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Microsoft Posts Source Code For MS-DOS and Word For Windows
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft, along with the Computer History Museum, has posted the source code for MS-DOS 1.1 and 2.0, and Word for Windows 1.1a. It's been a long time coming — DOS 2.0 was released for IBM PCs in 1983, and Word for Windows 1.1a came out in 1990. The museum, with Microsoft's consent, has made the code available for non-commercial use. They've also explained some of the history of this software's development: '[In August, 1980], IBM had already contracted with Microsoft to provide a BASIC interpreter for the PC, so they asked them to investigate also providing the operating system. Microsoft proposed licensing "86-DOS", which had been written by Tim Paterson at Seattle Computer Products (SCP) for their 8086-based computer kit because the 16-bit version of CP/M was late. When SCP signed the licensing deal [7] with Microsoft, they didn't know for sure who the computer manufacturer was. Paterson said "We all had our suspicions that it was IBM that Microsoft was dealing with, but we didn't know for sure." [1] He left SCP to work for Microsoft in 1981. "The first day on the job I walk through the door and 'Hey! It's IBM.'" Microsoft originally licensed 86-DOS in December 1980 for a flat fee of $25,000. By the next summer they recognized the importance of owning it and being able to license it to other companies making IBM-PC clones, so they purchased all rights for an additional $50,000.'"
Why not DOS 6.22? They're not making a bundle on that, either.
I told my dad about this post pointing on my Touch Screen; now he's calling my doctor and asking about a Tetanus Shot, and he looks worried?!
This short history summary shows that Microsoft's roots are in marketing, not programming. Once they obtained their license from SCP, they were responsible for DOS' development alone, and we eventually got MS-DOS 4.0, 4.01, 4.02.....4.22, 5.0 (( don't remember any bugixes for that one), 6.0, 6.01, 6.02, etc. NB: some of the interim 6.x changes series were for stealing compression technology from a competitor.
Thier buggy software continued right the 20th century till XP (2001)
It took them a long time to learn to program, and, now, their marketing is shooting themselves in their feet.
Long live MS (not.)
FreeDOS isn't done until Lotus won't run.
Or something.
No sig today...
I'm trying to find DOS 3.3 on a 5.25" floppy somewhere. Have an old Tandy that has a slightly DOS install on its ancient hard disk that I'm looking to repair. Once I get it running, I plan on keeping it in my office for when people come whining about wanting a new PC.
Eagerly awaiting the first fork! MS-DOS for Linux? Mac? It can finally happen!
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Someone posted a mirror to GitHub: https://github.com/Incognito/msdos
Doesn't even looking at this source code create a minefield for open source developers? If you look at the source code, Microsoft can scrutinize all your open-source contributions claiming that since you read Microsoft's source code, you can't suddenly forget everything you learned, so all your contributions to open-source software are tainted by your knowledge. It will be impossible to prove otherwise. This may mean that if you look at Microsoft's source code, you are barred for life from working on the Linux kernel or anything even remotely related to operating systems. It could even affect your ability to get a job.
Irrelevant. The source code for MS-DOS 1.0 is interesting as a curiousity, a piece of history if you will. It's most assuredly not useful as the basis for any modern work. And FreeDOS is, well, not a piece of history, a curiousity. Hence, FreeDOS is irrelevant to this discussion.
For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
It doesn't seem to be widely known, but the MS-DOS 6.0 source code was leaked at some point. However, if you look it up you will only see posts from late 2006 when it was indexed by google code search. There doesn't seem to be any information on how or when it was originally leaked it seems like for whatever reason it wasn't big news at the time.
read the summary, or at least the first line of the summary "Microsoft, along with the Computer History Museum"
Snowden and Manning are heroes.
Table-ized A.I.
I read "ribbon haters" and thought "hey, there are still people who use typewriters?"
my Tandy 1000ex most definitely required its DOS to be booted from the floppy drive. was damn frustrating when I was first learning computers and looking through commands, one of the first ones I tried was Format a:, spent the next 2 weeks waiting for a replacement dos disk :-(
I wish more companies would do this, and sooner too. Would your ten year old code really be a serious competition to your current efforts? It can however be priceless for learning, or even support for hobbyists who like tinkering with old gadgets.
Lets thank Microsoft for doing the right thing and hope its a sign of good things to come from their new leadership. Apple, Novell and Sun - please take notice.