Here’s one possibility: 1. Start FreeDOS (16-bit mode) 2. Start FreeDOS-32 via a separate executable (it would only be installed if it detected a 32-bit capable processor), perhaps call it FD32. It would switch to protected mode and spawn a protected mode shell.
The other possibility During the install, determine if the computer can support 32-bit instruction set If so, install FreeDOS and install the FreeDOS 32-bit components (provide an option to only run the 16-bit OS) FreeDOS 32 starts automatically by running the initial 16-bit environment, then spawning the 32-bit environment to take over. All existing drivers developed for FD16 would work. If we use the Windows SDK to clean build the 32-bit environment, then perhaps we can use Win9x drivers (if they are even still available). Otherwise, we’d have to clean room Win NT to implement a 32-bit OS and ReactOS is still in alpha... > On May 28, 2015, at 4:58 PM, Mercury Thirteen <mercury0x0...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Agreed, that was my exact line of thinking. > > However, the folks here seem to have come to the conclusion that FreeDOS will > not evolve into the 32-bit realm. > > On Thu, May 28, 2015 at 4:47 PM, Antony Gordon <cuzint...@gmail.com > <mailto:cuzint...@gmail.com>> wrote: > I was re-reading some emails and I think I have an idea of how this would > work. > > The goal is existing compatibility so that older DOS applications will run. > Obviously, moving to 32-bit will eliminate most of the older processors, > HOWEVER. by implementing a Windows 9x like model and build a 32-bit kernel to > supplant the 16-bit kernel, we can then spawn 16-bit VM under a 32-bit kernel > to run each 16-bit application, as well as develop 32-bit applications. > > The important pieces I believe that need to be figured out is the VMM > (Virtual Machine Manager) and the DOS Extender. I only suggest Windows 9x > because it was still able to utilize real mode DOS drivers. > > Thoughts? > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > _______________________________________________ > Freedos-devel mailing list > Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > <mailto:Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net> > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel > <https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel> > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > _______________________________________________ > Freedos-devel mailing list > Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
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