wierd_w

... Just extract the already installed deploys typically found in abandonware zip files. Yeesh.

No they dont, you just have to install from there. Both will totally run fine from a hard disk

An actual EMS card supplies its own actual RAM, and creates the pageframe above 640k, usually someplace like C800 or D800. (Since it can map its actual ram into the address space at that location) As such, they do not snarf down conventional memory except to hold the EMS handler routine. (maybe a few kb, max). Like I said, that is ghetto. I agree that an XMS card is what you really want. (because you can get EMS memory simulation out of XMS memory easily with any number of utilities) It's why I suggested that 8bit aztech, so that you would keep a 16bit slot free for something like a bocaram AT that has SIMM slots, and can give you XMS memory. For the time being though, until you save your pennies and hunt down an appropriate card that can give you XMS memory on an 8bit slot, this will let you play a handful of games you otherwise could not.

It consumes 64k of conventional. It needs it to make the pageframe area. (needs actual RAM to hold the data that gets paged in and out!) Check with something that will make use of it. Again, try something like wizardry 6, or that otherwise makes use of EMS memory. Windows 3.1 totally does.

Should be enough for a select few games now, but that is gonna be way slower than an actual EMS card. Don't try anything too aggressive. Still, some titles that use EMS should work OK. If you are into RPG type games, try Dungeon Master, and Wizardy 6. Both of those know what both CGA and EMS are, (and know how to use a soundblaster)-- and should work fine.

XMS memory is directly accessible by the CPU over its address lines. EMS memory is paged memory that gets mapped in and out of a small 64kb page block. Basically. The above program fakes paged memory, by writing pages to disk instead.

HERE-- this is ghetto, and might wear out your CF card... but it could limp you along. http://ibm-pc.org/drivers/memory/Abovdisk.zip It's basically ghetto virtual memory (EMS only) for DOS. Uses some disk space to simulate EMS.

I would totally jump on that AST rampage, personally. It is configurable on where/how it maps, and can give you some much needed EMS memory. (sadly not XMS capable. You would need a 16bit slot for that, and one of those bocaramAT type things with simm slots. Should have grabbed one of those aztech 8bit soundblaster clones instead, but *shrug* )

Probably pricey.

yeah, but not that expensive. Order them from mouser or something.

Just linked to an AST RAMPAGE that is 8bit, and can hold 2mb ~80$. And drivers here http://ibm-pc.org/drivers/other/ast/ASTRAMPAGE.zip

No no, the aboveboard and pals could go up to 8mb take for instance, this rampage 2. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-AST-Rampage-286-8-Bit-ISA-Expansion-Card-202141-301X3-IBM-Tandy-Clone/124302860012?hash=item1cf1071eec:g:71AAAOSwcNJfOzd0 That is NOT a rampage 286, that is a rampage. It can hold up to 2mb of RAM. https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/memory-cards/AST-RESEARCH-INC-Memory-card-RAMPAGE.html

(now all I need is more RAM) Since you are now down to an 8bit slot, you will have to make do with something like an intel aboveboard, or other 8bit ISA RAM expansion.

Yeah, The soundblaster fires off an IRQ when its data buffer empties, to tell the computer to send it more data. The creator of 8088 corruption (and the author of 8088 domination later did the same trick) uses this to form the "metronome" for his timing loop. This frees the CPU to be doing more useful tasks, like managing the CGA card, or fetching data from disk into memory. He made a presentation on it even.

The soundblaster's IRQ and DMA handling does most of the heavy lifting, at least as concerns getting things in and out of memory, and handling software timing loops. It's a very clever hack. The rest is very clever programming of the CGA controller.

Yes, the jumpers control it, but the blaster variable tells SOFTWARE where to look for the card. Rather than implement a messing autodetect routine, old game software would just grab the info from the blaster variable. You need to set it even for jumpered cards. Your multi-IO board has a parallel port, which will be living on either IRQ5 or IRQ7, per industry standards. (Usually IRQ7 in my experience, but sometimes it is 5.) This means that wherever that parallel port is, your soundblaster should take the other one.

Did you give a blaster variable? Try typing this at the console first: SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6 (where A220 is your base (A)ddress at 220, (I)RQ is 5, (D)MA is 1, (H)igh DMA is 5, MPU (P)ort is 330 and card (T)ype is type 6.) (Alter wherever appropriate) If it still does not work after that, try rejumpering the card for IRQ7 instead of 5 (or vise-versa)

Ahh- My bad. I was unaware that Tipi enabled EA5 loading directly. The more you know-- Still, even if it didnt, playground would get your foot into the door.

There's the loader method used by compiled basic and extended basic programs; Theoretically you could inject any arbitrary EA5 program into the loader, but it still needs extended basic, IIRC. Maybe the "break the sandbox" method? Yeah, here it is-- the playground.

I still think habituated is the better term. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/nature/wildlife-habituation.htm Basically, bunnybuns has gotten used to his human carrot dispenser, and is no longer afraid of him. That is not a good thing for the rabbit.

circadian rhythm? I dont think that means what you think it means... (Unless the rabbit makes him sleepy.) More, he's habituated a wild animal.

I have ordered the military tan, and the "Wood like" (as far as I can tell, it is just wood COLORED, not actual "wood filament", which has wood particles in it), which I think looked the closest matches.

Another thing to consider, is that more often than not the manufacturers use one of those thermally conducting pads instead of actual honest to goodness thermal compound. After a few years, those things dry out, and get crispier than a potato chip. When that happens, they no longer conduct heat, and act like an insulating blanket. (EEP!!) Removing the heat spreader and heat pipe assembly, and applying some real compound makes a HUUUUUUGE difference.

I would still be more apt to leave the card internal, and just have the TIPI mount my NAS as an NFS volume, at an appropriate mountpoint. I could then use my network to manage whatever data is there, wirelessly. Say, something like this in /etc/fstab Server:/path/to/export /local_mountpoint nfs <options> 0 0 Or, fully populated in my case: 192.168.0.4:/nfs/tipishared /home/tipi/tipi nfs rw,defaults,noatime 0 0 which would need to have all the data normally in that location copied to the NAS first, and to have that folder be empty on the SDCard. After the mounting op being done automatically by the fstab entry, the configuration data and everything would be physically stored on the NAS, and could even be shared between physical tipi instances.

If MAME can be run without an X server, linux is going to be king. Console only linux would beat anything else. (especially if you go for one that does not do all kinds of bullshit with systemd.)