[rwmj]

The first C compiler I used! I found a bug where if you allocated arrays larger than 64K (using far pointers of course) accesses would wrap around at 64K. I guess they didn't implement far pointers correctly. Anyway I sent them a bug report with a reproducer as a typed letter -- from the UK to the US -- including an international reply coupon[1], and they were kind enough to send me an update to the newer version on a 5.25" floppy. It fixed the problem.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_reply_coupon

[fweimer]

Maybe the compiler didn't implement the HUGE memory model, only the LARGE memory model? https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20200728-00/?p=10... has an overview that appears to match what I remember from those times.

[reitzensteinm]

Glad they fixed your issue, but I wonder if they also had a stack of "closed: wontfix" postcards.

[mid-kid]

That sounds to me like the far pointer was used to set the segment number, and the pointer offset isn't added back to the segment number as that'd be slow. Sounds like a sensible implementation to me though of course it's unexpected

[vim-guru]

I love these types of stories. I can definitely relate as I’ve traded games etc on floppies, but by the time I started developing software professionally, there was internet, ftp etc. Someone ought to create a film about the Apollo launch or some other pre-internet achievement and focus on these bits of the problem