DOS ain't dead - The DOS user base is much larger than you think

The DOS user base is much larger than you think (Miscellaneous)

posted by Rugxulo , Usono, 28.10.2007, 01:38

> I like to code programs/websites while I listen to music. I like to
> compile/view them without exiting my editor. I like to download my
> favorite TV shows with bittorrent while I'm doing this.

You can compile programs w/ error msgs, + view the screen output w/o leaving the editor. Just use VIM, FED, GNU Emacs, FED, FASMD, RHIDE, SETEDIT, etc. :-)

Music? Any CD audio player (e.g. SJGPlay or Eric's CDROM2) should let you listen in the background. In fact, most module players and Mpxplay (with tweaking of DOS/32A) will let you go about your business too.

And I know you know that DR-DOS (among other more obscure: Real32?? ZDOS??) multitasks fine. Granted, most people coding for DOS don't use pthreads or Ruby's green threads. In fact, I'm still waiting for a decent example for MT (guess I'll have to modify DISKCOPY, sounds like a good candidate IMO). And don't make me mention Win 3.x as a good multitasker. It sorta works (barely), at least. ;-) (Oh, and DesqView, duh.) Most of that isn't "free", though.

> Maybe take a break and watch the TV shows or browse the web without
> closing all of this stuff so I can start right back up again where I left
> off when I'm done instead of having to re-open everything and find the
> places I was in before.

VIM (:mksession) and TDE (Alt-Shift-W) allow you to save your sessions / workspaces. So you don't have to worry about losing your place.

Watch tv shows? Bah. Just watch .FLI or .ANI instead. ;-)
Actually, DOS386 reported getting an older GNASH working with HX.
There's also DUGL Player and MPLAYER and Display for DOS.
I'm sure you've also heard of Quickview.

> I like to be able to run an httpd server with SSL so that friends can
> login and see what I'm working on --- and an instant messenger so I can
> give them the url + passwords.

DOS Lynx w/ SSL support is here.
leetIRC and WebServ are here.
Jaffa and Toffee are here.
SSH, SCP, SFTP are here.

> I like to have OS level partition encryption to protect client
> information.

Fun fun fun. Actually, we have encryption in DOS too. See this. :-D

> I like to make use of my obscure network and sound cards. I like to have
> logging in the background, so if something goes wrong I know what
> happened, even if I'm not here.

Okay, it's true, DOS sucks at SB Live! because nobody (except LMP or Mpxplay) supports it. This will eventually be fixed (I hope).

> I want automated backups to store to an external USB hard disk at 3 am,
> even if I'm still up using my PC, doing all the things mentioned above.

Bah, stable modern OSes shouldn't need backups with all their uber-security. ;-)

> Why should they? What's DOS got to offer?

Fun. :-)

> A 900 mhz PC is "old" to me. Why would I waste the electricity and create
> the additional ozone running a second PC --- when it can't offer me
> anything running DOS than this one already does?

Have you seen the decTOP?

And a final note: FreeDOS is technically a newer OS than GNU/Linux, BSD, Windows, etc. And it has less developers. So don't blame FreeDOS, blame everyone who isn't helping! :-P

Thread locked

Complete thread:

Only One "Customer" -- ONLY ONE!!! - Jack, 17.10.2007, 23:39 (Miscellaneous)
- Only One "Customer" -- ONLY ONE!!! - Steve, 18.10.2007, 08:27
- Only One "Customer" -- ONLY ONE!!! - sol, 23.10.2007, 17:41
  - NO! - Jack, 23.10.2007, 21:49
    - NO! - sol, 23.10.2007, 22:50
      - The DOS user base is much larger than you think - lucho, 24.10.2007, 13:55
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 24.10.2007, 17:43
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - lucho, 24.10.2007, 18:27
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 24.10.2007, 18:38
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - lucho, 25.10.2007, 09:16
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 25.10.2007, 17:16
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - lucho, 25.10.2007, 18:05
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Rugxulo, 26.10.2007, 02:27
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 26.10.2007, 02:32
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Rugxulo, 26.10.2007, 04:42
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 26.10.2007, 06:27
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Rugxulo, 26.10.2007, 07:42
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 26.10.2007, 17:40
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Rugxulo, 27.10.2007, 14:04
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - DOS386, 26.10.2007, 08:07
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 26.10.2007, 18:05
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Rugxulo, 27.10.2007, 13:55
        30 seconds boot time - lucho, 27.10.2007, 14:32
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Rugxulo, 28.10.2007, 01:38
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Steve, 28.10.2007, 04:26
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 28.10.2007, 20:18
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Rugxulo, 29.10.2007, 13:31
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 30.10.2007, 16:47
        The charm of DOS - lucho, 30.10.2007, 17:23
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - Rugxulo, 31.10.2007, 00:43
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - DOS386, 26.10.2007, 07:59
        The "Title" of This Thread. - Jack, 24.10.2007, 19:36
        The "Title" of This Thread. - sol, 24.10.2007, 19:46
        Get Something ELSE!! - Jack, 24.10.2007, 22:27
        Get Something ELSE!! - sol, 24.10.2007, 23:01
        The "Title" of This Thread. - DOS386, 25.10.2007, 06:30
        The "Title" of This Thread. - rr, 25.10.2007, 10:48
        The "Title" of This Thread and the God - DOS386, 26.10.2007, 08:10
        The "Title" of This Thread. - Steve, 25.10.2007, 14:55
        Boot floppy - lucho, 25.10.2007, 15:29
        The "Title" of This Thread. - DOS386, 28.10.2007, 02:00
        The "Title" of This Thread. - sol, 28.10.2007, 20:28
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - RayeR, 29.10.2007, 12:35
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - sol, 30.10.2007, 16:44
        Seagate and DOS - lucho, 30.10.2007, 17:24
        Seagate and DOS - sol, 30.10.2007, 19:20
        DyDOSaurs - lucho, 30.10.2007, 20:05
        DyDOSaurs - sol, 30.10.2007, 20:10
        Questions to Solomon - lucho, 31.10.2007, 10:32
        Seagate and DOS - Khusraw, 30.10.2007, 21:05
        Seagate and DOS - sol, 30.10.2007, 21:47
        Seagate and DOS - Khusraw, 30.10.2007, 22:29
        Seagate and DOS - Khusraw, 30.10.2007, 22:34
        Seagate and DOS - sol, 30.10.2007, 22:48
        Seagate and DOS - Khusraw, 31.10.2007, 02:29
        Seagate and DOS - sol, 31.10.2007, 05:01
        Seagate and DOS - Khusraw, 31.10.2007, 14:44
        Seagate and DOS - sol, 31.10.2007, 17:26
        Seagate and DOS - sol, 30.10.2007, 22:43
        Seagate and DOS - Rugxulo, 31.10.2007, 00:51
        Seagate and DOS - Khusraw, 31.10.2007, 01:12
        Seagate and DOS - sol, 31.10.2007, 04:35
        Seagate and DOS - sol, 30.10.2007, 22:47
        Seagate and DOS - Khusraw, 31.10.2007, 01:22
        The DOS user base is much larger than you think - RayeR, 31.10.2007, 12:40
- One of the biggest improvements to DOS - lucho, 25.10.2007, 16:39
  - One of the biggest improvements to DOS - Tom, 25.10.2007, 17:06
- Let's End THIS Poor-Old Thread, As Well! - Jack, 31.10.2007, 15:46