reminiscence of the past: DPMI (DOS Protected Mode Interface)

While researching some other historic information about Delphi, I bumped into this thread: New DPMI host – delphi.

If is a small thread describing what kinds and versions of DPMI hosts were available to run Turbo Pascal based programs.

DPMI stands DOS Protected Mode Interface: a way for real mode DOS programs to access protected mode features (mainly memory above the 1 megabyte barrier).

I had plainly forgotten that the DPMI host shipped with Delphi 1, and wasn’t aware you could have a 32-bit DPMI host at all.

Some other memory related abbreviations from that era:

• XMS (eXtended Memory Specification) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• EMS (Expanded Memory Specification) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• DPMS (DOS Protected Mode Services) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• DOS extender – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• DOS memory management – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• UMA (Upper Memory Area) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• VCPI (Virtual Control Program Interface) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• HDPMI.
• DPMI 0.9 specs.

Fun (:

–jeroen