comfile

This is a fixed version (0.4, based on comfile-0.3.tar.gz) of http://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/txt/mopb-app.html to build and run on recent Linux kernel (as of 2025).

It also contains some improvements:

• produce smaller binary COM files (Eg: tinier.asm produces 3 bytes and tiny.c 6 bytes of COM binary returning 42)
• no need for any metadata (eg: like perusing the file name as data).

All due credits to Brian Raiter for the original work (0.3). See README for the original project description.

Copyright 2025 by Nicolas Sauzede [email protected]. Copyright 2019 by Brian Raiter [email protected].

The files contained in this distribution are free software. The comfile kernel module is licensed under the GNU General Public License; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. The remaining files of this distribution can be copied and distributed, with or without modification, in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved. All files in this distribution are offered as-is, without any warranty.

Usage

Build the whole thing:

comfile $ make clean all
<enter sudo passwd to install the comfile kernel module>
comfile $ ls -l src/*.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico 8644 Apr 15 11:35 src/cat.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico  204 Apr 15 11:35 src/echo.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico  164 Apr 15 11:35 src/env.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico 1032 Apr 15 11:35 src/factor.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico   80 Apr 15 11:35 src/hello.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico  772 Apr 15 11:35 src/tac.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico    3 Apr 15 11:35 src/tinier.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico    6 Apr 15 11:35 src/tiny.com

Assembly:

comfile $ cat src/tinier.asm
BITS 64
    mov al, 42
    ret
comfile $ ls -l src/tinier.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico 3 Apr 15 11:35 tinier.com
comfile $ src/tinier.com ; echo $?
42

C:

comfile $ cat src/tiny.c
int main() {
    return 42;
}
comfile $ ls -l src/tiny.com
-rwxr-xr-x 1 nico nico 6 Apr 15 11:35 tiny.com
comfile $ src/tiny.com ; echo $?
42

Other programs using arguments/environ still work as intended:

comfile $ src/hello.com
hello, world
comfile $ src/echo.com 1 2 3
1 2 3
comfile $ src/env.com
SHELL=/usr/bin/bash
COLORTERM=truecolor
HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=gnome-
TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION=3.5a
...
comfile $ src/cat.com /etc/mailcap | cmp - /etc/mailcap
comfile $