Some notes accompanying the NODV program
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Usage of NODV:

  NODV <executable> [options]

Where <executable> means a .COM or .EXE file that's in your path, and
[options] are the options you would've handed to the program anyway.
So normally you'd prepend NODV to the command line, and everything works
just fine. Only when you want to start a batch file, an internal DOS
command, an alias (4DOS) or the like, you should take a detour:

  NODV %COMSPEC% /C <any_command> [options]

You can put this all in a batch file, turn it into an alias itself...
I bet you can figure this part out alone.

**WARNING** The DESQview detection in certain programs is not there
just to annoy you. It is intended to protect you from damage that may
occur when you use the program while simultaneously doing, for example,
disk access in another window. When using NODV, you circumvent the
detection, but the damage may still occur. BE SURE TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
DOING! I can in no way be held responsible for the damage caused by
the use or misuse of NODV.


Now for the source. Did you watch it? It's ugly, isn't it? Yeah, I know...
There is a terrible kludge there to force a variable to be stored in the
code segment. I don't know any better way to achieve this, using BC.
If anyone can teach me here and point me in the direction of something
a bit less dirty, I'm all ears.

What the program basically does is intercept the DESQview installation
check (INT 15,AH=2B,CXDX="DESQ") and return "not installed". That keeps
all the DESQview-aware (or even specific!) programs that I know from
detecting DESQview.

I managed to do something about the memory-hungryness of the program too.
It now uses about 13K of memory. I think this can be brought down a little
further by reducing stacksize, heapsize, and cutting some of the library
routines (I've already dumped printf), but there isn't much to gain in the
library since spawn drags in a lot of baggage on its own.


In case you make some changes to improve this, I'm interested in the
source. You are free to use this code anyway you like (well, except
to claim it as your own and sue me for giving it away!), and I trust
common courtesy that I get a reference when you do.


In case you feel a need to, I can be reached as:

  Jan-Pieter Cornet
  Aletta Jacobsstraat 8
  2642 AD  Pijnacker
  Netherlands
  phone: +31 1736 98480
  Email: cornet@duteca.et.tudelft.nl
     or  ba132@cleveland.freenet.edu
