> I'm looking forward to learning the world of Linux. I hadn't realised that
> Linux predated DOS. Did I understand that correctly? As I recall, when IBM
> brought out the first PC they needed an operating system and found this
> young geek called Bill Gates, who promised them a solution and then
> quickly
> cobbled together an OS from something he borrowed. It was referred to as
> QDOS (for quick and dirty operating system) but I'm not sure if that was
> Bill Gates' efforts or the name of the product he
> begged/borred/bought/stole.

I'm sure Martin meant UNIX, which Linux is derived from and which DOS attempted 
to aspire to. UNIX has been around longer than DOS. Windows was conceived in 
1985. Linux came a bit later in 1991.

> DOS was also known as the "Trapped Rat" - a reference to the 1K (am I
> right)
> of memory that it was trapped inside, a legacy that was still hampering
> Microsoft well into Windows 95, I seem to recall.

I think it's 1MB, though I've never heard of the "trapped rat" expression. 
Certainly it was a struggle to get past 640K in those days, though whoever 
could possibly need more than that anyway? lol

> BTW - when is next meeting? Tonight?

Yes - probably see you there. I'm assuming it's at the school?

Malc

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