Short: Make tasks use a bigger stack Author: Andreas R. Kleinert, Kyzer/CSG Uploader: Kyzer/CSG Type: util/cli If you get crashes from "ramlib" or IPrefs, it may be because their stack is too small. Normally you can make programs use a bigger stack by using the "stack" command before executing them, but IPrefs and ramlib do not work in the normal way. There's a couple of programs written by Andreas Kleinert, called "RamLibPatch" and "IPrefsPatch", which can increase the size of the ramlib and IPrefs stack, respectively. It's a simple program he's written, quickly, and it seems to work fine. But, as usual, it can be done smaller and better in assembler. So, I've made "GrowStack". It is much smaller than both those patches, it allows you to specify your own choice of stack size on the command line, and you only need one command to apply both changes. USAGE: GrowStack RAMLIB/S, IPREFS/S, STACKSIZE/N/A - If you want to patch ramlib, set the RAMLIB switch, if you want to patch IPrefs, set the IPREFS switch. If you want to patch both, set both. Easy? - GrowStack requires the chosen tasks to already be loaded in memory, otherwise it will print 'object not found'. This is not a problem for ramlib, which is always in memory, but it does mean that to patch IPrefs, you have to run GrowStack _after_ IPrefs in the startup. - There must be enough memory for the stack, otherwise it will print 'not enough memory'. - It cannot shrink stacks, only grow them. If the stack is already as big as (or bigger than) the size you specify, then nothing will be done. - changing another task's stack is not allowed, but all current Amigas allow it to be done, despite this rule. Changing a stack may crash or confuse the task in question, causing failures. Future versions of the OS, or programs that enforce system rules, may cause the program to crash or fail. SHOULD I USE THIS PROGRAM? - If you never get crashes from IPrefs or ramlib, DO NOT USE THIS PROGRAM. GrowStack is not a healer, it is a fiddler and a breaker. Trying to change the stack is both dependant on how the program uses the stack AND at which time the stack change is performed. The idea is that hopefully the end justifies the means. - If you occasionally get crashes from IPrefs or ramlib, try using this program as specified, and perform whatever you did to make it crash. If it nolonger crashes, great. If not, DO NOT USE THE PROGRAM. INSTALLATION: To perform both the IPrefsPatch and RamLibPatch, put these two lines in your s:startup-sequence, exactly as written, just after IPrefs is started: GrowStack IPREFS RAMLIB 16384 This makes IPrefs and ramlib both have 16Kb stacks instead of 2k/3k stacks. Requires 2.0 or better. **************************************************************************** * THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF THE "KYZER'S SMALLS" COLLECTION * * * * The KyzSmlClxn is a set of very small, but useful CLI commands. * * * * Source in assembler is included. Install by copying the command to C: * * * * Kyzer/CSG, 49 Fairview Road, AB22 8ZG, Scotland ---- kyzer@4u.net * **************************************************************************** ============================= Archive contents ============================= Original Packed Ratio Date Time Name -------- ------- ----- --------- -------- ------------- 364 334 8.2% 10-Aug-98 19:18:00 GrowStack 3151 1420 54.9% 10-Aug-98 19:17:46 GrowStack.asm 3540 1566 55.7% 11-Aug-98 17:04:40 GrowStack.readme -------- ------- ----- --------- -------- 7055 3320 52.9% 18-Aug-98 20:47:28 3 files