Running DOS Programs while under UNIX

[Tom Neff]

In article <243 at n4hgf.Mt-Park.GA.US> wht at n4hgf.Mt-Park.GA.US (Warren Tucker) writes:
>After many months of running SCO ODT, I have yet to encounter a
>problem with the MERGE DOS support.  I have run all sorts of hackery
>on it: keyboard, VGA and comm port mungers, Word 5, and a whole bunch more.
>Of course, I wouldn't load Lotus if it were free.  Such druk that
>wants to screw with strange disk I/O (copy protection schemes)
>*won't* work with DOS under UNIX.

Unfortunately, as 286 and 386 machines come to dominate the marketplace,
more and more application programs are taking the trouble to [yecch]
CHECK what CPU they're running on, and run different code as a result.
The problem is that a program running in V86 mode can do certain 386
tests *successfuly*, leading it to believe (erroneously) that it's OK to
run the full gamut of protected mode stuff -- which promptly bombs MERGE
or VP/ix.  A prime example is Windows 3.0.  DESPITE the fact that it
runs just fine on a *real* 8086/88, and DESPITE the explicit /R switch
they give you to FORCE it to use 8086/88 mode on any CPU, it **STILL**
thinks it's smarter than you and checks for that 386 chip!  Wham, instant 
death.  What a hair tearer.