[fpc-pascal] Accessing ROM BIOS Font in Linux.

[Mark Morgan Lloyd]

Michael Van Canneyt wrote:

>> The question.   Is this font accessible from linux; do I have
>> to be root ?    How do I make the 16 bit segment/offset address
>> into a 32 bit pointer to access these fonts ?  
> 
> This font is not accessible. Linux does not allow direct hardware 
> access unless you write a device driver.

What exactly are you trying to do- read the pixels that make up the BIOS fount 
so that you can plot them as blocks in a text- or graphics-mode session? I'd 
have thought it would be better practice to store a fount file as constant 
data (possibly a resource) inside the program- there's plenty of fount editors 
etc. available from DOS days.

Alternatively are you talking about simply getting the entire program to use a 
fount similar to that provided by the PC hardware? If so that's going to be 
entirely down to the session manager, irrespective of whether the program is 
running on the system console or inside xterm, konsole or Teraterm: it might 
vary for every user.

If it's text mode you're probably limited to a single 256-character fount 
(under DOS you could use a 512-character fount at the expense of colours), in 
graphics mode you've obviously got more flexibility. I remember a description 
from Dosemu of how to convert a PC fount into a file suitable for direct use 
by X, it would not surprise me if there are some fairly good ones available 
prepackaged.

-- 
Mark Morgan Lloyd
markMLl .AT. telemetry.co .DOT. uk

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