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".
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What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]
· FreeDOS kernel 2040 (Bart Oldeman, Jeremy Davis and others. Should fix fat32 file corruption).
· mtcp (Michael Brutman), a suite of high-performance TCP/IP applications for any x86 computer.
· an initial attempt at USB controller support (Bret Johnson). So far only UHCI (Intel/Via USB1.1 12mbit/1.5mbit).
· new Syslinux features (see installation notes, below) including free CD-driver for non-emulation booted CD/ISO.
· generic PCI IDE cache/cdrom driver (Jack R. Ellis) including PIO/UDMA modes for (P)ATA/SATA harddisks and CD.
· new installation menu when starting from CD, intended to reduce amount of menus you have to respond to.
· universal BIOS backup program, see http://www.flashrom.org .
· updated memory drivers (HMA&XMS, UMB&EMS) with many thanks to Japheth, Jack, Michael Devore and Tom Ehlert
· 4DOS 8.00 command interpreter has been added, many thanks to Luchezar Georgiev for updating JPSOFT's code
· installation scripts have been streamlined.
· very limited USB flash disk support (often showing up as C: )
· many new versions of many programs. Features and fixes as usual.
Removed:
· LBAcache, as UIDE now takes over read-ahead caching. Hopefully not only covers 586+ but also 386/486.
· CDRcache, as UIDE now takes over read-ahead caching. Hopefully not only covers 586+ but also 386/486.
· Unstable kernel 2039. Replaced by 2040.
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