Hi all I don't know if you saw on our Twitter or on Facebook, but since its release on December 25 2016, FreeDOS 1.2 passed 500,000 downloads in June 2017. And passed 600,000 in August. As of this week, FreeDOS 1.2 has been downloaded over 671,500 times.
I've lately wondered what should come after FreeDOS 1.2. I think it's time to talk about "FreeDOS 2.0." I wanted to start a conversation thread for it. My thoughts: FreeDOS is meant to be an open source software replacement for MS-DOS. As such, "FreeDOS 2.0" must maintain compatibility with MS-DOS. I am not suggesting changing core compatibility. "FreeDOS 2.0" needs to remain 16-bit, with a single-user single-tasking command-line environment that runs on PCs. Compatibility is key! However, in looking at what "FreeDOS 2.0" might be, I think we are maintaining some legacy softare that doesn't need to be part of "base" anymore. So in looking at "FreeDOS 2.0," I am thinking about changing what tools and utilities are installed when you choose "Base packages only" versus "Full installation." Let's start a discussion: (1) What does "Base" mean in 2017 or 2018? I think there are some packages we might take out of "Base" and move into a "Compat" package group, such as: APPEND ASSIGN GRAPHICS JOIN SUBST others? (2) Are there other packages we should install "Base" by default? I don't want to make this a free-for-all, but perhaps there are some utilities that should be "promoted" to "Base." What utilities do you think should be moved to "Base" in "FreeDOS 2.0"? (3) What packages do we include in FreeDOS 1.2 that shouldn't exist in "FreeDOS 2.0"? (4) Is there anything missing in FreeDOS 1.2 that should be included in "FreeDOS 2.0"? When replying to this discussion, I ask that you reply in-line (not reply-top or reply-bottom) and to keep your discussion focused and on-topic. This discussion is about "FreeDOS 2.0." Jim Other references: http://www.freedos.org/software/ http://wiki.freedos.org/wiki/index.php/FreeDOS_Road_Map ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
