Re: Using FreeDOS In 2022

On 2024-04-22, Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:

I like the simplicity of DOS too, but when people talk about using
it instead of modern Linux or Windows it occours to me that after
loading USB, Ethernet, file system (long file name support), and
mouse drivers, Maybe even a full multi-tasking user environment as
you suggest, you're basically building a complex modern OS on top
of DOS one TSR program at a time. But without much documentation or
support. To that end you can run loadlin.exe and just boot Linux
from DOS (or start pre-NT Windows).
>
Perhaps the nice thing about FreeDOS could be that you can choose
exactly how much of that complexity you want more easily?

Much of this stuff is a matter of perspective.  For someone who has
never touched DOS, it will represent MORE complexity since it is an
additional learning curve on top of whatever they are used to.  And
with all that configurability and minimalism come a lot of corner
cases and gotchas.

What got me started on my present retro kick was trying to run a
Linux VM on hardware that wasn't really up to the task.  Then i
started DOSBox on the same hardware and it was quite zippy.  I had
GNU stuff from DJGPP and some games.

In my perspective, this is where i see DOS shine.  Within single-task
constraints, the OS can run equivalent programs using a fraction of
the resources.  A recent stock Linux kernel can't really do anything
useful in 32 mb of memory, but DOS can.

Useful for what?  Not for consuming mass media.  For making old
hardware run, for tinkering around, and having fun.  For example:
https://krg.club/gb3kd/