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57 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
57 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
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DRIP Version 2.00
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Release Package
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DRIP is a program intended solely for its entertainment value, generally
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derived from running the program surreptitiously on another person's
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machine.
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When DRIP runs, it produces no messages or other signs of its activity,
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installing itself inline with INT 8, the clock interrupt. It remains
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totally dormant until SCROLL LOCK is depressed, then remaining active
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until SCROLL LOCK is depressed again. When active, each time the clock
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interrupt executes (about every 1/22 second), it decrements a timer
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value which is a pseusdorandom value of varying maximum limit to see if
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it DRIP is due to run. If so, it examines the screen memory to locate a
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character on the screen which has free space beneath it. That character
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is moved downscreen until it either falls off the screen entirely, or
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encounters another character in its fall and comes to rest over it.
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The result is that randomly selected characters on the screen appear
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to 'fall off the screen'.
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The interval between activations of the program is a pseudorandom function
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with a maximum value which decreases by a half every 64 characters moved, so
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that by the time a few hundred characters have been moved, it is running
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reasonably continuously.
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DRIP is capable of moving one character on the screen at a time. However,
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for a variation, DRIP may be run more than once, installing a copy of itself
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each time it is run. The result is that there will be a maximum number of
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simultaneously moving characters equal to the number of installed copies.
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DRIP is totally transparent to any running programs (except, perhaps the
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few that mess around with the clock interrupt). It has no effect
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whatever on the running system when not activated, and minimal effect
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(a slight execution time burden on the clock interrupt) when it is
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active. It has been tested on CORONA, COMPAQ, and IBM machines, including
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various video cards and modes. The only objectionable effect seen to date
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is slight screen 'snow' during the burst of screen ram activity when
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DRIP is hunting for a character to move when it runs, this occuring
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on some inexpensive display adaptors. Most machines' displays
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handled the activities of DRIP without complaint.
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DRIP was written and is released as a generalized giggle for the PC
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user community. It may be freely copied and distributed for its intended
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purpose. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD MODIFICATIONS BE MADE TO DRIP
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AND THE RESULT RELEASED TO OTHERS, NOR MAY DRIP BE SOLD FOR PROFIT.
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Every effort has been undertaken to produce and release a fully
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debugged and safe program. It has been carefull written and extensively
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tested. However, the final responsibility is up to the user to ensure
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that DRIP runs correctly with particular programs, and to ensure that
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his copy of DRIP is itself intact. The author assumes no responsibility
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for consequences arising from the use of DRIP.
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G. Masters May, 1987 Thousand Oaks, CA
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<end of document>
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