MS-DOS v6.22 Help: Stacks

------------------------ MS-DOS v6.22 Help: Stacks -------------------------
<Notes> <Examples>                                               <Index>
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                                   STACKS

Supports the dynamic use of data stacks to handle hardware interrupts. You
can use this command only in your CONFIG.SYS file.

Syntax

    STACKS=n,s

Parameters

n
    Specifies the number of stacks. Valid values for n are 0 and numbers in
    the range 8 through 64.

s
    Specifies the size (in bytes) of each stack. Valid values for s are 0
    and numbers in the range 32 through 512.

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<Syntax> <Examples>
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                               STACKS--Notes

Default settings

The default settings for the STACKS command are as follows:

Computer                              Stacks

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IBM PC, IBM PC/XT, IBM PC-Portable      0,0

Other                                  9,128

Special cases for stack allocation

Upon receiving a hardware interrupt, MS-DOS allocates one stack from the
specified number of stacks. When you specify 0 for the n and s values,
MS-DOS allocates no stacks. If the values are 0, each running program must
have enough stack space to accommodate the computer's hardware interrupt
drivers. Many computers operate correctly, saving some memory for programs,
with n and s values of 0. If, however, your computer becomes unstable when
you set these values to 0, return to the default values.

Increasing the value of STACKS

If the STACKS values are not equal to 0,0 and you see a "Stack Overflow" or
"Exception error 12" message, increase the number or size of the stacks.

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<Syntax> <Notes>
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                              STACKS--Example

To allocate 8 stacks of 512 bytes each for hardware-interrupt handling, add
the following command to your CONFIG.SYS file:

    stacks=8,512

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