FreeDOS 1.3 Release Candidate Available For Retaining MS-DOS Compatibility In 2019

[phoronix]

Phoronix: FreeDOS 1.3 Release Candidate Available For Retaining MS-DOS Compatibility In 2019

The first release candidate of FreeDOS 1.3 is now available, which is the open-source effort continuing to maintain compatibility with classic MS-DOS...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=FreeDOS-1.3-RC1

[wizard69]

What is sad here is that FreeDOS gets used by me to support really old automation software. Software that is no longer supported is likely one of the best reasons to support open source.

[starshipeleven]

What is sad here is that FreeDOS gets used by me to support really old automation software.

Can't you just install the actual DOS http://www.thelegacypcproject.com/software.html on some random ancient junk laptop or something with hardware serial ports?

It also works fine in a VM but some old applications (games and data acquisition applications) are shit and require a far slower CPU than modern ones, since neither VMWare nor KVM can fake a slower CPU you can only use old hardware or some dedicated DOS game emulators (i.e. DosBox) that have this ability.

Software that is no longer supported is likely one of the best reasons to support open source.

Ummm..... no? The main reason to support opensource is that it gives you more control over the software you are using.

Running unsupported software is the realm of VMs and retrocomputing (i.e. fetching old crap hardware and installing old crap OS on them).

[thunderbird32]

Can't you just install the actual DOS http://www.thelegacypcproject.com/software.html on some random ancient junk laptop or something with hardware serial ports?

Isn't that technically still a licensing violation? I know Microsoft probably wouldn't come after you, but if you're using it in a business, that's not going to fly. Much better off with FreeDOS or one of the many DOSBox clones (like vDOS).

[ssokolow]

Can't you just install the actual DOS http://www.thelegacypcproject.com/software.html on some random ancient junk laptop or something with hardware serial ports?

Nope. BSA raids are an actual thing and I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to go after a company for pirating software that's only available legally through eBay and companies like EMS Professional Software.

[Danniello]

What is sad here is that FreeDOS gets used by me to support really old automation software. Software that is no longer supported is likely one of the best reasons to support open source.

You could also try PCem https://pcem-emulator.co.uk/status.html

In short: it is software attempt to emulate real hardware (motherboard, GPU, etc.) - so after install system - you should install real drivers for Sound Blaster, S3 ViRGE, etc. (not fake ones like VirtIO or VMware Tools).

[aht0]

Nope. BSA raids are an actual thing and I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to go after a company for pirating software that's only available legally through eBay and companies like EMS Professional Software.

+1

Private citizens have nothing much to worry about but BSA raids are real possibility for companies.

[edwaleni]

BSA is more into lobbying and legal affairs to protect the legal basis of software licensing. Basically policy wonks.

They still have an enforcement team of 4 people, but they mostly rely on internet tools to sniff out gross violations.

The CEO is basically a public speaker and the face. The real operatives are the 3 lawyers in the management team.

[starshipeleven]

Isn't that technically still a licensing violation?

Yes but if you claim and register in the company's books that you bought the old crap device with DOS preinstalled you're untouchable.

Of course this won't fly for virtual machines, but if you encrypt the drive and refuse to give even police the key because it contains sensitive third party information (which is probably true for most companies that don't live in a vacuum and a very real thing you can easily shield your ass with, in EU at least), then again you're untouchable.

Of course this works for limited numbers, like a few dozen systems to run some automation crap, or I'm not talking of setting up a datacenter full of DOS systems or some serious hyperconverged setup with EsXi running thousands of DOS VMs in some kind of huge server here.

But really, you need more than that? What about investing into some reverse engineering for the very least?

[starshipeleven]

Nope. BSA raids are an actual thing and I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to go after a company for pirating software that's only available legally through eBay and companies like EMS Professional Software.

Really, I've seen enough pretty fucking blatant shit with modern (Adobe usually) software, DOS is quite frankly so microscopic fish in the sea that I highly doubt anyone would even care about checking if you don't bring it up and rub it in their faces.