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FreeDOS 1.1 Released

Posted by Unknown on from the we-don't-need-no-memory-protection dept.

MrSeb writes with this excerpt from an Extreme Tech article about the latest FreeDOS release and a bit of project history: "Some 17 years after its first release in 1994, and more than five years since 1.0, FreeDOS 1.1 is now available to download. The history of FreeDOS stems back to the summer of 1994 when Microsoft announced that MS-DOS as a separate product would no longer be supported. It would live on as part of Windows 95, 98, and (ugh!) Me, but for Jim Hall that wasn't enough, and so public domain (PD) DOS was born. ... Despite what you might think, FreeDOS isn't an 'old' OS; it's actually quite usable. FreeDOS supports FAT32, UDMA for hard drives and DVD drives, and it even has antivirus and BitTorrent clients." The official release announcement has more details on the improvements, and the FreeDOS website has the release for download.

3 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Re:But what use would I have for it? by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Informative

    Mostly I've used it for running old games (via DOSBox), but I've encountered it when using BIOS updates and other standalone boot utilities.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  2. Re:But what use would I have for it? by hawguy · · Score: 5, Informative

    I mean seriously, how am I going to use it?

    Running old programs maybe?

    I use it for installing BIOS and other hardware driver updates that need a DOS boot disk. The process goes something like this:

    http://www.tummy.com/journals/entries/jafo_20080920_234755

  3. (Free)DOS can still be relevant ... by DigitalDreg · · Score: 5, Informative

    DOS and FreeDOS are still relevant in some niche areas:

    - Turn-key and embedded hardware often use DOS
    - Retro-computing: Some of us like dragging out our old hardware to play with it
    - Learning to code closer to the metal; DOS gives you enough services to get you going, while giving you a feel for embedded programming

    FreeDOS runs on almost everything from an original IBM PC (1981) to a virtual machine under VMWare and VirtualBox. People (hobbyists) are continuing to work on the utilities to keep it refreshed. For example, in the last year there was a new set of TCP/IP programs added, a utility for sharing folders with a VMWare host, and a new web browser based on Dillo.

    It's not for everyone, but if you are curious check it out - it's pretty painless to run in a VM. (Or you can drag out your XT or Pentium 90 for the full effect.)