DOS device driver

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(Category:MS-DOS)
(also BIN and DEV extension + examples)
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{{FormatInfo
 
{{FormatInfo
 
  | subcat = Executables
 
  | subcat = Executables
  | extensions = {{ext|dos}}, {{ext|sys}}
+
  | extensions = {{ext|dos}}, {{ext|sys}}, {{ext|dev}}, {{ext|bin}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
DOS device drivers (often simply known as '''SYS''' files) are stored in a simple binary format.
 
DOS device drivers (often simply known as '''SYS''' files) are stored in a simple binary format.
 +
The filename extension <code>DEV</code> is used by the [[FreeDOS]] printer driver tool <code>SPOOL</code>.
 +
For the block device driver of the compression software '''Stacker''',
 +
which was also included in some versions of the '''DR-DOS''' operating system or the '''Novell DOS''' and '''Caldera OpenDOS''' offshoots,
 +
the filename extension <code>BIN</code> is used.
  
 
Drivers are loaded into a contiguous block of memory; the segment part of data structure pointers is then adjusted to match the loading segment.
 
Drivers are loaded into a contiguous block of memory; the segment part of data structure pointers is then adjusted to match the loading segment.
  
 
Some device drivers are stored in the [[MS-DOS EXE|MZ]] format instead of the "raw" SYS format.
 
Some device drivers are stored in the [[MS-DOS EXE|MZ]] format instead of the "raw" SYS format.
 +
 +
== Identification ==
 +
Most DOS device drivers begin with the magic ID {{magic|FF FF FF FF}}.
 +
 +
== See also ==
 +
* [[FreeDOS]]
 +
 +
== Sample files ==
 +
* http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/repositories/latest/util/spool.zip → SPOOL.DEV
 +
* https://www.uwe-sieber.de/files/cfg_echo.zip → echo.sys
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* http://ftp.uni-bayreuth.de/pc/caldera/DR-DOS.703/images/disk02.144 → STACLOAD.BIN
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==

Revision as of 23:37, 9 August 2020

File Format
Name DOS device driver
Ontology
Extension(s) .dos, .sys, .dev, .bin

DOS device drivers (often simply known as SYS files) are stored in a simple binary format. The filename extension DEV is used by the FreeDOS printer driver tool SPOOL. For the block device driver of the compression software Stacker, which was also included in some versions of the DR-DOS operating system or the Novell DOS and Caldera OpenDOS offshoots, the filename extension BIN is used.

Drivers are loaded into a contiguous block of memory; the segment part of data structure pointers is then adjusted to match the loading segment.

Some device drivers are stored in the MZ format instead of the "raw" SYS format.

Contents

Identification

Most DOS device drivers begin with the magic ID FF FF FF FF.

See also

Sample files

Links

Personal tools
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Variants
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