If you are like me, you have used (or are using) the 4DOS command shell. 4DOS was my favorite DOS app. Back in the day, my DOS development system was guaranteed to have at least one C compiler, a cool editor for writing code, and a copy of 4DOS to make the command line easier to use. I still run a copy of 4DOS on my FreeDOS system.
Some of you have asked about 4DOS, and Rex Conn (JP Software, creator of 4DOS) had previously agreed to release 4DOS 7.50 as unsupported freeware in August 2004. Recently, I approached Rex to ask if he would release 4DOS under an open source license. Rex agreed! > > On Wed, 2006-11-08 at 14:53 -0500, Rex Conn wrote: > > > Hi Jim: > > > [...] > > > I'm enclosing a zip of the 4DOS source as of version 7.50 (the final > > > version). I've removed the non-DOS code from the source, though I haven't > > > tried compiling it (I don't have the MSVC 1.51 compiler anymore, nor the > > > MASM assembler). > > > > > > The only restrictions I'd put on the source code is that it not be used > > > for > > > an OS other than FreeDOS or any commercial products without my permission. > > > > > > Rex Conn > > > JP Software > > > The source to 4DOS (less a few non-DOS things) is now available from ibiblio, distributed under a modified MIT license (the additions are mentioned in Rex's email, above.) See the readme.txt in the zip file for the license terms, also in each *.c, *.h, and *.asm source file. This will require some work to compile, especially if you want to use OpenWatcom and NASM instead of the original MSVC and MASM. However, since the source is now available for FreeDOS developers, feel free to make the changes necessary to get it to compile. The new zip file archive is labeled "7.50.1" to distinguish itself from the previous "7.50" release. Find it at: http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/util/user/4dos/7.50.1/4dos7501.zip I'm really glad that Rex was able to release 4DOS as open source software. This is a big step. HUGE THANKS to Rex! :-) -jh ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security? Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642 _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
