On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 9:48 AM, <userbeit...@abwesend.de> wrote: > What I'm saying is that you might consider allowing additional software, > either in the main distribution, or - which would be even better: to allow > the addition of easy to set-up additional repositories, so that users can > easily get freeware that is closed source, or even shareware. Anything that > has a license allowing redistribution. > This way the main FreeDOS distribution stays open and free (as in freedom), > while allowing the user to add freeware/shareware etc. by utilizing the main > free distribution.
The rest of your email was about alt distributions with nonfree packages, but I'll comment here: FreeDOS is very unusual in the "DOS" world by having a "distribution" and "packages." (We made FreeDOS this way to be more modular, thus easier to modify - but also to appeal to a modern audience who is more familiar with Linux.) In every other version of DOS, going back to MS-DOS and PC-DOS, you installed DOS from a few floppy disks. To install other software, you either bought it from a store or downloaded it from a BBS, and installing the other software was either: 1. run the INSTALL or SETUP program, and follow the prompts 2. unzip (or unarc, or whatever) the archive file into a directory If you have nonfree DOS applications (such as legacy "abandoned" commercial software, or classic shareware, or some new program) you install them easily enough using either of the above. In that way, "the main FreeDOS distribution stays open and free (as in freedom), while allowing the user to add freeware/shareware etc." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
