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-
- There exists a possible bug in either ArcAut or the OS:
-
- Install ArcAut, bring up the task manager & then set the Ram Disc to zero
- (NB if it is already zero, still drag it's bar to some positive value & then
- back to zero); now set free space to zero by dragging, say, sprite size to
- maximum; finally, drag an automaton file onto ArcAut - the program will hang
- up, requiring a reset to regain control.
-
- I have traced the problem to a call to the module TransRamFS, whose purpose
- is to transfer memory from 'freespace' to 'RamFS', if the space required in
- RamFS isn't currently available. Within this, a call to
- 'OS_ChangeDynamicArea' (R0=5 for RamFS) is the source of the problem. Under
- the circumstances described above it should return control to an error
- handler (here, this is the module itself, as the 'X' prefix is used); it
- fails to return control either to the module or to another error handler.
-
- The curious point is that even if RamFS is already zero, this problem only
- arises if you first drag the size bar up & then back to zero, which should
- of course make no difference (if you don't do this, the module behaves
- correctly, informing the user that it cannot allocate the memory to RamFS
- that was requested). Perhaps this suggests that the OS is at fault?
-
- In practice this doesn't cause much difficulty, as the conditions don't
- frequently occur under normal use. Nevertheless you should be warned.
-
- If you can explain and/or remedy this please let me know.
-
- Michael Rozdoba
- 10 Octavia Close
- Bedlington
- Northumberland
- NE22 6LG