Brief DOS History

• 1973: Gary Kildall writes a simple operating system which he calls CP/M
• April 1980: Tim Paterson begins writing an operating system for use with Seattle Computer Products' 8086-based computer, due to delays by Digital Research in releasing their CP/M-86 operating system.
• August 1980: QDOS 0.10 (Quick and Dirty Operating System) is shipped by Seattle Computer Products.
• October 1980: Microsoft pays less than US$100,000 for the right to sell SCP's DOS to an unnamed client (IBM).
• December 1980: Microsoft buys non-exclusive rights to market 86-DOS.
• December 1980: Digital Research releases CP/M-86
• July 1981: Microsoft buys all rights to QDOS from Seattle Computer Products, and the name MS-DOS is adopted.
• August 1981: IBM announces the IBM 5150 PC Personal Computer, featuring a 4.77-MHz Intel 8088 CPU, 64KB RAM, 40KB ROM, one 5.25-inch floppy drive, and PC-DOS 1.0
• May 1982: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 1.1
• March 1983: MS-DOS 2.0 for PCs is announced.
• October 1983: IBM introduces PC-DOS 2.1
• March 1984: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 2.1
• August 1984: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 3.0. It adds support for 1.2 MB floppy disks, and bigger than 10 MB hard disks.
• November 1984: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 3.1
• June 1986: Digital Research transforms CP/M into DOS Plus.
• January 1986: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 3.2. It adds support for 3.5-inch 720 KB floppy disk drives.
• August 1987: Microsoft ships MS-DOS 3.3.
• November 1987: Compaq ships Compaq MS-DOS 3.31 with support for hard disk partitions over 32 MB.
• January 1988: Digital Research rewrites DOS Plus as DR-DOS.
• May 1988: Digital Research releases DR-DOS 3.31, supporting hard disk partitions up to 512 MB.
• June 1988: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 4.0, including a graphical/mouse interface.
• July 1988: IBM ships PC-DOS 4.0. It adds a shell menu interface and support for hard disk partitions over 32 MB.
• 1989: ROM-DOS introduced by Datalight.
• May 1990: Digital Research releases DR-DOS 5.0.
• June 1991: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 5.0. Edlin is replaced with a full-screen editor. It adds undelete and unformat utilities, and task swapping. GW-BASIC is replaced with Qbasic.
• September 1991: Digital Research releases DR-DOS 6.0 with Superstore disk compression.
• March 1993: Microsoft introduces MS-DOS 6.0, including DoubleSpace disk compression.
• April 1993: Novell acquires Digital Research
• November 1993: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 6.2.
• December 1993: Novell releases Novell DOS 7.0.
• February 1994: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 6.21, removing DoubleSpace disk compression.
• April 1994: IBM releases PC-DOS 6.3.
• June 1994: Microsoft releases MS-DOS 6.22, bringing back disk compression under the name DriveSpace.
• June 1994: PD-DOS, the open-source project later known as FreeDOS, is announced.
• April 1995: IBM releases PC-DOS 7, with integrated data compression from Stac Electronics (Stacker).
• July 1995: PTS-DOS 7.0 is released.
• January 1997: Novell sells Novell DOS to Caldera Systems, who release it as open-source OpenDOS 7.01
• December 1997: Caldera releases OpenDOS 7.02 as closed-source software.
• April 1998: IBM releases PC-DOS 7.1 (aka PC-DOS 2000), which is Y2K compliant.
• June 1999: Caldera Systems sells OpenDOS to Lineo, who release it as DR-DOS 7.03.
• September 1999: PTS-DOS 2000 is released.
• December 1999: Lineo releases an OEM-only version of DR-DOS 7.04.
• January 2000: Lineo releases DR-DOS 7.05 beta but soon drops development on it.
• July 2002: Udo Kuhnt starts the DR-DOS/OpenDOS Enhancement Project, based on the opensource OpenDos 7.01.
• October 2002: Lineo sells DR-DOS to DeviceLogics.
• March 2004: DeviceLogics releases DR-DOS 8.0
• November 2004: FreeDOS beta 0.9 is released.
• June 2005: GNU/DOS is released
• October 2005: DeviceLogics releases DR-DOS 8.1

Gary Kildall standing in front of his car. ... CP/M is an operating system created for Intel 8080/85 and Zilog Z80 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ... Tim Paterson Tim Paterson (born 1956) is an American computer programmer, best known as the original author of the popular MS-DOS operating system. ... Seattle Computer Products (SCP) is a Seattle, Washington computer hardware company. ... Digital Research, Inc. ... CP/M-86 was a version of the CP/M operating system for the Intel 8086. ... QDOS, the Quick and Dirty Operating System, (not to be confused with Sinclairs QDOS for the Sinclair QL computer, which shared the same name) was a simple 16-bit operating system originally written in just four months by Tim Paterson in 1980 for an Intel 8086-based computer kit... Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKEx: 4338) is the worlds largest software company, with 2005 global annual sales of 40 billion US dollars and more than 55,000 employees in 85 countries and regions. ... International Business Machines Corporation (IBM, or colloquially, Big Blue) NYSE: IBM (incorporated June 15, 1911, in operation since 1888) is headquartered in Armonk, NY, USA. The company manufactures and sells computer hardware, software, and services. ... QDOS, the Quick and Dirty Operating System, (not to be confused with Sinclairs QDOS for the Sinclair QL computer, which shared the same name) was a simple 16-bit operating system originally written in just four months by Tim Paterson in 1980 for an Intel 8086-based computer kit... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, HKEx: 4335), founded 1968, is a U.S.-based multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... IBM PC-DOS was one of the three major operating systems that dominated the personal computer market from about 1985 to 1995. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... DOS Plus (also known as DOS+) is an operating system written by Digital Research, first released in 1985. ... Compaq was a personal computer company founded in 1982 by Rod Canion, Jim Harris and Bill Murto. ... DR-DOS is an DOS-family-compatible operating system for IBM PC-compatible personal computers, originally developed by Gary Kildalls Digital Research and derived from CP/M-86. ... Full embedded OS; compact, reliable, fully compatible DOS for embedded uses, mobile computing environments, fast connecting of embedded systems to Internet ... The EDLIN line editor was the only text editor provided with MS-DOS before version 5. ... GW-BASIC 3. ... The opening screen of QBasic 1. ... Novell, Inc. ... Novell DOS was Novell Corporations name for DR-DOS during the period when Novell sold DR-DOS, after the acquisition of Digital Research in 1991. ... FreeDOS is an effort to create a free DOS operating system which is compatible with MS-DOS applications and drivers, yet have some features that are missing in MS-DOS. The software is currently in beta status, but the release of the first official version - FreeDOS 1. ... Stac Electronics was an engineering company founded in 1984 by four friends at Caltech. ... Stac Electronics was an engineering company founded in 1984 by four friends at Caltech. ... PTS-DOS is a disk operating system, a DOS clone, developed in Russia by Phystechsoft. ... The SCO Group, Inc. ... OpenDOS is a free (though not free software) MS-DOS-compatible operating system. ... The year 2000 problem (also known as the Y2K problem and the millennium bug) was a flaw in computer program design that caused some date-related processing to operate incorrectly for dates and times on and after January 1, 2000. ... The former thin client and embedded systems division of Caldera Systems. ... Device Logics DeviceLogics is a startup firm in Lindon, Utah, in 2002. ... GNU/DOS is a distribution of FreeDOS which includes the following: Several core FreeDOS packages The DJGPP development environment with many GNU programs The Arachne Web browser, e-mail client, and file manager The OpenGEM graphical user interface with many GEM programs The vim editor for software developers GPL, GPL...

Historical and licensing information

Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKEx: 4338) is the worlds largest software company, with 2005 global annual sales of 40 billion US dollars and more than 55,000 employees in 85 countries and regions. ... Proprietary software is software that has restrictions on using and copying it, usually enforced by a proprietor. ... Microsoft Windows is a series of operating environments and operating systems created by Microsoft for use on personal computers and servers. ... DOS Plus (also known as DOS+) is an operating system written by Digital Research, first released in 1985. ... Digital Research, Inc. ... DR-DOS is an DOS-family-compatible operating system for IBM PC-compatible personal computers, originally developed by Gary Kildalls Digital Research and derived from CP/M-86. ... The former thin client and embedded systems division of Caldera Systems. ... FreeDOS is an effort to create a free DOS operating system which is compatible with MS-DOS applications and drivers, yet have some features that are missing in MS-DOS. The software is currently in beta status, but the release of the first official version - FreeDOS 1. ... Open source refers to projects that are open to the public and which draw on other projects that are freely available to the general public. ... Novell, Inc. ... OpenDOS is a free (though not free software) MS-DOS-compatible operating system. ... The SCO Group, Inc. ... IBM PC-DOS was one of the three major operating systems that dominated the personal computer market from about 1985 to 1995. ... International Business Machines Corporation (IBM, or colloquially, Big Blue) NYSE: IBM (incorporated June 15, 1911, in operation since 1888) is headquartered in Armonk, NY, USA. The company manufactures and sells computer hardware, software, and services. ... PTS-DOS is a disk operating system, a DOS clone, developed in Russia by Phystechsoft. ... Full embedded OS; compact, reliable, fully compatible DOS for embedded uses, mobile computing environments, fast connecting of embedded systems to Internet ...

Technical specifications

Typical hard drives of the mid-1990s. ... In computing, a file system is a method for storing and organizing computer files and the data they contain to make it easy to find and access them. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system that was developed for MS-DOS and is the primary file system for consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. ... File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system that was developed for MS-DOS and is the primary file system for consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. ... Microsoft Windows is a series of operating environments and operating systems created by Microsoft for use on personal computers and servers. ... File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system that was developed for MS-DOS and is the primary file system for consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. ... DOS Plus (also known as DOS+) is an operating system written by Digital Research, first released in 1985. ... CP/M-86 was a version of the CP/M operating system for the Intel 8086. ... CP/M is an operating system created for Intel 8080/85 and Zilog Z80 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ... DR-DOS is an DOS-family-compatible operating system for IBM PC-compatible personal computers, originally developed by Gary Kildalls Digital Research and derived from CP/M-86. ... FreeDOS is an effort to create a free DOS operating system which is compatible with MS-DOS applications and drivers, yet have some features that are missing in MS-DOS. The software is currently in beta status, but the release of the first official version - FreeDOS 1. ... Novell, Inc. ... OpenDOS is a free (though not free software) MS-DOS-compatible operating system. ... IBM PC-DOS was one of the three major operating systems that dominated the personal computer market from about 1985 to 1995. ... The eXtended Density Format (XDF) is a way of formatting standard high-density 3. ... PTS-DOS is a disk operating system, a DOS clone, developed in Russia by Phystechsoft. ... Full embedded OS; compact, reliable, fully compatible DOS for embedded uses, mobile computing environments, fast connecting of embedded systems to Internet ...

Notes

Note 1: Current understanding has it that if one has a license to run a Windows version, one can also legally install any MS-DOS version up to the level of that Windows' version.
Note 2: MS-DOS 8.0 has most of the functionality of previous versions, but there are significant losses of usability, like: the loss of FORMAT /S command; loss of SYS A: (or SYS B:) command for floppies; inability to boot to a command prompt without substitution/modification of IO.SYS and COMMAND.COM.
Note 3: The limit of 124.55GB for FAT32 partition size is a limitation of Microsoft's SCANDISK utility. Microsoft's KB article 184006. Other DOS versions supporting FAT32 may allow a larger partition size closer to the theoretical ~2TB maximum suggested by FAT32's specifications.
Note 4: While Windows ME may be unsupported and end-of-life, a version of its underlying DOS is included with Windows XP. When one formats a floppy in Windows XP and selects "Create an MS-DOS startup disk", the floppy is formatted with a DOS version that identifies itself as "Windows Millenium [Version 4.90.3000]".

See also

• CP/M
• DOS Plus
• DR-DOS
• GNU/DOS
• MS-DOS
• PC-DOS

CP/M is an operating system created for Intel 8080/85 and Zilog Z80 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ... DOS Plus (also known as DOS+) is an operating system written by Digital Research, first released in 1985. ... DR-DOS is an DOS-family-compatible operating system for IBM PC-compatible personal computers, originally developed by Gary Kildalls Digital Research and derived from CP/M-86. ... GNU/DOS is a distribution of FreeDOS which includes the following: Several core FreeDOS packages The DJGPP development environment with many GNU programs The Arachne Web browser, e-mail client, and file manager The OpenGEM graphical user interface with many GEM programs The vim editor for software developers GPL, GPL... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... IBM PC-DOS was one of the three major operating systems that dominated the personal computer market from about 1985 to 1995. ...

External link

Detailed timeline of DOS variants