Computer

How Quake.exe Got Its TCP/IP Stack

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Extreme TLDR:
Quake (1996) was developed to run on both DOS and Windows 95 using a single executable, quake.exe. It relied on the djgpp compiler for DOS compatibility, integrating with Windows 95’s DPMI for enhanced performance. Multiplayer support included IPX and TCP/IP, although TCP/IP was challenging to set up on DOS. Mpath’s Chunnel allowed Quake to connect via Windows’ TCP stack, leading to online gaming capabilities. The architecture was complex, involving DLLs and virtual device drivers to facilitate communication between DOS executables and Windows networking. Subsequent versions of Quake moved to native Win32 support.

https://fabiensanglard.net/quake_chunnel/index.html

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The Rise and Fall of Apple’s Mac Clones Era

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Apple briefly allowed Mac clones in the 1990s to respond to a competitive PC market but quickly withdrew due to concerns over brand integrity and sales. The clone era lasted from 1995 to 1997, enabling third parties, like Power Computing, to legally produce Macintosh-compatible computers. However, the effort ultimately failed as these clones undercut Apple’s market, leading to significant financial losses. Upon Steve Jobs’ return, Apple ended the clone program to regain control over its ecosystem, revealing the pitfalls of licensing its operating system to competitors.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/apple-mac-clones-history

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Reviving Classic Unix Games: a 20-Year Journey Through Software Archaeology

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The article recounts a two-decade quest to preserve the 1987 Unix game Conquer. The author traced, contacted, and obtained permissions from the original creators and contributors to relicense the code under GPLv3. During this journey, the author modernized the codebase and leveraged contemporary build and packaging tools to make the game easily accessible on modern Linux distributions. The project highlights challenges in archiving software, the importance of clear licensing and documentation, and the community’s role in preservation. Now, both classic and updated versions are available with modern packaging, bridging the past and future for developers.

https://vejeta.com/reviving-classic-unix-games-a-20-year-journey-through-software-archaeology/

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Explaining, at Some Length, Techmeme’s 20 Years of Consistency

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Techmeme celebrates its 20th anniversary as a consistent news aggregator for the tech industry, linking key reports and social media perspectives. Despite challenges like paywalls and social media fragmentation, it remains a shared resource amidst evolving media landscapes. The site plans to enhance participation, customization, and expansion while recognizing that journalism continues to play a crucial role in tech news.

https://news.techmeme.com/250912/20-years

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52 Year Old Data Tape Could Contain Unix History • The Register

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Tape containing the original Unix Fourth Edition, believed to be from the 1970s, discovered at the University of Utah. If recoverable, it may provide vital historical data, including the first Unix version written in C. The tape will be delivered to the Computer History Museum for analysis.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/07/unix_fourth_edition_tape_rediscovered/

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The Microsoft SoftCard for the Apple II: Getting Two Processors to Share the Same Memory

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Microsoft’s Z-80 SoftCard allowed Apple II users to run CP/M software by utilizing a secondary Zilog Z80 processor, facilitating memory sharing and enabling coexistence with the existing 6502 processor. The SoftCard remapped memory to avoid conflicts and included a detailed manual for programming, including challenges of managing interrupts and memory addresses.

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20251104-00/?p=111758

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