From: mapson AT mapson DOT com (mapson)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer,comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: FreeDOS or OpenDOS question
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 1997 02:50:28 GMT
Organization: Yale University
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Message-ID: <3437006c.105555075@news.cis.yale.edu>
References: <342bdad9 DOT 72289929 AT news DOT demon DOT co DOT uk> <342cea41 DOT 748517 AT news DOT caiw DOT nl> <3436d35f DOT 373316 AT news DOT highfiber DOT com>
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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On Sat, 04 Oct 1997 23:39:18 GMT, raster AT highfiber DOT com (Charles Dye)
wrote:

>On Sat, 27 Sep 1997 11:14:51 GMT, g*m*bok AT hotmail DOT com  (Gerard Bok)
>wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 25 Sep 1997 23:28:24 GMT, alex DOT buell AT tahallah DOT demon DOT co DOT uk
>>(Alex Buell) wrote:
>>
>>>Does either FreeDOS or OpenDOS (from Caldera) supports multibooting? 
>>>
>>>I.e, could I install it on an extended logical partition a la OS/2 or
>>>Linux?
>
>>As far as I know, OpenDos doesn't come with its own multiboot utility
>>but using OS/2 multiboot you can choose between OS/2 and OpenDos.
>
>Actually, the latest version of OpenDOS (the 7.02 beta) *does* include
>a multiboot manager.  Haven't tried it myself, so I can't say how well
>it works.

What is the difference between these two? I read the FAQs from both,
but somehow didn't come away with a very salient notion of why they
are developing separately. Particularly with Caldera's OpenDOS- is it
a "for profit" item, or is it not? Offering an "evaluation copy"
sounds like shareware to me! But "eventually offering the source" does
not.

I like the idea of these OS being available... not because I love DOS
so much, per se, but because DOS has this enviable trio of properties:
1)an OS small enough to fit on a floppy disk, 2)has over a decade's
wealth of some of the worlds best [game] programs to draw from, 3)
runs on every x86 processor. Strikes me as the perfect portable OS for
gamers- i.e., if you have Linux or NT or some peculiar system on your
x86 machine, just pop a boot disk in, a floppy, and you can run...
Quake, Doom, Longbow,commanche,IndyCar...

How about a souped-up version that runs 32-bit flat-memory-model, but
still somehow handles stuff for old DOS? Is that a possibility? in the
near future? could it still fit on a floppy? ;)