MSGID: 1:229/426 AD4DBEB0   
   TZUTC: -0500   
   I received a very detailed email from the author of Net2BBS/NETFOSS, which is    
   a Telnet server for Windows. More specifically, the component NETFOSS allows    
   the Telnet server to execute the 16-bit BBS by means of a "hook" in the way    
   that NTVDM operates. To recap, NETFOSS is a 32-bit Windows dynamic link    
   library (DLL) which essentially handles the Telnet-to-FOSSIL passover. 16-bit    
   BBS/Comm stuff that is Fossil-aware, interacts with NETFOSS using the DLL.   
      
   My understanding from what I read is that the DOS emulation of NTVDM can call   
   Windows DLL's by means of actually executing an invalid or    
   normally unrecognised instruction from within the DOS session. The NTVDM   
   behavior on all 32-bit Windows "traps" the DOS call and instead acts on it as   
   a DLL function-request.   
      
   This technically makes sense as to how 16-bit BBS stuff and ZC1    
   processing happily co-exists with Windows executables and programs. A mixture    
   of both is currently in use on this system in several ways, without much    
   thought as to how thats actually possible. Reminds me of how OS/2 and DOS    
   executables were able to co-exist, or the other way around I think it was.   
      
   Anyhow - in Windows XP, Server 2003 and prior, the NETFOSS.DLL file could   
   reside in the same directory as the BBS/Telnet server.  Microsoft revised   
   NTVDM for Windows Vista and later 32-bit versions of Windows where for some   
   reason, DLL's loaded in this way must be placed in the \Windows\System32   
   directory.  Most likely done for security reasons or to stop notorious "DLL   
   hell" problems that have plagued Windows for many years.   
      
   The current behavior of this 64-bit NTVDM project testing is that the    
   NETFOSS.DLL cannot be found no matter what directory it is placed in. So, I   
   may need to escalate this to the developer team of this project to get their   
   feedback since it appears that the DLL is not loaded at all or is not even   
   being "trapped".   
      
   This is the *only* holdup I can see that prevents me from really porting    
   everything over - Its not a NetFoss problem, its a problem with the emulation.   
      
   The author of Net2BBS/NETFOSS is awesome and appears to be receptive to what I   
   was trying to accomplish.   
      
   Nick   
      
   --- Renegade vY2Ka2   
    * Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (1:229/426)