Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983 released under MIT license
Posted by AlexeyBrin@reddit | programming | View on Reddit | 7 comments
Posted by AlexeyBrin@reddit | programming | View on Reddit | 7 comments
headzoo@reddit
Great source code comment.
elder_george@reddit
It's pretty impressive how Gates and Allen set up cross-compilation and debugging of their early software on PDP machines.
IIRC correctly, they compiled software to the target platform (and they targeted 6502-, 6800-, z80- and later 8086-based machines), then they executed it on the PDP in the mode that "trapped" (raised interrupt) on invalid (from the PDP standpoint) instructions and ran software implementation of them in the trap handlers, essentially emulating the target hardware for debugging purposes. PDP were word-based, not byte-based, so their assemblers generated a word for each byte of the program, and those extra bytes were dropped before shipping.
Dr_Legacy@reddit
It had to be a ton of fun, too. About that time I was lucky enough to have access to an OSI C-III. This beast had 3 processors (6502, 6800, Z80) and passing executable code between them was a puzzle and an art.
enygmata@reddit
wtf
Dr_Legacy@reddit
lol
vanderZwan@reddit
I think I have an idea where that name came from
bn-7bc@reddit
Or it might not have a relation to the shuttle at all, rather it might be a hint that they where trying to challenge IBM