I was reading all the posts regarding the FreeDOS 2.0 roadmap and a
possible move to a 32-bit kernel.
So for the TL;DR crowd, I think the FreeDOS roadmap should include every
possiblity. Continue reading below if interested.
Now while my involvement has been pretty non-existent for nearly 5 years
(hotmail account hacked back in 2010), my opinion may or may not matter,
but this is what I think:
FreeDOS can, much like Linux exist in two flavors, possibly 3 if there is
enough interest and manpower:
1. Classic 16-bit FreeDOS (current version)
2. Hybrid 16-bit/32 bit FreeDOS can possibly implement the mode
switching done in Windows 95
3. A Full 32-bit FreeDOS
When I think of DOS, especially within the scope of this project, I
envision being able to pull out my somewhat extensive collection of old
software, games, and development tools and relive a foregone era of (to me)
simplistic computer usage.
I see no need to end development of that current path. However, how much
real work is left on this current path? Most, if not all of the core DOS
commands are represented. There are several OSS and freeware utilities,
development tools, browsers, and add-ons that have added to the core
functionality of DOS. I've even downloaded some of these pieces when I was
using DOS 6.22 in VMWare a few years back and they work well there. This
team has done a great job.
I think options 2 and 3 offer some interesting alternatives that Microsoft
ad hoc'd into DOS. Imagine for example, on 386+ hardware being able to boot
directly into a flat memory mode and instead of kludging through XMS/EMS
and VCPI/DPMI? How about hardware virtualization and dynamic resource
allocation?
It's a big dream, and a coding nightmare, but even if it served no
additional purpose other than a PoC, sometimes building the next "thing"
can inspire something greater. I know there is presently 3rd party support
via Paragon for NTFS, but what if it was built-in to the OS? Imagine being
able to use FreeDOS (now a brand rather than just an OS) for emergency
recovery disks instead of the present method where the Emergency Disk does
some things in Linux and others in DOS?
Imagine FreeDOS as a VM that runs virtual 16-bit isolated instances of
FreeDOS? What can we achieve with that?
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