> On Oct 17, 2017, at 11:44 AM, Jim Hall <jh...@freedos.org> wrote: > > 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?
Based on previous discussions on the most popular uses of FreeDOS, many of the legacy compatibility programs are probably seldom used. Moving them to a “compat” group sounds good. Sometimes, less is better. > (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"? More (good) Open source games. (If we can find them). > 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." > I’ve also had some thoughts about the next version of FreeDOS. Mostly, they are as follows. 1) A flexible startup boot configuration system. Similar to having a single Linux init runlevel. This can be done without breaking backwards compatibility. But, it would provide the flexibility for packages that are added or removed to manage their own configurations. For example, install DOSLFN and it will start automatically on boot. Remove the package and it cleans up itself. 2) A simple menu program for new users to easily find and run installed programs. I did create a VM install that more or less demonstrates what I mean by those ideas. The dynamic configuration stuff is interesting. But, it would need much testing to ensure it is reliable and stable. Just some thoughts. Jerome ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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
