Re: Gamma Function

From: Androcles (androc1es_at_nospamblueyonder.co.uk)
Date: 09/10/04 

Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 21:42:24 GMT

"D. Baruth" <danb@iging.com> wrote in message
news:a15d408.0409101242.2785919c@posting.google.com...
| "Androcles" <androc1es@nospamblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:<3s70d.4075$FF7.41141383@news-text.cableinet.net>...
| > "D. Baruth" <danb@iging.com> wrote in message
| > news:a15d408.0409091439.7eb31a2c@posting.google.com...
|
| First, apologies for the multi-posting; I'm having problems with
| the other server.
|
No problem, it has happened to all of at some time or other.

| > | I'm sure there are many ways to write viruses; however, I can't see
| > | how the virus you have written would spread through Windows to
| > | other computers.
| >
| > It was never intended to do so. I was demonstrating how
| > simple it is to attach code. The issue here was to defend you
| > against the malicious rumour-mongering initiated by Roberts.
|
| Thank you.
|
| The venom spitting "malicious rumour-mongerers" are easily recognized
| and they never contribute anything valuable to society, and they must
| be
| ignored. However, we all are afraid of the handy-work of another type
| of
| malicious people, the destructive Windows critter-makers who are
| generally
| not (low-level Assembly, FORTRAN or C) computer programmers.
|
| >
| > | There's a real barrier between DOS and Windows:
| > | DOS is a real 16 bit operating system, Windows a 32 bit operating
| > | system running in protected mode. Windows runs DOS programs
| > | in "Virtual 8086 mode", thus capturing all direct interrupt and port
| > | accessing requests for internal processing.
| >
| > Of course. However, the algorithm I provided was written in C and
assembler
| > and can easily be recompiled to suit a 32-bit system.
| > It is really no different to obtaining a text file into Notepad, pasting
| > this message in and saving it, except the file isn't ASCII.
|
| You don&#8217;t understand.
I can assure you I do understand:-)

 A Windows program cannot be run in DOS
| (or Linux), while DOS can be run by Windows.
DOS isn't a multi-tasking operating system. Obviously it cannot run programs
that are geared for a relative offset in RAM. But one does not run DOS under
Windows, one runs programs that are written for DOS under Windows. DOS
stands for Disk Operating System, and in its basic form it simply transfers
binary data to and from RAM to Disk and has a small suite of utility
programs.
My first PC, a NASCOM II, built from a kit in 1979, used a cassette recorder
for mass storage and the Operating System was in a PROM with a BASIC
interpreter, 16 K of RAM, 2K of screen. The first cheeky code it had was an
EPROM with a built on chess program. If you copied the program into ram and
ran it, it modified
itself and exited. If it were in EPROM the attempted write failed and the
program worked. Needless to say I saw this as a challenge, disassembled the
code and fixed it. DOS was a god-send, the cassette tape was plagued with
noise.

  Theoretically, any ANSI C or FORTRAN
| code can be compiled for any operating systems and/or different CPU
| types. Assembly, on the other hand, is bound to particular hardware
| types like
| Intel x86/7 (PC) or Motorola 68x (Mac), but it can interface smoothly
| with
| any computer language.
|
| To transfer a whole Windows program within a DOS program to Windows is
| possible, of course, but it will make the DOS program very large.
| This would
| also be a most inefficient way to spread viruses through Windows.

You've misunderstood. The virus itself is but a code fragment that attaches
itself to an existing program. As long as it has relative addressing as
opposed
to the absolute addressing that was once common in DOS Assemblers
(this was a +127 to -128 byte offset from the current address for an 8-bit
JMP instruction in the form "jump rel (if zero) 10001011" it was moveable.
The standard 8-bit JMP (16 bits) addressing 64K was absolute and could not
be moved.
I'm not suggesting a virus be written for DOS and then transfer it to
Windows,
that would be pointless. It is however possible.

|
| > |
| > | The Windows virus writers are interested in spreading their perversity
| > | over the internet and cannot use DOS programs (particularly small
ones).
| > | Also, no serious (programming) professional will ever dream of using
| > | his/her expertise for such purposes.
| >
| > Quite so.
| >
| > |
| > | I also agree to this: Do not run computer programs you don't know
where
| > | they came from.
| > |
| > | D. Baruth
| >
| > As do I. The most recent barrage of virus attempts I've received ( afew
| > months ago now) were via email, masquerading as an upgrade to Windows.
|
| Having a domain name, I'm being bombarded daily by both spam and
| viruses.

Which is why I prefer a reputable ISP for home use. I experience the same
problems in the work place as you do.

| News groups are also being attacked. Usually, you are enticed to open
| some e-mail and run an attached batch or script file, or extract and
| run an executable from a zip file.
Yep.
And the pity of it is, the poor guy who sent it isn't responsible.

| > &#8230; and I advised her not to shoot her dog because the dog down the
road
| > has fleas.
|
| In the same time frame, I was also attacked by an e-mail virus. It
| infected a few major applications by attaching itself to them. I had no
choice
| but to re-install Windows and all the applications.
|
| It is criminal to knowingly damage the property of others. Hence,
| virus writers will not publicize their (real e-mail) address. Do not
| execute files the source of which you don't know.

I give you the same advice. :-)

|
| By the way, have you run my program? What would you do differently?

No, I ran it through a debugger to see if it was clean, but otherwise
had no interest. Sorry.
Androcles.
|
| D. Baruth

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Whatever happened to x86-64?
    ... operating system which ignored the revolutionary aspects of the new CPU was ... ...and abandon customers who bought systems last year and a large ... it may have been IBM's intention to "impose" a replacement of DOS by ... Warp3 was better Windows than Windows, ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips)
  • Re: Getting DOS screen to full screen ....
    ... but I recognize the word "DOS" which piqued my interest. ... I elect to do my work on a Windows 98 operating system. ... Windows environment, in order for me to enjoy the luxuries of a laptop, ...
    (alt.sys.pc-clone.dell)
  • Re: What virus would delete windows files
    ... I was able to restore from a backup using dos. ... I also plan to check for spyware after virus scanning. ... supports nt versions of windows i'm going to suggest it's predecessor, ... The other day when I lost all the files in the root dir., ...
    (alt.comp.anti-virus)
  • [Full-disclosure] - IRISH VIRUS - DoS Security Bypass and System access
    ... THE operating system ... Apple Computer Apple DOS ... Windows CE ... LOLDONGS Research, a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Banned Town Security ...
    (Full-Disclosure)
  • Re: Crawl: That was... a surprise. (And score bug.)
    ... This does not need a 32 bit operating system to use, because 16 or even 8 bit processors can interface with larger address spaces by using separate instructions to load the separate parts of the address. ... There also exist "DOS Extenders" that extend DOS to be able to run 32 bit code. ... At the beginning, it was just a hunch based on experience running DOS, various DOS extenders, OS/2 Warp, various versions of Windows, and Linux. ...
    (rec.games.roguelike.misc)