this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2025
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Is it possible to put freedos in a VM and pass through whatever it needs to be connected to? I assume there's some piece of equipment it runs.
Oh, also this is not an industrial setting with a computer controlling some heavy equipment. This is a nostalgia lab. MSDOS was the thing when I was around 22 or so.
FreeDOS is running on a dedicated i5 desktop with 8gb ram. I wanted to get a period correct desktop machine to run MSDOS 6.22 but all the "Electronic Surplus" places have all dried up. So I built the least powered machine I could (Well I could have used an i3, but the difference in price was only $10.00. I only put in 1 of the smallest memory sticks they had ...)
I have a dos running in DOSBOX, but it's not the same as real hardware, and it's not easy to use a usb floppy drive with it. With my dedicated machine I can even boot from floppy if I want/need to.
RIP Weird Stuff, Halted Specialties, The one that used to be near the Oakland Airport and others I remember but don't remember their names. Not to mention the internet famous one in Texas - Computer Reset. Oh, now I am sad.
Funny, I'm in the process of selling much of my Computer Reset pickings for cheap, including my 486DX4 100MHz that I ran Mario 64 compiled for DOS on. It ran at a blistering 3 frames per minute.
If it counts for anything, my old Dell B130 has absolutely no problems booting from a USB floppy drive (IBM model USB floppy drive), not even any issues swapping disks.
My dedicated machine ignores disk swap on 2 of the 3 USB drives I have. The third one seems to be ok though.
Huh, interesting. I only ever had the IBM drive that was given to me by an old friend, guess I lucked out on that.
When I bust out the floppy drive, I'm usually tinkering with my custom MS-DOS/Micro Windows 3.11 dual floppy build I call WinFlop. The Windows disk is bootable by itself, but if booted from the MS-DOS Diagnostic disk first, that has all the fun storage drivers for CD-ROM, USB and even NTFS (yes, NTFS4DOS even works in Windows 3.11 haha!)
WinFlop: https://youtube.com/watch?v=wv5ymx22wtM
But the last disk image I wrote to floppy was for KolibriOS, and I gotta say, that's an absolutely amazing project! If you get some free time, I think you'll appreciate trying it out as well..
KolibriOS: https://youtube.com/watch?v=YsYsW4sDpd8