READMAKE

Revision as of 18:49, 14 November 2024

READMAKE is a DOS utility for creating a DOS EXE file that, when executed, displays a text document in a full-screen viewer. It was developed by Bruce Guthrie and Wayne Software.

READMAKE is related to READ (a.k.a. READ.EXE), a text file viewer by the same developer.

Identification

The executable part of a generated file is compressed with EXEPACK.

The EXE code segment (refer to MS-DOS EXE#Special file positions) at offset 512 starts with ASCII "blREADINCL". While not a deliberate signature (it's some sort of linker artifact?), it could be a fairly effective way to identify the files.

The overlay always starts with the same 62 bytes, the first four being 3e 00 00 00 (presumably a segment size field). However, some other EXE files from the same developer also have this trait.

Software

READMAKE was usually packaged with other software by the same author. The individual programs have revision dates that serve as their version numbers. Each package as a whole has an apparent 3-digit version number, probably loosely derived from the release date.

• READMAKE (selected versions)
  • 01/07/93 (3.01): Pegasus 2.0 → pegasus/textutil/read301.zip
  • 07/09/93 (3.07): READ307.ZIP
  • 09/04/95 (5.09): read509.zip
  • 10/08/97 (7.10): read710.zip
  • 03/08/98 (8.06): Hot Shareware 36 → FICHEROS/DUTI/READ806.ZIP

Sample files

• READMAKE Sample → HELLO.EXE
• ezydosv1.zip → README.EXE
• mornt10.zip → README.EXE
• hof893.zip → README.EXE
• pgold11.zip → README.EXE
• makelst.zip → README.EXE
• dexvert samples — document/readmake