Archive.org "General Software, Inc.".
- The commercial DOS “Embedded DOS-ROM” and “Embedded DOS 6-XL”.
LinkedIn "Steve Jones" - “Author of 6 operating systems, including PCVMS, PCUNIX, Wendin-DOS, OEM DOS, Embedded DOS-ROM, and Embedded DOS 6-XL”.
CompuLab "Embedded DOS-ROM. Full-Featured ROMmable Disk Operating System. User’s Guide with Command Reference" ( PDF ), 1990-1999.
ProSoft "Embedded DOS 6-XL. Full-Featured ROMmable Disk Operating System. User’s Guide with Command Reference" ( PDF ), 1990-1996.

FreeDOS

The Product

FreeDOS, SourceForge "FreeDOS", SourceForge "FreeDOS".
Archive.org "FreeDOS Wiki" ( - 2023-11-01 )
- Archive.org "FreeDOS Wiki 'UEFI'" ( - 2022-08-19 ) - “Note that many new (2010 and later) computers boot using UEFI, which is not compatible with BIOS. FreeDOS assumes a BIOS, and does not work with UEFI. Many motherboard manufacturers are replacing BIOS+MBR with UEFI+GPT. UEFI uses a GPT table instead of the MBR”

Boot from USB

1a. Create a FreeDOS USB Stick with RUFUS

RUFUS 4.9.2256:
- Drive Properties:
  - Boot selection: “FreeDOS”.
  - Partition scheme: “MBR”.
  - Target system “BIOS ( or UEFI-CSM ).
  - [x] List USB Hard Drives.
  - [x] add fixes for old BIOSes ( extra partition, align, ect. ).
  - ~~[_] Use Rufus MBR with BIOS ID “0×80 Default”~~.
- Format Options:
  - Volume label “FREEDOS”.
  - File system “FAT32 ( Default )”.
  - [x] Quick format
  - [x] Create extended label and icon files.
Update the FreeDOS installation.
- Copy “HIMEMX.EXE” and “MEM.EXE” from the ISO file of the “LiveCD” download.
Modify CONFIG.SYS, add as first line:
```
DEVICE=HIMEMX.EXE
```

1b. Alternatively, create a FreeDOS USB Boot Stick manually

StackExchange "How to install FreeDOS onto a USB flash drive?".

2. Configure UEFI / CSM BIOS on Notebook "ASUS K95VB", for FreeDOS Boot

“Boot / Boot Configuration - Launch CSM [Enabled]”.
- This causes the option “Boot / Boot Configuration - Fast Boot [ Disabled ]” to disappear from the menu screen.
“Security / Secure Boot Control [Disabled].
After a reboot, a USB stick with FreeDOS might appear as

3. FreeDOS Boot Process Preparation & Boot Process

Insert the FreeDOS USB Stick.
Reboot the computer.
Press the key at startup to jump to BIOS ( with ASUS computers, press key “F2” ).
Check that there are 2 Items “UEFI: PMAP” and “PMAP”. With ASUS UEFI / CSM notebooks there are now two items at:
1. “Boot - Boot Option Prorities” - “UEFI: PMAP”, ” PMAP”.
2. “Save & Exit - Boot Override” - “UEFI: PMAP”, ” PMAP”.
Boot selection:
- Select ” PMAP” ( and not “UEFI: PMAP” ) as “Boot Option #1” to start the computer with FreeDOS next time.
- Or click on “PMAP at “Boot Override” to start FreeDOS immediately.

4. FreeDOS Memory Usage, displayed by the MEM.EXE Command

Without HIMEMX.EXE: 471K of 629K are free.
With HIMEMX.EXE: 546K of 629K are free.

Resources

StackExchange "How to configure UEFI Bootable FreeDOS USB stick?" - “FreeDOS assumes a BIOS, and does not work with UEFI”.
Willy-Billy "FreeDOS Help (hhstndrd 1.0.7a en) - Command: country".
- “Germany - 049 . 850, 437 . dd.mm.yyyy . HH:mm:ss,ss” ⇒ FDCONFIG.SYS:
```
!COUNTRY=049,850:\BIN\COUNTRY.SYS
```

Sales

golem "HP macht viele Verbiegungen für FreeDOS-Rechner", 2022-05 - “HP macht viele Verbiegungen für FreeDOS-Rechner: Der PC-Hersteller HP liefert seine Rechner nicht nur mit Windows oder Linux aus, sondern auch mit FreeDOS. Der Entwickler Hein-Pieter van Braam-Stewart hat solch einen Laptop gekauft und näher untersucht, wie er in seinem Blog berichtet. Demnach läuft auf dem Gerät FreeDOS nicht nativ, weil es kein BIOS von UEFI-CSM gibt. Stattdessen läuft FreeDOS in einer VM und zwar als alleiniges Fenster im Vollbildmodus auf einem extrem rudimentären XFCE-Desktop in Debian”.
Interesting things. Notes on things I've figured out "The very weird Hewlett Packard FreeDOS option", 2022-05.
Geizhals.AT "Hardware / Notebooks / Tablets / Notebooks", Search for "freedos" - Notebooks shipped with FreeDOS.

Resources

Microsoft MS-DOS

Create a FreeDOS USB Stick with RUFUS

RUFUS 4.9.2256:
- Drive Properties:
  - Boot selection: “MS-DOS”.
  - Partition scheme: “MBR”.
  - Target system “BIOS ( or UEFI-CSM ).
  - [x] List USB Hard Drives.
  - [x] add fixes for old BIOSes ( extra partition, align, ect. ).
  - ~~[_] Use Rufus MBR with BIOS ID “0×80 Default”~~.
- Format Options:
  - Volume label “MSDOS”.
  - File system “FAT32 ( Default )”.
  - [x] Quick format
  - [x] Create extended label and icon files.

Message:

An additional file ( "discopy.dll" ) must be downloaded from Microsoft to install MS-DOS.
- Select "Yes" to connect to the Internet and download it.
- Select "No" to cancel the operation.
Note: The file will be downloaded in the current application directory and will be reused automatically if present.

OpenDOS, DR-DOS

Products

The commercial DRDOS, Inc. "DR DOS".
Udo Kuhnt "The DR-DOS/OpenDOS Enhancement Project".

Resources

pcmos386, PC-MOS/386

PTS-DOS

PhysTechSoft Ltd. "PTS-DOS 32", "PTS-DOS 2000".

ROM-DOS

The free Datalight "ROM-DOS Single User Version".
Computer Tech Support Forum by tom's GUIDE - "Datalight romdos free", 2005-05-26.

RxDOS by Mike Podanoffsky

XDOS by Thierry Giron

~~Thierry_Giron@smtplink.trendmicro.com~~.

Resources

Chip Directory, Operating Systems - Infos by LinkedIn "Steve Jones" about several non-Microsoft DOS implementations.
EN.Wikipedia "DOS", EN.Wikipedia "Timeline of x86 DOS operating systems", DE.Wikipedia "PC-kompatibles DOS".

Free Utilities and Applications

Tools

DE.Wikipedia "FIPS (Partitionierungssoftware)".
- FreeDOS, Software List "FIPS".
The freeThomas Mönkemeier "VGA-COPY/386".
The Shareware Archive.org "Vern Buerg, Buerg Software: LIST Plus".
rigacci.org - Biblioteca online, BIOS Firmware Support "DEBUG Script to Disable/Enable Internal Cache on 486 CPUs" → “CACHEON.COM”, “CACHEOFF.COM”.

Resources

Doctor DOS Betamax's "DOS Websites Directory".
Richard L. Green "Free Software for DOS".
Dev Anand Teelucksingh "Interesting DOS programs".
haftmann#software Freeware-Angebote - “Es handelt sich hierbei ausschließlich um DOS- und Windows-Programme (eins ist für OS/2)”.

Internet Access

Tools

Resources

Abandonware

FANSI-CONSOLE by Hersey Micro Consolting, Inc. A special ANSI / VT100 video driver for MSDOS applications. Version 3 is now shareware, version 4 is (still ?) commercial. I own a full license and got both version 3.01k of 04.10.1991 and version 4.00j of 21.11.1991. Are there any newer versions out ?
THE LAST BYTE by Key Software Products. A special MSDOS “upper memory” manager for 386 / 486 / 586 boards with specially supported chipsets, so it just runs on selected computer mainboards. The shareware version may be turned into commercial versions by entering a serial number. I own a full license key and got version 2.11 of 11.08.1992 and version 2.50 of 30.08.1994. I am still looking for a newer version, there must have been such !
LDEVICE - Load Device Driver V2.0 by Adlersparre & Associates Inc., 1803 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC, Canada. A special MSDOS tool to load MSDOS device drivers at runtime.