* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    REO to return for UI homecoming – The News-Gazette

    REO Gears Up to Ignite the Stage at UI Homecoming Celebration!

    Gen V Season 2: What is The Odessa Project? – yahoo.com

    Gen V Season 2: Unlocking the Secrets of The Odessa Project

    PENN Entertainment stock rating reiterated at Market Outperform by JMP – Investing.com

    PENN Entertainment Stock Rated a Market Outperformer by Experts

    Here’s how NJ’s once-vibrant nightclub scene was born and why it died – Bergen Record

    The Rise and Fall of New Jersey’s Once-Vibrant Nightclub Scene: What Happened?

    The Emmys are back: Viewership soars to highest numbers in 4 years – yahoo.com

    The Emmys Return with a Bang: Viewership Hits a 4-Year High

    From Spinal Tap II to Ed Sheeran : your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead – The Guardian

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    China says US TikTok deal a ‘win-win’, will review app’s technology and IP transfers – Reuters

    China Hails US TikTok Deal as a ‘Win-Win’ While Launching Review of App’s Technology and IP Transfers

    Bucking the Odds: Why Technology Companies Should Embrace Software Patents Today – Crowell & Moring LLP

    Bucking the Odds: Why Technology Companies Should Embrace Software Patents Today – Crowell & Moring LLP

    City IT presented Best of North Carolina Technology Award – RaleighNC.gov

    City IT Honored with Best of North Carolina Technology Award

    LELO Releases 2025 Futurist Report: Intergenerational Views on Relationships, Sex, and Technology – PR Newswire

    Exploring the Future: How Different Generations View Relationships, Sex, and Technology in 2025

    Will New Big Technology Engagements Reshape Innodata’s Growth Path? – Yahoo Finance

    Could New Major Tech Partnerships Propel Innodata to Unprecedented Growth?

    Unlocking AI Success: How People, Process, and Technology Form the Ultimate Triangle

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    REO to return for UI homecoming – The News-Gazette

    REO Gears Up to Ignite the Stage at UI Homecoming Celebration!

    Gen V Season 2: What is The Odessa Project? – yahoo.com

    Gen V Season 2: Unlocking the Secrets of The Odessa Project

    PENN Entertainment stock rating reiterated at Market Outperform by JMP – Investing.com

    PENN Entertainment Stock Rated a Market Outperformer by Experts

    Here’s how NJ’s once-vibrant nightclub scene was born and why it died – Bergen Record

    The Rise and Fall of New Jersey’s Once-Vibrant Nightclub Scene: What Happened?

    The Emmys are back: Viewership soars to highest numbers in 4 years – yahoo.com

    The Emmys Return with a Bang: Viewership Hits a 4-Year High

    From Spinal Tap II to Ed Sheeran : your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead – The Guardian

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    China says US TikTok deal a ‘win-win’, will review app’s technology and IP transfers – Reuters

    China Hails US TikTok Deal as a ‘Win-Win’ While Launching Review of App’s Technology and IP Transfers

    Bucking the Odds: Why Technology Companies Should Embrace Software Patents Today – Crowell & Moring LLP

    Bucking the Odds: Why Technology Companies Should Embrace Software Patents Today – Crowell & Moring LLP

    City IT presented Best of North Carolina Technology Award – RaleighNC.gov

    City IT Honored with Best of North Carolina Technology Award

    LELO Releases 2025 Futurist Report: Intergenerational Views on Relationships, Sex, and Technology – PR Newswire

    Exploring the Future: How Different Generations View Relationships, Sex, and Technology in 2025

    Will New Big Technology Engagements Reshape Innodata’s Growth Path? – Yahoo Finance

    Could New Major Tech Partnerships Propel Innodata to Unprecedented Growth?

    Unlocking AI Success: How People, Process, and Technology Form the Ultimate Triangle

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology

Let’s compile like it’s 1992 (2014)

February 26, 2024
in Technology
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

August 10th, 2014

I have been tinkering with the vanilla source code of Wolfenstein 3D from 1992. Even though it
is more than 20 years old and has rotten for modern systems, you can still compile it if you recreate the environment.
All you need is :

Wolfenstein 3D source code.
DosBox.
The Compiler Borland C++ 3.1.
Wolfenstein 3D shareware (for the assets).

Setup filesystem

Open a command line and create two folders, one for each DOS drive needed:

cd ~
mkdir system
cd system
mkdir c
mkdir a
cd ~

Download

Download Borland 3.1 to system/a.
Download Wolfenstein 3D source code to system/c
Download VGA files to system/c (the purpose of those is explained at the bottom of this page.

cd system/a
curl -O http://fabiensanglard.net/Compile_Like_Its_1992/tools/BCPP31.zip

cd ../c
curl -O http://fabiensanglard.net/Compile_Like_Its_1992/tools/wolfsrc.zip
curl -O http://fabiensanglard.net/Compile_Like_Its_1992/tools/vgafiles.zip

Now we have all the files in the filesytem. Just to check, type:

cd ..
find ~/system

You should have the following :

/Users/fabiensanglard/system
/Users/fabiensanglard/system/a
/Users/fabiensanglard/system/a/BCPP31.zip
/Users/fabiensanglard/system/c
/Users/fabiensanglard/system/c/vgafiles.zip
/Users/fabiensanglard/system/c/wolfsrc.zip

Decompress everything

cd ~/system/a
unzip BCPP31.zip

cd ~/system/c
unzip vgafiles.zip
unzip wolfsrc.zip

DosBox

Download and start DosBox:

Mount

Mount the filesystem, one folder for each drive :

Z:/> mount c ~/system/c
Z:/> mount a ~/system/a

Install the compiler

Now is time to install Borland C++ 3.1 :

Z:> a:
A:> cd BCPP31
A:> install



Press enter when you select the source drive ( it should already be A drive )

Install Wolfenstein 3D source code

We have a system running and a compiler on it: Time to decompress (again) the source code.

A:> c:
C:> cd
C:> install


Type ‘C’


Keep the default path: WOLFSRC


Y to create the directory.

Installing !

Compiling

Start Borland C++ 3.1:

C:> cd
C:> cd borlandc
C:> cd bin
C:> bc.exe


After pressing OK, use the mouse or the shortcuts to Project -> Open Project ….WOLFSRCWOLF3D.PRJ:

Select Options -> Directories and change the value as follow :

Include Directories: C:BORLANDCINCLUDE

Library Directories: C:BORLANDCLIB

Ouptput Directories: OBJ

Source Directories: C:WOLFSRC

Let’s try to compile: Compile -> Build All

We get an error: “Cannot find executable TASM”

Exit Borland C++, we need to set the PATH:

C:> CD ..
C:> PATH=C:BORLANDCBIN
C:> BC.EXE

Getting the assets

Download the shareware version or even better: Purchase as full version on Wolfenstein 3D.

cd ~/system/c
curl -O http://fabiensanglard.net/Compile_Like_Its_1992/tools/1wolf14.zip
unzip 1wolf14.zip

Go back to DosBox and install the game to C:WOLF3D.

C:> c:
C:> cd
C:> cd 1wolf14
C:1WOLF14> install

After installation of the game, copy the .EXE we just compiled to the game folder,

C:> c:
C:> cd wolf3d
C:WOLF3D> copy WOLF3D.EXE WOLF3D.OLD
C:WOLF3D> copy ../WOLRSRC/WOLF.EXE .

Running the game

Try to run it:

C:> cd wolf3d
C:WOLF3D> copy WOLF3D.EXE WOLF3D.OLD
C:WOLF3D> copy ../WOLRSRC/OBJ/WOLF3D.EXE .
C:WOLF3D> WOLF3D.EXE

Hm, that looks weird…..


Uh…

What ?

I did not remember it like that….

Ok something must be very wrong here !!

What happened ?

It has to do with the production access pipeline and how they are used by the engine.
When Adrian Carmack and Kevin Cloud were done crafting all the graphic files, they used a tool (IGRABed) to pack them together.
The output was made of 3+2 files.

VGAHEAD.WL1
VGAGRAPH.WL1
VGADICT.WL1

The VGAHEAD file is an index containing pointers to the VGAGRAPH where the data is stored huffman compressed. VGADICT
contains the huffman dictionaries to decompress the data.

The two other files produced:

GRE.H
GRE.EQU

Are compiled into engine as seen in the following drawing :

What are the .H and .EQU files needed for? In short, to allow access by name. When IGRABed assembled all files
it would also create an enum with matching indices:

GRE.H

enum{
H_WOLFLOGOPIC
GETPSYCHEDPIC
L_GUYPIC
.
.
} graphicnums

GRE.EQU

H_WOLFLOGOPIC =0
GETPSYCHEDPIC =1
L_GUYPIC =2

This way when the engine requested a particular asset, it could use a logical name (L_GUYPIC) instead of a “magic number” (2).

That means the engine shipped with the indices of the images in the VGA files HARD-CODED. Since the assets and
codebase evolved after shipping wolf3D shareware (with Spears of Destiny), the newly compiled game indices do not
match the location in the original assets files.

Running the game (again)

Fortunately there is a simple solution to this problem: Somebody regenerated the VGA assets so they match the indices in the .H and .EQU
released with the source code. Just copy those files (if you use the shareware assets you will have to change the file extension from .WL6 to .WL1).

C:> copy C:vgafilesVGADICT.WL6 C:WOLF3DVGADICT.WL1
C:> copy C:vgafilesVGAGRAPH.WL6 C:WOLF3DVGAGRAPH.WL1
C:> copy C:vgafilesVGAHEAD.WL6 C:WOLF3DVGAHEAD.WL1

Let’s try again:

C:WOLF3D> WOLF3D.EXE

It works !!

Yet we are are not done !

VGA framebuffer and screen aspect ratio

It may not be obvious to people that never saw the original game but the DosBox image above is not what people saw in 1992.
The VGA framebuffer was 320×200 but the CRT monitors had an aspect ratio of 4:3. Which mean the framebuffer was stretched vertically
when sent to the monitor. DosBox has an option to compensate for that :

vi ~/Library/Preferences/DOSBox 0.74 Preferences

[render]
# frameskip: How many frames DOSBox skips before drawing one.
# aspect: Do aspect correction, if your output method doesn’t support scaling this can slow things down!.
# scaler: Scaler used to enlarge/enhance low resolution modes.
# If ‘forced’ is appended, then the scaler will be used even if the result might not be desired.
# Possible values: none, normal2x, normal3x, advmame2x, advmame3x, advinterp2x, advinterp3x, …

frameskip=0
aspect=false
scaler=normal2x

Change that aspect to true:

Try again :

C:WOLF3D> WOLF3D.EXE

Recommended Readings

@

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Hacker News – https://fabiensanglard.net/Compile_Like_Its_1992/index.php

Tags: compileLet'stechnology
Previous Post

Genie: Generative Interactive Environments

Next Post

The 14 pains of building your own billing system

New approach improves right whale distribution models – EurekAlert!

Breakthrough Technique Boosts Precision in Mapping Right Whale Populations

September 18, 2025

Are Six-Figure Tech Careers Disappearing? Why Computer Science Graduates Are Struggling to Find Even Minimum Wage Jobs

September 18, 2025
Scientists reverse stroke damage with stem cells – ScienceDaily

Breakthrough Discovery: Scientists Successfully Reverse Stroke Damage with Stem Cells

September 18, 2025
New statewide SC lifestyle show ‘Palmetto Life Weekend’ to air on WMBF News – WMBF

Discover South Carolina’s Charm: New Lifestyle Show ‘Palmetto Life Weekend’ Premieres Statewide

September 18, 2025
China says US TikTok deal a ‘win-win’, will review app’s technology and IP transfers – Reuters

China Hails US TikTok Deal as a ‘Win-Win’ While Launching Review of App’s Technology and IP Transfers

September 18, 2025

Ireland Contracting Nightly Sports Call: Sept. 17, 2025 – CBS News

September 18, 2025
Trump Designates Antifa ‘Terror Organisation’ Days After Charlie Kirk Murder – NDTV

Trump Designates Antifa ‘Terror Organisation’ Days After Charlie Kirk Murder – NDTV

September 18, 2025
Study: UIS contributes nearly $1 billion to the Illinois economy – NPR Illinois

Study: UIS contributes nearly $1 billion to the Illinois economy – NPR Illinois

September 18, 2025
REO to return for UI homecoming – The News-Gazette

REO Gears Up to Ignite the Stage at UI Homecoming Celebration!

September 18, 2025
WATCH: Former CDC doctor says U.S. is on track to see uptick in preventable diseases under Kennedy – PBS

WATCH: Former CDC Doctor Warns of Rising Preventable Diseases in the U.S

September 18, 2025

Categories

Archives

September 2025
MTWTFSS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930 
« Aug    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (825)
  • Economy (844)
  • Entertainment (21,723)
  • General (17,103)
  • Health (9,889)
  • Lifestyle (859)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (849)
  • Politics (854)
  • Science (16,056)
  • Sports (21,344)
  • Technology (15,827)
  • World (828)

Recent News

New approach improves right whale distribution models – EurekAlert!

Breakthrough Technique Boosts Precision in Mapping Right Whale Populations

September 18, 2025

Are Six-Figure Tech Careers Disappearing? Why Computer Science Graduates Are Struggling to Find Even Minimum Wage Jobs

September 18, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version