[BUG] VGAPaint 386 doesn't like VESA modes and crashes!

[ppgrainbow]

Hmm, where do I start here?

Has anyone tried out VGAPaint 386 by Avery Lee? It's a 32-bit Deluxe Paint IV clone that supports graphics drivers up to 1600 x 1200 @ 8bpp: http://www.bttr-software.de/products/vp386/

I managed to install VGAPaint 386 on the second IDE hard drive on the AMI486. The programme does work with ModeX drivers including 320 x 200 mode. I managed to select 1024 x 768 @ 8bpp VESA driver and it worked. So, I exited VGAPaint 386.

However, when I restart VGAPaint 386 from the MS-DOS prompt with the 1024 x 768 VESA driver, the programme causes the emulated machine to either hang or self-reboot on its own. It doesn't care when I even at least have HIMEM.SYS or a memory manager loaded, it just crashes the machine...the crosshair cursor doesn't move and the emulated machine just hard reboots in only a few seconds time. See screenshot below for details.

I'm unable to take a quick screenshot as the emulated machine just reboots itself so quickly.

Quick Specs:
* AMI486 compatible machine
* 25 MHz Intel 80486 processor
* 2 x 127 MB internal IDE HDD images
* 4 MB system memory
* Trident 8900D graphics card with 1 MB display RAM
* Microsoft 2-button serial mouse

I'm pretty sure that this doesn't happen on VirtualPC or DOSBox. Has anyone reported this issue yet?

Update: Here's a screenshot of the hang incase anyone is interested:

VGAPaint 386 lockup

20180316_200250.png (7.22 KiB) Viewed 7660 times

[leilei]

I get the hang on the same mode on all the Cirruses at least, on the Trio64 (which DOSBox's default is based on) and on interpreter so it doesn't seem to be Trident-specific.

[ppgrainbow]

I get the hang on the same mode on all the Cirruses at least, on the Trio64 (which DOSBox's default is based on) and on interpreter so it doesn't seem to be Trident-specific.

I'm with you on the same boat here.

EDIT: VGAPaint 386 does work with a PS/2 mouse. VGAPaint 386 is broken on serial mouse and the serial mouse emulation remains buggy.

[SarahWalker]

Happens on real hardware - VGAPaint looks to have buggy VESA 1.x code. It works with UNIVBE loaded, though you will have to delete the INI file so you can reconfigure the video mode.

[ppgrainbow]

Happens on real hardware - VGAPaint looks to have buggy VESA 1.x code. It works with UNIVBE loaded, though you will have to delete the INI file so you can reconfigure the video mode.

Thank you very much for telling me. I'll have to go for UNIVBE instead of UNIVESA.

EDIT: Sarah, I tried UNIVBE and it locks up hard even with minimal CONFIG.SYS/AUTOEXEC.BAT configuration.

[SarahWalker]

You might also have to use a newer graphics card that supports linear frame buffers.

[ppgrainbow]

You might also have to use a newer graphics card that supports linear frame buffers.

That sounds like a good idea.

Does anyone have any idea which ISA and PCI graphics cards support linear frame buffers? Just curious to ask.

[SarahWalker]

All the Cirrus Logic cards, both the Mach64s, all the S3 cards, the ET4000/W32p (Diamond Stealth 32) and the Trident TGUIs. UNIVBE should be able to enable LFBs on all of them.

[ppgrainbow]

All the Cirrus Logic cards, both the Mach64s, all the S3 cards, the ET4000/W32p (Diamond Stealth 32) and the Trident TGUIs. UNIVBE should be able to enable LFBs on all of them.

Thank you for telling me. I appreciate it.