On Sep 20 07:50, 1997, Dave Raymond of 1:3603/210.12 wrote:
RC>> Semantics, but the driver (comm.drv) is a "serial port driver", not a
RC>> "modem" driver.
DR> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the discussion was about
DR> modem drivers.  i.e., a driver specifically for said modem and not
DR> the driver for the serial port.  If I am in error about the topic here,
DR> I would appreciate a correction, as I don't want to confuse the issue.
The only "modem driver" needed is the software to support things like 
Winmodems.  Other than that, there is no "modem driver" in Win95.  There _is_ 
a .INF file, but that's just used to hold the modem config strings and the 
expected results from the modem.  It's not a "driver".  And, yes, you can 
"pick one at random" and use it if you know what you're doing - just as you 
could pick any modem "brand" in an old DOS comm app and modify the proposed 
init as necessary.
DR> My point was simply that, I don't believe that native Win95 comm apps
DR> would function, without a modem driver installed.  I have not tested
DR> this and may be wrong.  Agreed, the modem itself, as a piece of hardware, 
DR> being a true, fully functional modem, does not require a driver, per say.
DR> But, under Win95, will those native Win95 apps utilize it?
DR> A question.
Of all the magical, mystical things Win95 does, providing a "driver" for the 
modem isn't one of them.  Win95 apps depend on Win95 to provide the "front 
end" for handling the modem - the init, and so on, but that's all.  It's a 
setp up from Windows in that regard.  Let's have a look at a "comm program" 
in three environments:
DOS - the com program has settings to define the port, speed, init, etc, and 
the comm program looked after UART configuration and so on, and the comm 
program handled the "status" information from the modem (CONNECT, BUSY, etc).
Win 3.1 - the com program defines the port, speed, init, etc.  The serial 
port settings in Windows are ignored - the comm program accesses the "virtual 
ports" directly.  _Some_ fiddling had to be done in Win 3.1's system.ini for 
UART buffers, etc, for some systems.  The windows comm apps didn't do it, and 
neither did a user-addressable Windows setting (except through fiddling with 
the .ini).  The comm app handled the modem "status" info.
Win95 - the comm program access Win95's "comm subsystem", Win95 looks after 
port assignments, speeds, inits, UART buffers, modem responses, etc.
There's no "driver", but there is a more sophisticated interface (dial-up 
networking) that does much of what a pre Win95 comm program had to look 
fter.
A lot of people refer to the .INF file as a "driver", but it isn't. :-)
Rick
--- MsgedSQ 3.30
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