READMAKE

Latest revision as of 12:44, 5 February 2026

Not to be confused with MAKEREAD.

READMAKE is a DOS utility for creating a DOS EXE file that, when executed, displays a text document in a full-screen viewer. It was developed by Bruce Guthrie and Wayne Software.

READMAKE is related to READ (a.k.a. READ.EXE), a text file viewer by the same developer.

[edit] Identification

The executable part of a generated file is compressed with EXEPACK.

The EXE code segment (refer to MS-DOS EXE#Special file positions) at offset 512 starts with ASCII "blREADINCL". While not a deliberate signature (it's some sort of linker artifact?), it could be a fairly effective way to identify the files.

The overlay always starts with the same 62 bytes, the first four being 3e 00 00 00 (presumably a segment size field). However, some other EXE files from the same developer also have this trait.

[edit] Software

READMAKE was usually packaged with other software by the same author. The individual programs have revision dates that serve as their version numbers. Each package as a whole has an apparent 3-digit version number, probably loosely derived from the release date.

• READMAKE (selected versions)
  • 01/07/93 (3.01): Pegasus 2.0 → pegasus/textutil/read301.zip
  • 07/09/93 (3.07): READ307.ZIP
  • 09/04/95 (5.09): read509.zip
  • 10/08/97 (7.10): read710.zip
  • 03/08/98 (8.06): Hot Shareware 36 → FICHEROS/DUTI/READ806.ZIP

• Deark

[edit] Sample files

• READMAKE Sample → HELLO.EXE
• ezydosv1.zip → README.EXE
• mornt10.zip → README.EXE
• hof893.zip → README.EXE
• pgold11.zip → README.EXE
• makelst.zip → README.EXE
• dexvert samples — document/readmake