Last updated Aug 6 2020. Edited by Herb Johnson, (c) Herb Johnson 2020 Contact Herb at www.retrotechnology.com, an email address is on that page..
I've received a few emails about use of A18 and the other MS-DOS cross-assemblers which describe something like the following:
> I downloaded the cross assembler. I tried to assemble and produce a > listing file from test.asm several times. But all your assembler > did, after taking considerable time, was fail, and then it deleted itself. > The cross-assembler program was gone, it did nothing else. >
> ... reported that their anti-virus software flagged it as containing a > trojan. When I [also] tried it, AVG reported no problems, >but McAfee did report the trojan.
If this happened to you, here's what likely happened. You have a Windows computer with a virus protection program like Norton Security, AVG, McAfee, etc. When it "sees" a strange program like one of these cross-assemblers, which is really an MS-DOS program that almost nobody uses, it decides it may be dangerous and 1) prevents Windows from executing it and either 2a) deletes the program and or 2b) tells you there's some kind of problem and asks for guidance. If it take a long time to run my cross assembler, the long delay occurs from the "protection" actions. The delete is done by the anti-virus program. I assure you the program is not dangerous when used as described. These anti-viruse programs are cautious about running uncommon programs, or programs doing uncommon things (like using MS-DOS system calls and not Windows-system calls).
I suggest you check your anti-virus program and check its reports, and see if it's reported taking actions on the particular cross-assembler you are trying to run. If there's no specific reports of issues, or if the reports are as I describe, you can likely tell your anti-virus program that this program is not to be deleted, and to permit the cross-assembler to run. You are welcome to contact me if you believe there is a problem.
If you get a copy of my cross assembler from some other source, I cannot vouch for that program or source, how can I?
Similar information is on my A18 Web page under "Running MS-DOS programs in Windows".
These cross assemblers I provide are MS-DOS programs, designed to be run from the Windows "command line" as a 32-bit MS-DOS program. How do you run such programs in Windows? Under many versions of Windows, from the Start screen "button", under "all programs", there's an entry "accessories"; under that entry is "Command prompt". If that doesn't work, use Windows help and search for "command prompt". By "32-bit", I mean compiled to run under operating systems like Win 2000, Win XP, Win 7, and so on; which expect programs to use 32-bit addressing. For more info on that, look i up. And I
The command prompt window, displays on the Windows desktop a text screen window with a command prompt, like old MS-DOS. In that window, with MS-DOS commands you can change to the directory where A85 and your 8085 assembly programs are, and run A85 as per the A85 manual. I recommend you run the cross assembler in the SAME DIRECTORY as your assembly source. The assembler may get confused if you give it a "path" to another directory (folder) for the assembly source or listing or object/hex/binary files. If MS-DOS is unfamiliar to you or you've forgotten how it works, please find some MS-DOS manuals to read; sorry.
YOu can use Windows to create a desktop icon for the Command Prompt window. a right-click on the mouse, when the pointer is on the "Command prompt" entry, provides an option "shortcut". If you use that, you can drag the shortcut onto the desktop.
This is a summary description of how to use of MS-DOS command-line programs under Windows, and older versions of Windows at that. And, a description of what some anti-virus programs do when encountering unfamiliar, old-school MS-DOS programs like these cross assemblers. You may have to consult other information for details: specifically your anti-virus programs's descriptions about disabling protections for specific programs; and Windows documentation for operating MS-DOS command-line programs. And, read and find MS-DOS books and information about how to run MS-DOS.
- Herb Johnson
This page and edited content is copyright Herb Johnson (c) 2020. Copyright of other contents beyond brief quotes, is held by those authors. Contact Herb at www.retrotechnology.com, an email address is available on that page..