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INT 21 - DOS 2+ - "EXEC" - LOAD AND/OR EXECUTE PROGRAM
AH = 4Bh
AL = type of load
00h load and execute
01h load but do not execute
03h load overlay
04h load and execute in background (European MSDOS 4.0 only)
"Exec & Go" (see also AH=80h)
DS:DX -> ASCIZ program name (must include extension)
ES:BX -> parameter block (see below)
CX = mode (subfunction 04h only)
0000h child placed in zombie mode after termination
0001h child's return code discarded on termination
Return: CF clear if successful
BX,DX destroyed
if subfunction 01h, process ID set to new program's PSP; get with
INT 21/AH=62h
CF set on error
AX = error code (01h,02h,05h,08h,0Ah,0Bh) (see AH=59h)
Notes: DOS 2.x destroys all registers, including SS:SP
for functions 00h and 01h, the calling process must ensure that there
is enough unallocated memory available; if necessary, by releasing
memory with AH=49h or AH=4Ah
for function 01h, the AX value to be passed to the child program is put
on top of the child's stack
for function 03h, DOS assumes that the overlay is being loaded into
memory allocated by the caller
function 01h was undocumented prior to the release of DOS 5.0
some versions (such as DR-DOS 6.0) check the parameters and parameter
block and return an error if an invalid value (such as an offset of
FFFFh) is found
background programs under European MSDOS 4.0 must use the new
executable format
new executables begin running with the following register values
AX = environment segment
BX = offset of command tail in environment segment
CX = size of automatic data segment (0000h = 64K)
ES,BP = 0000h
DS = automatic data segment
SS:SP = initial stack
the command tail corresponds to an old executable's PSP:0081h and
following, except that the 0Dh is turned into a NUL (00h); new
format executables have no PSP
under the FlashTek X-32 DOS extender, only function 00h is supported
and the pointers are passed in DS:EDX and ES:EBX
BUGS: DOS 2.00 assumes that DS points at the current program's PSP
Load Overlay (subfunction 03h) loads up to 512 bytes too many if the
file contains additional data after the actual overlay
SeeAlso: AH=4Ch,AH=4Dh,AH=64h"OS/2",AH=8Ah,INT 2E
See Also:
214B05
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