a.out

[muta...@gmail.com]

Can the a.out format cope with medium and
compact memory models where code pointers
and data pointers are different sizes?

I'm thinking it doesn't matter for object code
where you could use a 32-bit address for both.

When used as an executable format, I'm thinking
it will also work. Normally you're only supposed
to update 2 bytes (the segment). E.g.

mov ax,DGROUP

can only cope with 2 bytes being fixed up.

But all references are like that - just segments.

So if the a.out executable has a 32-bit address
of the 2 bytes that need to be fixed, the loader
just needs to know that the offset, if it exists
at all, is already correct, so only update the
segment portion.

It's all very hazy still.

BFN. Paul.