From: Thomas Harte <T DOT Harte AT btinternet DOT com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp,comp.os.msdos.programmer,comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Re: An updated DOS - Please discuss
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 21:26:34 +0100
Organization: BT Internet
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

> The only thing DOS does is load a program and then let it take
> complete control of the machine.  That turns out not to be a very
> good model if you ever want to run two programs at once.  Why not
> run DOSEMU under Linux, either on the console or in an Xwindow?

	To me it seems the goal is to create an efficient operating system with the
feel of DOS rather than a multi-programming DOS compatible. But, in that case,
would it not be quite a bit easier and still achieve the same targets if a DOS
shell for UNIX was created? Not only would you be able to port it around quite
easily in terms of target hardware, but you would appease UNIX distributors
who are looking for a way to make things such as Linux look easier to the
DOS/windows user and so probably gain a lot of support.

	Also, thinking of Linux specifically, you could use the misc binaries support
of the 2.2+ kernel with masks of '.exe' and '.com' to launch DOSEMU whenever a
user attempts to run a legacy DOS binary, giving you a clean, DOS-like working
base with good DOS compatibility.

		-Thomas