Thanks for the update - I'm not on Facebook so I can't see the discussion.
What follows is my personal opinion/rant ...
What FreeDOS is:
FreeDOS is an open source re-implementation of DOS (PC-DOS and MS-DOS). I
was careful not to use the word "clone" which would imply that everything
has to be copied slavishly. But it is DOS, so it needs to behave like
DOS. If it does not want to be DOS it should call itself something
different.
The reference kernel that FreeDOS seeks to emulate is MS-DOS 6.22. (PC-DOS
is close enough to be considered the same.) The FreeDOS kernel needs to
behave as closely to this kernel as possible to ensure compatibility with
the tremendous number of existing applications. These applications are
complex and highly dependent upon DOS kernel behaviors, both good and bad.
We have some room to fix things, but not much.
The FreeDOS user space utilities are not so encumbered. We can have a
suite of user space utilities that have consistent command line flags. We
can include more utilities than the original DOS did. We can have a
package manager that can update software like a modern operating system.
We can add device drivers and support for more modern hardware. There is
lots to do and a lot is possible.
DOS (and FreeDOS) is dependent on the x86 architecture. It will never run
elsewhere. It may run in emulation on different platforms, but we will
never see support for anything other than x86.
Hardware support:
I am primarily interested in FreeDOS because I collect and restore old
PCs. As soon as FreeDOS loses interest in keeping old hardware running,
then I lose interest in FreeDOS. I have far more time invested in my old
PCs and mTCP than I do in FreeDOS and I know which one I'll cut first. I'm
sorry, that's not a threat - it's just the cold reality of not having
enough time to do everything.
There are a lot of us out there. FreeDOS is at a disadvantage already
because PC-DOS and MS-DOS are what these machines originally shipped with
and they both work well. FreeDOS can become more popular in this space
(and get more interest/support) if it provides a superior user experience -
installation, hardware support, core utilities, etc. You don't want to
write this group off - you need to get closer to them. They have the
skills and interest to keep a legacy operating system and its applications
vibrant.
That doesn't mean that 32 bit applications running under a DOS extender are
bad and should not be allowed. DOS extenders are a part of the DOS
experience. But the FreeDOS kernel and core utilities should always be 16
bits.
A 32 bit DOS makes no sense:
A 32 bit DOS is going to break applications, which is one of the reasons
why so many DOS users still use DOS. It also eliminates all of the 8088
and 80286 class systems.
If you want a toy operating system to work on there are probably dozens on
SourceForge right now and all of their users fit in a Volkswagen Beetle.
Don't turn FreeDOS into one of them. If you need a 32 bit operating system
with modern features then run something like Linux.
That Kickstarter project should be strangled in its sleep. I'm sorry, but
it's just so ill-conceived that it is not credible. You are not going to
get programmers on crowd-sourcing sites to work on FreeDOS. And even if
such unicorns existed, they are not going to get it done for $2500. And
even if they could get it done, it wouldn't be DOS anymore.
The project should be terminated and all of the money returned immediately.
Mike
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website,
sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your
hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought
leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a
look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net
_______________________________________________
Freedos-devel mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
