FreeDOS For Linux

FreeDOS aims to be a complete, free, 100% MS-DOS compatible operating system. Mostly achieved except Windows compatibility - Windows standard-mode works on FreeDOS, but 386-mode / WfW 3.11 does not.

Here are some key features of "FreeDOS":

� Easy multiboot with Win95-2003 and NT/XP/ME � FAT32 file system and large disk support (LBA) � LFN support (on command line with 4DOS, which is now freeware: 4DOS for OS/2 is even open source) � LBACACHE - disk cache (harddisks in CHS and LBA mode, diskette) � Memory Managers: HIMEM, EMM386, UMBPCI � SHSUCDX (MSCDEX replacement) and CD-ROM driver (XCDROM) � CUTEMOUSE - Mouse driver with scroll wheel support � FDAPM - APM info/control/suspend/poweroff, ACPI throttle, HLT energy saving... � XDMA - UDMA driver for DOS: up to 4 harddisks � MPXPLAY - media player for mp3, ogg, wmv... with built-in AC97 and SB16 drivers � 7ZIP, INFO-ZIP zip & unzip... - modern archivers are available for DOS � EDIT / SETEDIT - multi window text editors � HTMLHELP - help viewer, can read help directly from a zip file � PG - powerful text viewer (similar to V. D. Buerg's LIST) � many text mode programs ported from Linux thanks to DJGPP � GRAPHICS - greyscale hardcopy on ESC/P, HP PCL and PostScript printers

FreeDOS was previously known as "Free-DOS" and originally as "PD-DOS." For a little trip down memory lane: In 1994, I was a physics student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Most of my work for school had been done using DOS - writing programs, dialing up to the university computer, network, analysing lab data, etc. I really loved DOS; I did everything with it. I had a '386 desktop system in my dorm room and an XT laptop that I would carry around with me to do work "on the go".