Collection of Tools & Utilities/Collection of Tools and Utilities.iso/asmutil/a86v400.zip/A01.DOC

Text File | 1994-12-21 | 16KB | 345 lines

CHAPTER 1   INTRODUCTION AND LEGAL TERMS


Introduction

A86 is the finest assembler available, at any cost under any
terms, for the 86-family of microprocessors (IBM-PC, compatibles,
and not-so-compatibles).  In contrast to software firms who
attempt to restrict the distribution of their products via
protection-schemes, I encourage free distribution, and trust that
those who use my products will pay for them.

Please keep in mind the fundamental good spirit of
free-distribution software as you endure the following barrage of
legalities.  Then evaluate the outstanding value that the A86
package offers you.  I assure you that you will not be
disappointed.


Legal Terms and Conditions

This package is provided to you under the following conditions:

1. You may copy the A86Vxxx.ZIP and D86Vxxx.ZIP files, and give
   them to anyone who accepts these terms.  The copies you
   distribute must be complete and unmodified.  You do not have
   to be registered to distribute this package.

2. Even if you have not yet obtained full execution rights, you
   may execute the programs in this package, in order to evaluate
   them.  If you decide that A86 is of use to you, you must
   become a registered user by sending $50 US, ($52 if you are
   outside North America) to:

      Eric Isaacson
      416 E. University Ave.
      Bloomington, IN 47401-4739

   For your convenience, I now accept Visa, MasterCard and
   American Express, by telephone or mail.  My number is
   [phone].

   For the convenience of users in Great Britain, I have
   authorized the firm Atlantic Coast Plc to collect
   registrations for me.  We'll try to keep the prices about the
   same whether you register through me or through them; it's
   your choice.  Their address is The Shareware Village, Colyton,
   Devon EX13 6HA, telephone [phone].  They'll send me a
   list of registered users at the end of every month, and I'll
   send an acknowledgement to each user when I get the list.  So
   if you haven't heard from me by the end of the month following
   your registration with them, please let me know.
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   Your registration includes the latest diskette (3.5 inch, or
   high-density 5.25 inch), that also includes the A86LIB tool
   available to registered users only.  You may order further
   updates for $10 US, or $12 US if you are overseas.  Once you
   register for this package, you are registered for all future
   versions -- you have permanent rights to execute A86 on one
   computer.  As long as I'm in business, you can get the latest
   version for just the update fee.

   I have a combination offer for the A86 and D86 packages.
   Instead of $50 + $50 = $100, I charge $80 ($82 overseas) for
   both (without the printed manual).  The A86+D86 registered
   disk also includes a preliminary version of A386 and D386.

   I also offer a printed version of this manual, covering both
   A86 and D86. The manual is printed on sheets 8.5 inches high
   and 7 inches wide, with a plastic ring-style binding so the
   book can lay flat.  If you order with your registration the
   manual is an extra $10 to the U.S., $15 overseas. If you've
   already registered and now want the manual, add another $10
   ($12 overseas) for the update disk that the manual is bundled
   with.  There is a limit of one manual per computer registered
   (except you may reorder when there is a substantial revision
   to the manual).

   Indiana residents need to add sales tax.  At the current rate
   of 5%, the prices for Indiana residents are $52.50 for one
   product, $63 one product with manual, $84 both products,
   $94.50 both products with manual, $21 manual if already
   registered.

   Educational institutions and training facilities MUST be
   registered in order to use A86 in courses.  Contact me for
   special terms.

   Companies and government agencies MUST be registered in order
   to use A86 for their work.  Again, contact me for special
   terms.

3. This package may not be sold to anyone.  If the package is
   distributed on a diskette, any fees collected must be
   specified as materials/handling, and may not exceed $10 for
   the diskette.

4. The user is completely responsible for determining the fitness
   or usability of this package.  I will not be liable for any
   damages, of any kind, arising from any failure of any programs
   in this package to perform as expected.
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5. Only permanent registered users can sell or distribute any
   programs that you have written or modified using this
   assembler.  If you do sell or distribute such programs, you
   must insure that your registered name (company or individual)
   will always be distributed with the program, so that I can
   verify your registration.  Any individual or company found to
   be violating these terms will be liable for triple
   registration fees for every machine they own capable of
   running my assembler (plus any legal and court costs).

   NOTE that the only computers that need to be registered are
   those executing the program A86.COM.  The programs produced by
   A86 are entirely yours-- there are no "run-time royalties".

6. A86 takes advantage of situations in which more than one set
   of opcodes can be generated for the same instruction.  (For
   example, MOV AX,BX can be generated using either an 89 or 8B
   opcode, by reversing fields in the following effective address
   byte.  Both forms are absolutely identical in functionality
   and execution speed.)  A86 adopts an unusual mix of choices in
   such situations.  This creates a code-generation "footprint"
   that occupies no space in your program file, but will enable
   me to tell, and to demonstrate in a court of law, if a
   non-trivial object file has been produced by A86. The
   specification for this "footprint" is sufficiently obscure and
   complicated that it would be impossible to duplicate by
   accident.  I claim exclusive rights to the particular
   "footprint" I have chosen, and prohibit anyone from
   duplicating it.  This has at least two specific implications:

   a. Any assembler that duplicates the "footprint" is mine.  If
      it is not identified as mine and issued under these terms,
      then those who sell or distribute the assembler will be
      subject to prosecution.

   b. Any program marked with the "footprint" has been produced
      by my assembler.  It is subject to condition 5 above.


Registration Benefits

Thank you for enduring the legalities.  They are there to protect
me, and also to convince you that this is my business, from which
I make my living.  I'll now return to a softer sell, to try to
make you want to register for my products.

There is a certain amount of ambiguity about when you're still
evaluating A86, and when you're really using A86 and should
register for it.  Some cases are clear (e.g., you're a school
using A86 to teach a course); but many are not.  In practical
reality, it's up to you to decide: you are "on your honor". Also
in practical reality, most users who ought to register haven't,
yet. For most, it's not dishonesty but merely procrastination.
So I have provided some incentives, to prod you into registering.
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One incentive is the printed manual, which only registered users
can purchase. I haven't left anything out of the disk version of
the manual, but the printed version is formatted and bound much
more nicely than if you print it yourself.

Another incentive, included if you register both A86 and D86, is
a preliminary test version of A386 and D386.  At this writing,
all instructions though the Pentium are implemented, except
32-bit indexing (e.g. [EAX]) and assembly to a 32-bit
protected-mode segment (in which you need override bytes for
16-bit operands instead of 32-bit operands).

Another incentive is the tool A