
FreeDOS 1.2 RC1 - cheiVia0
http://opensource-usability.blogspot.com/2016/10/freedos-12-rc1.html
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aruggirello
I'm puzzled. I'd like to know why OEMs worldwide are shipping hundreds of
thousands of computers with FreeDOS bundled, where any Linux distro would
probably be better suited for the casual user. Are they afraid to have to
handle Linux support for their PC's?

Mind you, I like FreeDOS. I'm in no way bashing it. It's a great project! But
we all know FreeDOS is almost certainly going to be wiped out as soon as these
computers are turned on. Wouldn't it be better if users found Ubuntu or Linux
Mint instead? This would be a great tool for Linux adoption.

Just a thought.

~~~
mrweasel
One reason could be to avoid angry calls from Microsoft. If customers know
that they can get a cheaper, functional PC, by choosing one without Windows,
Microsoft may react to the potential lose of licenses sold.

Choice FreeDOS allows the OEMs to test that the computers are working, but
Microsoft doesn't view a DOS clone at a threat to Windows.

I have no idea if this is the real reason, but it seems plausible.

~~~
smitherfield
I seriously doubt that, given that computers sold with FreeDOS (generally in
the third world) are sold with the implicit understanding that the end user
will install a pirated version of Windows.

~~~
problems
Or you know, Linux, BSD, or a legitimately licensed version of Windows via
another means like MSDN or Dreamspark? Plenty of good legitimate and
illegitimate reasons to do this, not just piracy.

~~~
smitherfield
The actual reason is piracy.

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supercheetah
It's really not. Cynicism not needed.

~~~
dguaraglia
I have to agree with smitherfield. In Latin America (where I lived most of my
life) it's pretty common to sell computers with either pirated Windows or
something like FreeDOS. Only reputable brands (like Dell, HP and so on) care
to ship official Windows installs, and even retail stores (like, say, Best Buy
in the US) will offer you different kinds of installations: Windows (at a much
higher cost), some Linux variant with no support or a trial version of Windows
that you can replace with your own pirated version.

Software piracy is rampant in developing nations, which is understandable. Who
wants to pay half a month's salary for a copy of Windows?

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teddyh
I wish they would make an official USB boot image.

~~~
cheiVia0
Looks easy:
[http://freedos.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/USB](http://freedos.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/USB)

~~~
teddyh
Those instructions says to use the “Odin” floppy disk image, which is a third-
party project which was last updated in 2005.

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problems
Rufus, the recommended Ubuntu USB creator can build FreeDOS sticks too.

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teddyh
I thought Rufus was a Windows program you had run on Windows? I would really
prefer an image file.

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xyproto
It's easier to get the soundcard to work on my netbook with Linux + DosBox
than using FreeDOS.

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rasz_pl
Dos does NOTHING for sound cards, there are no dos drivers, every single
program needs to talk to raw low level hardware to make a sound.

~~~
khedoros1
And for that reason, xyproto's post is trivially true, in the practical sense.
Hardware today doesn't implement any compatibility mode that would be useful
to original DOS-era programs. Dosbox provides that compatibility mode, acting
as a translation layer for getting+putting audio samples, simulating FM
synthesis, etc. No DOS game's gonna directly support AC97 or HD Audio codecs.

> there are no dos drivers

There _were_ commonly configuration and settings programs that came with
hardware. Expanding beyond audio hardware, mice, CD-ROMs, EMS, and others
loaded TSRs that acted more directly like drivers.

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mseepgood
Why sourceforge.net? Why SVN? It's 2016!

~~~
cheiVia0
Sourceforge: [https://sourceforge.net/blog/sourceforge-acquisition-and-
fut...](https://sourceforge.net/blog/sourceforge-acquisition-and-future-
plans/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/4n3e1s/the_state_...](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/4n3e1s/the_state_of_sourceforge_since_its_acquisition_in/)

SVN: probably inertia and a large repo that would be work to convert.

