tomsem; 08-07-2024 at 07:14 PM.

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Today, 09:26 AM	#17
imax Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2024 Device: Kobo Libra 2 & PocketBook 360°	I wonder if anyone started reverse engineering WordStar binaries, in order to port it to modern OSs and make running it less of a hassle.

Today, 10:16 AM	#18
Quoth the rook, bossing Never. Posts: 12,120 Karma: 89201339 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper11	It's DOS. DOSbox and similar let it run on almost all OS and CPUs. It's zero hassle to run DOS text mode programs like this.

Today, 10:30 AM	#20
imax Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2024 Device: Kobo Libra 2 & PocketBook 360°	Yeah, I've used DOSBox quite a bit. I wouldn't say it's "zero hassle" though. Even with a provided config, long filenames are still a problem, as are window size changes, amount of available memory, etc. And with a proper source-level port all the tweaks performed via WSCHANGE.EXE by patching the binary could be made into actual configuration knobs. Anyway, I was asking if anyone's aware of any work in that direction, not trying to get into discussion if it should be done or not.

Today, 01:31 PM	#21
ratinox Fanatic Posts: 541 Karma: 5060708 Join Date: Oct 2016 Device: Forma, iPad Air 4	There's WordTsar. No idea if it's any good.

Today, 06:46 PM	#22
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 24,785 Karma: 459220161 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I read this the other day. It has been a while since I fired it up, but I still have an Epson PX-8 (or Geneva) with Portable WordStar on a ROM. As the years passed I used an RS-232 serial cable to connect it to a UNIX computer (true System V) and could carry the Epson around to write, convert the files to text, and then upload them to the UNIX box for further use. Good times.