GRABBER - Revision history

Sembiance: /* Software */

2025-12-23T01:50:54Z

‎Software

Jsummers: /* Format details */

2025-12-11T15:30:22Z

‎Format details

Jsummers: /* Format details */

2025-11-22T16:36:07Z

‎Format details

Jsummers: /* Format details */

2025-11-21T12:35:38Z

‎Format details

Jsummers: Reordered sections, etc.

2025-10-12T15:59:05Z

Reordered sections, etc.

Jsummers at 14:38, 8 October 2025

2025-10-08T14:38:50Z

Jsummers: /* Discussion */

2025-10-08T14:22:45Z

‎Discussion

Jsummers: /* Identification */

2025-10-08T14:13:10Z

‎Identification

Jsummers at 14:19, 4 October 2025

2025-10-04T14:19:56Z

MihaiPopa7: /* Software */

2025-09-26T09:02:37Z

‎Software

@@ Line 169: / Line 169: @@
 ** {{DiscMasterLink|browse/29621/ibm0030-0039/ibm0038.tar/ibm0038/GRAB6.ZIP|v6.01}}
 ** Additional links at [[GRABBER/Alternative links]].
 The GRABBER distribution (at least v3.87+) includes utilities for converting to common formats such as [[GIF]] and [[PCX]].

@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 === Compression ===
-In the COM-based formats, the payload data is not compressed.
+Several different compression schemes are used for the image data in generated files. (The information below is incomplete.)
-In v3.70+ EXE-based formats, it is compressed using [[PCX]]-style compression for text and CGA modes, or [[PCPaint PIC|PCPaint]]-style compression for EGA/VGA modes.
+{| class="wikitable"
+!Versions !! Modes !! Compression scheme
-EXE-based formats before v3.70 are compressed using an unknown method or methods.
+|-
 === Format details - v3.70+ ===
@@ Line 89: / Line 109: @@
 |21 || 2 || Height
 |-
-|36 || 2 || Absolute file position of the compressed pixel data. If the file contains a direct palette, it seems to always start 768 bytes before the pixel data.
+|36 || 2 || Absolute file position of the compressed pixel (or character) data. If the file contains a direct palette, it seems to always start 768 bytes before the pixel data.
 |}

@@ Line 89: / Line 89: @@
 |21 || 2 || Height
 |-
-|36 || 2 || Absolute file position of the compressed pixel data. If the file contains a direct palette, it always seems to always start 768 bytes before the pixel data.
+|36 || 2 || Absolute file position of the compressed pixel data. If the file contains a direct palette, it seems to always start 768 bytes before the pixel data.
 |}

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 == Format details ==
 The default save filename for v2.10 to v3.00 is "SCREEN_A.COM", "SCREEN_B.COM", etc. For v3.20 to 3.35, it's "SCREEN00.COM", "SCREEN01.COM", etc. For v3.60 to 3.96, it's "SCREEN00.EXE", "SCREEN01.EXE", etc. Later versions try to derive a name from the running program, or "MSDOS00.EXE"... if there isn't one, or "SCREEN00.EXE"... as a last resort.
 == Identification ==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 Curiously, one of the sample files sometimes found with v2.10, INNARDS.COM, is an image of part of a hex dump of what looks like an older (lost or unreleased) version of GRABBER.COM. It contains the strings "<code>GRABBER Ver. 2.0</code>" and "<code>Copyright (C) 1987 by Gerald A. Monroe</code>". The sample files themselves appear to be identical or nearly identical to those that could be made by v2.10.
 == Version history ==
@@ Line 47: / Line 44: @@
 |1995   || EXE || 3.98
 |}
 == Identification ==
-''Information based on minimal research. May not be correct for all files.''
+''[Information here might not be complete -- more research needed. Note that, for a given version, files using older (text, CGA) screen modes may be quite different from files using newer (EGA, VGA) screen modes.]''
 v2.10-2.20 (COM format): No readable signature. The first 16 bytes are

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 == Discussion ==
-Some of the registered versions have major version number 5 or 6, though they aren't necessarily newer than the 3.x shareware versions. This is mentioned in, for example, the REGISTER.DOC file from the 3.98 distribution.
+Some of the registered versions have major version number 5 or 6 (or 4, apparently), though they aren't necessarily newer than the 3.x shareware versions. This is mentioned in, for example, the REGISTER.DOC file from the 3.98 distribution.
-GRABBER may require a fairly accurate DOS emulator or a VM, like VMware Player. Versions that seem to work in [[DOSBox]] are 2.10 through 3.35, and 3.84 through 3.91. Versions that seem to work in VMware Player are later ones (like 3.98). Earlier versions like 3.34 doesn't support VMs (it captures garbage), but works fine in DOSBox.
+GRABBER may require a fairly accurate DOS implementation and PC emulator. The technical requirements differ by version of GRABBER, and are not well understood.
 Curiously, one of the sample files sometimes found with v2.10, INNARDS.COM, is an image of part of a hex dump of what looks like an older (lost or unreleased) version of GRABBER.COM. It contains the strings "<code>GRABBER Ver. 2.0</code>" and "<code>Copyright (C) 1987 by Gerald A. Monroe</code>". The sample files themselves appear to be identical or nearly identical to those that could be made by v2.10.

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
   This file was created by GRABBER.COM Version
-EXE files have ASCII "{{magic|Created by GRABBER}}" at offset 49.
+Early EXE format (~3.50): Verification needed. At offset 49 is the string
 == Software ==

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 GRABBER may require a fairly accurate DOS emulator or a VM, like VMware Player. Versions that seem to work in [[DOSBox]] are 2.10 through 3.35, and 3.84 through 3.91. Versions that seem to work in VMware Player are later ones (like 3.98). Earlier versions like 3.34 doesn't support VMs (it captures garbage), but works fine in DOSBox.
-In INNARDS.COM in GRABBER 2.10 (with samples), there was a earlier 2.0 release (from 1987), but it hasn't been located. Magic numbers are:
+Curiously, one of the sample files sometimes found with v2.10, INNARDS.COM, is an image of part of a hex dump of what looks like an older (lost or unreleased) version of GRABBER.COM. It contains the strings "<code>GRABBER Ver. 2.0</code>" and "<code>Copyright (C) 1987 by Gerald A. Monroe</code>". The sample files themselves appear to be identical or nearly identical to those that could be made by v2.10.
-−
-{{Magic|GRABBER Ver. 2.0 Drive ë:}}
-−
-and:
-−
-{{Magic|Copyright (C) 1987 by Gerald A. Monroe}}
 == Format details ==
@@ Line 48: / Line 42: @@
 == Software ==
 * GRABBER
-** {{CdTextfiles|gigabytesw/003a/grabber.zip|v2.10}}
+** v2.10 (with samples): [https://archive.org/details/RBBSIABOX RBBS in a Box - Ver 3.1, Number 1] → HDNO/GRABBER.ZIP
 ** v2.20: [https://archive.org/details/AllFritz All Fritz] → FILES/GRAPTIES/GRABBER2.LZH
 ** v3.0: [https://archive.org/details/TheMeltingPot20 The Melting Pot 2.0] → MEALMAST/MYRECIPE.ZIP → GRABBER.COM (bare executable)
@@ Line 75: / Line 70: @@
 ** {{CdTextfiles|megarom/megarom5/UTILITY/SCREEN/GRABB397.ZIP|v3.97}}
 ** {{CdTextfiles|swextrav8/swextrav8-1/all/grabb398.zip|v3.98}}
-** {{HTTP|:|/|/|discmaster.textfiles.com/browse/29621/ibm0030-0039/ibm0038.tar/ibm0038/GRAB6.ZIP|v6.01}}
+** {{DiscMasterLink|browse/29621/ibm0030-0039/ibm0038.tar/ibm0038/GRAB6.ZIP|v6.01}}
 ** Additional links at [[GRABBER/Alternative links]].