View source for FreeDOS

{{Short description|Open source clone of MS-DOS}}
{{redirect|Freedos|the singular|Freedo (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021|cs1-dates=y}}
{{Use list-defined references|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = FreeDOS
| logo = FreeDOS logo4 2010.svg
| screenshot = FreeDOS 1.1 screenshot.png
| caption = FreeDOS 1.1 default shell, FreeCOM
| developer = [[Jim Hall (computer programmer)|Jim Hall]] & The FreeDOS team
| programmed in = [[Assembly language]], [[C (programming language)|C]]<ref name="FreeDOS_Spec" />
| family = [[DOS]]
| working state = Current
| source model = [[Open source]]<ref name="FDOS_2021" />
| released = {{Start date and age|1994|09|16|df=yes}}<ref name="FreeDOS_A1" />
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|P348|P548=Q2804309}}       | latest release date    = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}|df=yes}}<ref name="FDOS_Download" />
| language = [[English language|English]], [[German language|German]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[French language|French]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]]
| supported platforms = [[x86]]
| kernel type = [[Monolithic kernel]]<ref name="Villani_1996_Kernel" />
| influenced_by = [[MS-DOS]]
| ui = [[Command-line interface]] ([[COMMAND.COM]])
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GNU GPL]]<ref name="FDOS_2021" /> with various different licenses for utilities
}}
'''FreeDOS''' (formerly '''PD-DOS''') is a [[free software]] [[operating system]] for [[IBM PC compatible]] computers. It intends to provide a complete [[MS-DOS]]-compatible environment for running [[Legacy system|legacy software]] and supporting [[embedded system]]s.<ref name="homepage" /> FreeDOS can be booted from a [[floppy disk]] or [[USB flash drive]]<ref name="Franske_2007_USB" /><ref name="FreeDOS_Floppy" /> and is designed to run well under [[virtualization]] or [[x86]] [[Emulator|emulation]].<ref name="Gallagher_2014" />

The FreeDOS project began under [[Jim Hall (computer programmer)|Jim Hall]] in 1994, and the first [[Stable version|stable]] version was released in 2006. Unlike most versions of [[MS-DOS]],<ref name="Turner_2018" /> FreeDOS is composed of [[free software]], [[Software license|licensed]] under the terms of the [[GNU General Public License]].<ref name="FDOS_2021" /> However, other packages that form part of the FreeDOS project include non-GPL software considered worthy of [[Digital preservation|preservation]], such as [[4DOS]], which is distributed under a modified [[MIT License]].<ref name="4DOS" />

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== Distribution ==
FreeDOS 1.1, released on 2 January 2012,<ref name="freedos" /> is available for download as a [[CD-ROM]] image: a limited install disc that only contains the kernel and basic applications, and a full disc that contains many more applications (games, networking, development, etc.), not available {{As of|2011|11|lc=on}} but with a newer, fuller 1.2.<ref name="freedos files" /> The legacy version 1.0 (2006) consisted of two CDs, one of which was an 8&nbsp;MB install CD targeted at regular users and the other which was a larger 49&nbsp;MB live CD that also held the source code of the project.<ref name="freedos files" />

=== Commercial uses ===
FreeDOS is used by several companies:
* [[Dell]] preloaded FreeDOS with its n-series desktops to reduce their cost. The firm has been criticized for making these machines not cheaper and harder to buy, than identical systems with Windows.<ref name="Vance_2005_Dell" />
* [[Hewlett-Packard]] provided FreeDOS as an option in its HP Compaq dc5750 Small Form Factor PC, ''Mini 5101'' netbooks and ''Probook'' laptops.<ref name="Hewlett-Packard_2012" /><ref name="EWeek_2009_HP" /><ref name="McCracken_2009" /> FreeDOS is also used as bootable media for updating the BIOS [[firmware]] in HP systems.<ref name="HP_2010" />
* FreeDOS is included by [[Steve Gibson (computer programmer)|Steve Gibson]]'s hard drive maintenance and recovery program, [[SpinRite]].<ref name="Goldstein_2004_SpinRite" />
* Intel's Solid-State Drive Firmware Update Tool loaded the FreeDOS kernel.<ref name="Intel_SATA" />
* Many motherboard vendors recommend a bootable FreeDOS for running low level BIOS and firmware updates.

=== Non-commercial uses ===
FreeDOS is also used in multiple independent projects:
* FED-UP is the Floppy Enhanced [[DivX]] Universal Player.<ref name="FloppyDivX" />
* FUZOMA is a FreeDOS-based distribution that can boot from a [[floppy disk]] and converts older computers into educational tools for children.<ref name="FUZOMA" />
* XFDOS is a FreeDOS-based distribution with a [[graphical user interface]], porting [[Microwindows|Nano-X]] and [[FLTK]].<ref name="kraileth_TK" /><ref name="kraileth_nanolinux" /><ref name="Winnie_AIM" /><ref name="Georg_HP" />
== Development and version history ==
{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin: 0 1.25em"
|+ FreeDOS version history<ref name="FDOS_Download" /><ref name="FreeDOS-Comparison" /><ref name="FreeDOS-Old" />
|-
! Version || Status || Codename || Date
|-
| 0.01 || [[alpha release|ALPHA]] || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | 16 September 1994
|-
| 0.02 || ALPHA || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | December 1994
|-
| 0.03 || ALPHA || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | January 1995
|-
| 0.04 || ALPHA || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | June 1995<ref>{{Cite web |date=1996-12-25 |title=The Free-DOS Project – Files [Free-DOS Alpha 4 archive comment and files give date 28 June 1995 – but it could be an update] |url=http://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961225065126/http://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files.html |archive-date=1996-12-25 |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=Free-DOS (sunsite)}}</ref>
|-
| 0.05 || ALPHA || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | 10 August 1996
|-
| 0.06 || ALPHA || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | November 1997
|-
| 0.1 || [[beta release|BETA]] || Orlando || style="text-align:right;" | 25 March 1998
|-
| 0.2 || BETA || Marvin || style="text-align:right;" | 28 October 1998
|-
| 0.3 || BETA || Ventura || style="text-align:right;" | 21 April 1999
|-
| 0.4 || BETA || Lemur || style="text-align:right;" | 9 April 2000
|-
| 0.5 || BETA || Lara || style="text-align:right;" | 10 August 2000
|-
| 0.6 || BETA || Midnite || style="text-align:right;" | 18 March 2001
|-
| 0.7 || BETA || Spears || style="text-align:right;" | 7 September 2001
|-
| 0.8 || BETA || Nikita || style="text-align:right;" | 7 April 2002
|-
| 0.9 || BETA || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | 28 September 2004
|-
| 1.0 || FINAL || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | 3 September 2006
|-
| 1.1 || FINAL || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | 2 January 2012
|-
| 1.2 || FINAL || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | 25 December 2016
|-
| 1.3 || FINAL || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | 20 February 2022
|-
| 1.4 || FINAL || {{CNone|None}} || style="text-align:right;" | 5 April 2025
|}
The FreeDOS project began on 29 June 1994, after [[Microsoft]] announced it would no longer sell or support MS-DOS. [[Jim Hall (computer programmer)|Jim Hall]], who at the time was a student,<ref name="FLOSS" /> posted a manifesto proposing the development of PD-DOS, a [[public domain]] version of DOS.<ref name="Hall_1994_Announcement" /> Within a few weeks, other programmers including [[Pat Villani]] and Tim Norman joined the project. Between them, a kernel (by Villani), the [[COMMAND.COM]] command line interpreter (by Villani and Norman), and core utilities (by Hall) were created by pooling code they had written or found available.<ref name="linuxdevices" /><ref name="Hall_2006_About" /> For some time, the project was maintained by Morgan "Hannibal" Toal. There have been many official pre-release distributions of FreeDOS before the final FreeDOS 1.0 distribution.<ref name="FreeDOS-History" /> GNU/DOS, an unofficial distribution of FreeDOS, was discontinued after version 1.0 was released.<ref name="Adams_2005" /><ref name="Marinof_GNU/DOS" />[[File:Blinky.svg|thumb|Blinky, the mascot of FreeDOS]]

Blinky the Fish is the mascot of FreeDOS. He was designed by Bas Snabilie.<ref name="FD_Logo" />

== Compatibility ==
=== Hardware ===
FreeDOS requires a [[PC/XT]] machine with at least 640&nbsp;kB of memory.<ref name="Lowe_2003" /> Programs not bundled with FreeDOS often require additional system resources.

=== MS-DOS and Win32 console ===
FreeDOS is mostly compatible with MS-DOS. It supports COM executables, standard DOS executables and Borland's [[16-bit]] [[DOS Protected Mode Interface|DPMI]] executables. It is also possible to run [[32-bit]] DPMI executables using [[DOS extender]]s. The operating system has several improvements relative to MS-DOS, mostly involving support for newer standards and technologies that did not exist when Microsoft ended support for MS-DOS, such as [[internationalization]], or the [[Advanced Power Management]] [[Terminate-and-stay-resident program|TSRs]].<ref name="Techworld" /> Furthermore, with the use of HX DOS Extender, many [[Windows Console]] applications function properly in FreeDOS, as do some rare [[GUI]] programs, like [[QEMM]] and [[Bochs]].<ref name="Grech_2014" />

=== DOS-based Windows ===
FreeDOS is able to run [[Windows 1.0x|Microsoft Windows 1.0]] and [[Windows 2.0x|2.0]] releases. [[Windows 3.x]] releases, which had support for [[i386]] processors, cannot fully be run in [[386 Enhanced Mode]],<ref name="Aitor_2014" /> except partially in the experimental FreeDOS [[kernel (operating system)|kernel]] 2037.{{Citation needed |date=February 2017}}

[[Windows 95]], [[Windows 98]] and [[Windows Me]] use a stripped-down version of MS-DOS. FreeDOS cannot be used as a replacement because the undocumented interfaces between MS-DOS 7.0–8.0 and Windows "4.xx" are not emulated by FreeDOS; however, it can be installed and used beside these systems using a [[boot manager]] program, such as <code>[[BOOTMGR]]</code> or <code>METAKERN</code> included with FreeDOS.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}

=== Virtualization ===
FreeDOS is designed to work well with virtualization software such as VirtualBox and VMware. The installation process is identical to real hardware. It is also possible to install FreeDOS on [[DOSBox]] and its derivatives. By doing so, it provides additional functionality not present in the emulator.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=89272 | title=Installing FreeDOS tools on DOSBox using FDIMPLES \ VOGONS }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Installing FreeDOS in DOSBox-X |url=https://dosbox-x.com/wiki/Guide:Installing-FreeDOS |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=dosbox-x.com}}</ref>

=== File systems ===
[[File:Fdedit.png|thumb|FreeDOS's default text editor—a clone of the [[MS-DOS Editor]], with added features]]
[[File Allocation Table#FAT32|FAT32]] is fully supported and is the preferred format for the boot drive.<ref name="Hilpert_2015_Bootable_Stick" /> Depending on the [[BIOS]] used, up to four [[Logical Block Addressing]] (LBA) hard disks of up to 128&nbsp;GB, or 2&nbsp;TB, in size are supported.<ref name="Mueller_2013" /> There has been little testing with large disks, and some BIOSes support LBA, but produce errors on disks larger than 32&nbsp;GB; a driver such as OnTrack or EZ-Drive resolves this problem.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} FreeDOS can also be used with a driver called <code>LFNDOS</code> to enable support for Windows 95-style long file names,<ref name="Gallagher_2014_Old-school" /> but most pre-Windows 95 programs do not support long file names, even with a driver loaded. There is no planned support for NTFS, [[ext2]] or [[exFAT]], but there are several external third-party drivers available for that purpose. To access ext2 file systems, <code>LTOOLS</code>, a counterpart to [[Mtools]], can sometimes be used to copy data to and from ext2 file system drives.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[DOSBox]]
* [[DOSEMU]]
* [[DR-DOS]]
* [[ReactOS]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="FreeDOS_Spec">{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.freedos.org/wiki/index.php/FreeDOS_Spec#Programming_languages |title=FreeDOS Spec |date=2008-12-24 |website=FreeDOS Wiki |publisher=Freedos |access-date=2017-02-09 |archive-date=2023-05-26  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526164818/http://wiki.freedos.org/wiki/index.php/FreeDOS_Spec#Programming_languages |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="FreeDOS_A1">{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.freedos.org/wiki/index.php/Releases/Alpha1 |title=Releases/Alpha 1 |date=2021-04-22 |website=FreeDOS Wiki |publisher=Freedos |access-date=2023-06-07 |archive-date=2023-06-07  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607133507/http://wiki.freedos.org/wiki/index.php/Releases/Alpha1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Villani_1996_Kernel">{{Cite book |author-last=Villani |author-first=Pat |author-link=Pat Villani |title=FreeDOS Kernel |date=1996 |publisher=Miller Freeman |location=Emeryville, CA, USA |isbn=0-87930-436-7}}</ref>
<ref name="homepage">{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.freedos.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page |title=Main Page |website=FreeDOS Wiki |access-date=2017-02-09 |publisher=The FreeDOS Project |archive-date=2023-06-25  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625181203/http://wiki.freedos.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Franske_2007_USB">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bensbits.com/2007/08/21/booting_dos_from_a_usb_flash_drive |title=Booting DOS from a USB flash drive |date=2007-08-21 |access-date=2008-08-04 |author-last=Franske |author-first=Ben |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218031708/http://www.bensbits.com/2007/08/21/booting_dos_from_a_usb_flash_drive |archive-date=2010-02-18}}</ref>
<ref name="FreeDOS_Floppy">{{Cite web |url=http://www.linfo.org/freedos_floppy.html |title=How to Create a Bootable FreeDOS Floppy Disk |date=2005-07-19 |access-date=2008-08-04}}</ref>
<ref name="Gallagher_2014">{{Cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/07/it-may-be-barely-an-operating-system-but-dos-still-matters-to-some-people/ |title=Though "barely an operating system," DOS still matters (to some people) |author-last=Gallagher |author-first=Sean |date=2014-07-14 |website=ArsTechnica |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=2017-02-09 |quote=But FreeDOS has become much more friendly to virtualization and hardware emulation—it's even the heart of the DOSEMU emulator}}</ref>
<ref name="4DOS">{{Cite web |url=https://www.freedos.org/software/?prog=4dos |title=4DOS |access-date=2014-06-06 |publisher=The FreeDOS Project |website=FreeDOS |archive-date=2021-06-24  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204640/https://www.freedos.org/software/?prog=4dos |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="FLOSS">{{FLOSSweekly|416|Hall, Jim}}</ref>
<ref name="Hall_1994_Announcement">{{Cite newsgroup |title=PD-DOS project *announcement* |author-link=Jim Hall (computer programmer) |author-first=Jim |author-last=Hall |date=1994-06-29 |work=comp.os.msdos.apps |url=https://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.msdos.apps/browse_thread/thread/a10993e044dc4b35/e1bb36f1f0d1513b?lnk=st&q=&rnum=26#e1bb36f1f0d1513b |access-date=2008-06-14}}</ref>
<ref name="linuxdevices">{{Cite web |url=http://archive.linuxgizmos.com/the-past-present-and-future-of-the-freedos-project-a/ |title=The past, present, and future of the FreeDOS Project |date=2002-03-25 |access-date=2008-06-14 |author-last=Hall |author-first=Jim |author-link=Jim Hall (computer programmer) |website=LinuxGizmos.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224183747/http://archive.linuxgizmos.com/the-past-present-and-future-of-the-freedos-project-a/ |archive-date=2013-12-24 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Hall_2006_About">{{Cite web |url=https://www.freedos.org/freedos/about/ |date=2006-09-23 |title=About |author-first=Jim |author-last=Hall |author-link=Jim Hall (computer programmer) |publisher=The FreeDOS Project |website=FreeDOS |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527173146/https://www.freedos.org/freedos/about/ |archive-date=2007-05-27 |access-date=2014-06-17}}</ref>
<ref name="Adams_2005">{{Cite web |author-last=Adams |author-first=David |title=Introducing GNU/DOS 2005 |url=http://www.osnews.com/story/10900/Introducing_GNU_DOS_2005 |website=OSNews |access-date=2016-11-27}}</ref>
<ref name="Marinof_GNU/DOS">{{Cite web |author-last=Marinof |author-first=Mihai |title=GNU/DOS Project Discontinued |date=2006-12-02 |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/GNU-DOS-Project-Discontinued-41470.shtml |access-date=2016-11-27}}</ref>
<ref name="freedos">{{Cite web |url=https://sourceforge.net/news/?group_id=5109&id=305444 |title=Announcement on official FreeDOS homepage |date=2012-01-02 |access-date=2012-01-02 |author-first=Jim |author-last=Hall |author-link=Jim Hall (computer programmer) |website=SourceForge}}</ref>
<ref name="freedos files">{{Cite web |url=https://www.freedos.org/freedos/files/ |title=FreeDOS 1.0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105002254/https://www.freedos.org/freedos/files |archive-date=2011-11-05 |access-date=2015-12-21 |publisher=The FreeDOS Project |website=FreeDOS.org}}</ref>
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<ref name="Hewlett-Packard_2012">{{Cite web |title=HP Compaq dc5750 Business PC |url=http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12546_na/12546_na.HTML |publisher=Hewlett-Packard |access-date=2016-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113070156/http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12546_na/12546_na.HTML |archive-date=2012-11-13}}</ref>
<ref name="EWeek_2009_HP">{{Cite web |url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/First-Look-at-HPs-LowCost-ProBook-Laptop-Lineup-880043/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122141750/http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/First-Look-at-HPs-LowCost-ProBook-Laptop-Lineup-880043/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 January 2013 |title=First Look at HP's Low-Cost ProBook Laptop Lineup |access-date=2009-03-26 |publisher=[[EWeek]] }}</ref>
<ref name="McCracken_2009">{{Cite web |url=http://technologizer.com/2009/06/23/hps-mini-5101-netbook-deluxe-with-all-the-trimmings/ |title=HP's Mini 5101: Netbook Deluxe, With All the Trimmings |access-date=2009-08-01 |author-last=McCracken |author-first=Harry |date=2009-06-23 |publisher=Technologizer}}</ref>
<ref name="HP_2010">{{Cite web |url=http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=3442832&swItem=ob-88522-1&mode=4&idx=3 |title=FreeDOS Bootable Media |access-date=2011-01-13 |date=2010-10-25 |publisher=[[Hewlett-Packard]] |archive-date=2012-03-08  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308140217/http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=3442832&swItem=ob-88522-1&mode=4&idx=3 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Goldstein_2004_SpinRite">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7684 |title=SpinRite 6.0 for Linux Users |date=2004-07-19 |access-date=2017-02-09 |author-first=Leon A. |author-last=Goldstein |magazine=[[Linux Journal]]}}</ref>
<ref name="Intel_SATA">{{Cite web |title=Intel SATA Solid-State Drive Firmware Update Tool |url=http://downloadcenter.intel.com/detail_desc.aspx?agr=&ProductID=&DwnldID=18363&strOss=&OSFullName=&lang=eng |publisher=[[Intel]] |access-date=2016-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325101703/http://downloadcenter.intel.com/detail_desc.aspx?agr=&ProductID=&DwnldID=18363&strOss=&OSFullName=&lang=eng |archive-date=2010-03-25}}</ref>
<ref name="FloppyDivX">{{Cite web |url=http://membres.multimania.fr/zeroiq/index.php?page=40..FED-UP%20boot%20floppy%20.php |title=Floppy Enhanced DivX Universal Player |access-date=2009-12-18}}</ref>
<ref name="FUZOMA">{{Cite web |url=http://superkeen.com/peacecorpsweblog/learning-software/ |title=FUZOMA Educational Software |access-date=2009-12-18}}</ref>
<ref name="kraileth_TK">{{Cite web |author=kraileth |url=https://eerielinux.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/an-extraordinary-tk-example/ |title=An extraordinary TK example! &#124; eerielinux |publisher=Eerielinux.wordpress.com |date=2012-10-12 |access-date=2019-01-29}}</ref>
<ref name="kraileth_nanolinux">{{Cite web |author=kraileth |url=https://eerielinux.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/an-interview-with-the-nanolinux-developer/ |title=An interview with the Nanolinux developer &#124; eerielinux |publisher=Eerielinux.wordpress.com |date=2014-12-30 |access-date=2019-01-29}}</ref>
<ref name="Winnie_AIM">{{Cite web |url=http://tawny.cs.nott.ac.uk/~sbx/winnie/aim/overview.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990420083003/http://tawny.cs.nott.ac.uk/~sbx/winnie/aim/overview.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=1999-04-20  |title=Artificial Intelligence Methods |access-date=2019-01-29 }}</ref>
<ref name="Georg_HP">{{Cite web |url=http://www.georgpotthast.de/ |title=Georg's Personal Homepage |publisher=Georgpotthast.de |access-date=2019-01-29}}</ref>
<ref name="FreeDOS-History">{{Cite web |url=https://www.freedos.org/history/ |title=FreeDOS History |publisher=Freedos.org |access-date=2019-01-29 |archive-date=2019-11-01  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101214009/https://www.freedos.org/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="FreeDOS-Comparison">{{Cite web |url=https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/compare.html |title=FreeDOS software package comparison |publisher=Ibiblio.org |access-date=2019-01-29}}</ref>
<ref name="FreeDOS-Old">{{Cite mailing list |title=Removing old distributions from ibiblio |author-first=Jim |author-last=Hall |author-link=Jim Hall (computer programmer) |date=2007-10-02 |work=freedos-devel |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg05988.html |access-date=2009-10-07}}</ref>
<ref name="Lowe_2003">{{Cite web |url=http://www.techrepublic.com/article/configure-it-quick-use-freedos-as-a-replacement-for-ms-dos/ |author-last=Lowe |author-first=Scott |title=Configure IT Quick: Use FreeDOS as a replacement for MS-DOS |date=2003-07-22 |website=TechRepublic |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=2017-02-09}}</ref>
<ref name="Techworld">{{Cite web |author-last=Broersma |author-first=Matthew |title=DOS lives! Open source reinvents past |url=http://news.techworld.com/operating-systems/6783/dos-lives-open-source-reinvents-past/ |website=Techworld |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102110346/http://news.techworld.com/operating-systems/6783/dos-lives-open-source-reinvents-past/ |archive-date=2013-11-02 |date=2006-09-04}}</ref>
<ref name="Grech_2014">{{Cite web |author-last=Grech |author-first=Andreas |title=HX DOS Extender |url=http://www.japheth.de/HX.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003032417/http://www.japheth.de/HX.html |archive-date=2014-10-03}}</ref>
<ref name="Aitor_2014">{{Cite web |url=https://www.freedos.org/history/newsitem/166.html |title=Windows on FreeDOS? |date=2014-09-03 |access-date=2017-02-09 |author-first=Aitor |author-last=Santamaria-Merino |publisher=FreeDOS }}{{dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
<ref name="Hilpert_2015_Bootable_Stick">{{Cite web |url=https://www.thomas-krenn.com/en/wiki/Creating_a_Bootable_DOS_USB_Stick |title=Creating a Bootable DOS USB Stick |date=2015-05-07 |access-date=2017-02-09 |author-first=Dominik |author-last=Hilpert}}</ref>
<ref name="Mueller_2013">{{Cite book |author-last=Mueller |author-first=Scott |date=2013-03-22 |title=Upgrading and Repairing PCs |edition=21st |url=http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/printerfriendly/2028834 |publisher=[[Pearson Education|Que Publishing]]}}</ref>
<ref name="Gallagher_2014_Old-school">{{Cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/07/dos-boot-ars-spends-a-day-working-in-freedos/ |author-last=Gallagher |author-first=Sean |title=Old school: I work in DOS for an entire day |date=2014-07-03 |website=ArsTechnica |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=2017-02-09}}</ref>
<ref name="Turner_2018">{{cite web |author-last=Turner |author-first=Rich |title=Re-Open-Sourcing MS-DOS 1.25 and 2.0 |url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/09/28/re-open-sourcing-ms-dos-1-25-and-2-0/ |website=Windows Command Line Tools For Developers |date=2018-09-28 |access-date=2018-09-29}}</ref>
<ref name="FDOS_2021">{{Cite web |title=FDOS/kernel |url=https://github.com/FDOS/kernel/blob/master/COPYING |access-date=2021-05-31 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>
<ref name="FD_Logo">{{Cite web |url=http://www.freedos.org/press-kit/logos.html |title=FreeDOS official logos<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2019-05-31  |archive-date=2021-06-24  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624201754/http://www.freedos.org/press-kit/logos.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="FDOS_Download">{{Cite web |url=https://www.freedos.org/download/ |title=FreeDOS Download Page |website=The FreeDOS Project}}</ref>
}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite news |title=Interview with FreeDOS Creator Jim Hall |newspaper=PHRAINE – Computer Technology Enlightenment Without the Noise |editor-first=Scott C. |editor-last=MacCallum |volume=1 |number=2(4) |date=Summer–Fall 2004 |pages=3–6 |url=http://www.freedos.org/archive/2004/phraine/phraine-v1-n2.pdf |access-date=2019-02-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227085144/http://www.freedos.org/archive/2004/phraine/phraine-v1-n2.pdf |archive-date=2019-02-27}}
* {{cite web |title=Interview with FreeDOS Founder and Lead Dev Jim Hall |editor-first=John Paul |editor-last=Wohlscheid |date=2017-11-21 |work=It's FOSS |url=https://itsfoss.com/interview-freedos-jim-hall/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930212520/https://itsfoss.com/interview-freedos-jim-hall/ |archive-date=2023-09-30}}
* {{cite web |title=Founder of FreeDOS recounts the story so far, and the future – What is dead may never die, and it's all thanks to Jim Hall |editor-first=Liam |editor-last=Proven |newspaper=[[The Register]] |department=OSes |publisher=Situation Publishing |publication-place=London, UK |date=2023-01-18 |url=https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/18/retro_tech_week_freedos/?td=rt-3a |access-date=2023-09-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930203430/https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/18/retro_tech_week_freedos/?td=rt-3a |archive-date=2023-09-30}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20230930203707/https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/18/retro_tech_week_freedos/?page=2<!-- https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/18/retro_tech_week_freedos/?page=2 -->]

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{SourceForge|freedos}}
* [https://gitlab.com/FDOS FreeDOS Orphanage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009184425/https://gitlab.com/FDOS |date=2021-10-09  }}

{{FOSS}}
{{Disk operating systems}}

[[Category:1998 software]]
[[Category:DOS variants]]
[[Category:Embedded operating systems]]
[[Category:Floppy disk-based operating systems]]
[[Category:Free software operating systems]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in C]]
[[Category:Microcomputer software]]
[[Category:Operating system distributions bootable from read-only media]]
[[Category:Software using the GNU General Public License]]
<!-- Please do not add
[[Category:Operating systems]]

. See the text at [[:Category:Operating systems]]. -->