(sorry if the formatting is messed up, OWA is a horror) ________________________________________ From: Jim Hall <jh...@freedos.org> Sent: 17 October 2017 16:44 To: freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [Freedos-devel] What is FreeDOS 2.0?
> 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? Sounds good to me! > (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"? Personally I'd like (note like, not need!) more of the development tools from Open Watcom and DJGPP to be available as packages. Currently these are (reasonably, due to popularity!) skewed towards C/C++ but both provide compilers for other languages (Fortran, Ada etc.) which we don't have packages for. DJGPP also has an Emacs build which might interest some people. Similarly there are a couple of nice DOS Open Source languages we could add - UCBLogo and Gambit Scheme (I've not found a good Open Source Common LISP for DOS but I am looking!). Both work well on FreeDOS 1.2, it'd just be nice to have packages for them! The only other thing I'm missing a bit more generally is better USB support for things like serial <-> USB (increasingly a problem for modern hardware :( ) but there doesn't appear to be anything that could be added off the shelf for that so it's a bit of work. Perhaps some applications for OpenGEM? > 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 Cheers, Owain -- /UCL/ISD/RITS/RC Applications & Support Team Leader/Owain Kenway Twitter: @owainkenway || E-mail: o.ken...@ucl.ac.uk Internal: 59834 || External: 02031089834 First Floor, The Podium, 1 Eversholt Street, London, NW1 2DN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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
