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Hello all,
I have a technical research question for those with build-system knowledge or archival materials related to XyWrite.
I am attempting to determine which assembler and linker versions were used to produce the final DOS release:
1994 – v4.018 – DOS – Final official DOS – 681,824 bytes – Assembler/Linker: Unknown
For reference, I have been able to make educated estimates for earlier builds based on binary signatures, object structure, and linker behavior:
1985 – v1.10 – DOS – 80286 optimization – 79,904 bytes – Likely MASM 3.1 + LINK 3.05 - you do not have to click on the link but you will understand when you find this on gitlab -
https://gitlab.com/xyghost358b1/XyWrite-II-Plus
1990 – v3.58b – DOS – Lean maintenance – 185,138 bytes – Likely MASM 4.0 + LINK 3.64 - TBD
However, by 1994 the toolchain landscape had changed considerably. It is unclear whether v4.018 was built using:
• MASM 5.x
• MASM 6.0/6.11 • A Microsoft C hybrid build environment • A custom/internal linker • Or a mixed-model build system inherited from the IBM Project J era
If anyone has:
• Build logs
• Symbol maps • .MAP or .LIB artifacts • Internal documentation • Disassembly evidence indicating specific linker signatures • Knowledge of whether incremental linking or overlay managers were used
I would greatly appreciate any insight.
My goal is to document the technical evolution of the XyWrite toolchain as accurately as possible, especially for the final DOS generation before the transition fully shifted to Windows.
Thank you in advance for any guidance or archival clues.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
XYGHOST358B
(Prefer to remain anonymous)
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