On 2014-11-23 20:57, Dennis Holierhoek wrote:
> Hello everybody,
>
> I was wondering about two things:
> For what architectures is FreeDOS designed?
> For what architectures must programs be designed to run on FreeDOS?
>
> Dennis
As far as I can tell, QDOS i.e. Quick and Dirty Operating System was a
16-bit operating system from the start. Every MS-DOS compatible system
is therefor 100% 16-bit when it comes to the kernel and system functions.
DOS runs on architectures that support the real mode. Real mode is the
16-bit mode of Intel 8086 processors and compatibles. Even modern Core
i3/i5/i7 CPUs support real mode and can therefor run DOS, if the
computer has a BIOS.
Modern systems switched from the BIOS to UEFI, which is not supported by
DOS.
There are certain 32-Bit Extenders for DOS, which allow a program to use
protected mode, which is the 32-bit mode that was introduced with the
Intel 80386. But the kernel in general doesn't require protected mode
i.e. 32-bit at all.
To answer your question in short:
DOS is designed for 16-bit Intel 8086 compatible systems with a BIOS.
It natively runs 16-bit programs.
If you want a 8-bit system, you probably need CP/M-80 and a suitable
processor, such as the Intel 8080 or the Z80.
Cheers!
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