We'd like to announce the release of the FreeDOS 1.1 distribution.

What's FreeDOS?

FreeDOS is an opensource operating system aiming to provide the same (or better) functionality as Microsoft's 
old MS-DOS. Right now the main use is running old games and software, but you might encounter it on some
freshly sold computers, motherboard setup CDs, BIOS flashing diskettes, embedded hardware and other uses.

While FreeDOS itself is basicly just the DOS-C kernel as created by Pat Villani, over the years many people have
added programs (often licensed as GPL, other times as freeware, public domain or a custom license) to form a
distribution so you actually get some additional drivers and programs to run.


What's new since 1.0 (2006):
* FreeDOS kernel 2040 (Bart Oldeman, Jeremy Davis and others. Should fix fat32 file corruption).
* mtcp (Michael Brutman), a suite of high-performance TCP/IP applications for any x86 computer.
* an initial attempt at USB controller support (Bret Johnson). So far only UHCI (Intel/Via USB1.1 12Mb/s & 1.5Mb/s),
  thus no OHCI (Nvidia etc, 12Mbit/s & 1.5Mbit/s, EHCI (USB 2.0 , 480Mbit/s) and xHCI (USB 3.0 , 5000 Mbit/s)
* generic PCI IDE cache/cdrom driver (Jack R. Ellis) including PIO/UDMA modes for (P)ATA/SATA harddisks and CD.
* new installation menu when starting from CD, intended to reduce amount of menus you have to respond to.
* universal BIOS backup program, see http://www.flashrom.org . 
* updated memory drivers (HMA&XMS, UMB&EMS) with many thanks to Japheth, Jack, Michael Devore and Tom Ehlert
* 4DOS 8.00 command interpreter has been added, many thanks to Luchezar Georgiev for updating JPSOFT's code
* installation scripts have been streamlined. Much to do still though.
* very limited USB flash disk support (often showing up as C: )
* many new versions of many programs, including DEVLOAD and DEBUG. Features and fixes as usual.
* ..

Removed:
* Unstable kernel 2039. Replaced by 2040. No NLS (NLSFUNC/CHCP) support yet, expected in 2041
* UDMA/GCDROM/QCDROM etc. Replaced by UIDE. For USB bootCD, using ELTORITO from Syslinux 4.05

Installation notes:
* the FreeDOS 1.1 distribution itself might be stored as a single (ISO9660 CD-image) file on CD.
* right now the only way to install is to boot the CD, then select bottom option.
  this loads the entire collection of FreeDOS 1.1 installation files in system memory.
  Only now you select option 1 (installing FreeDOS).
* Should you wish to keep things really simple, get a bootdisk and perform the following commands:
  1) FDISK (to create an active primary partition which should use the FAT16 or FAT32 filesystem)
  2) FORMAT C: (creates an empty filesystem on C:, also erases all previous software/data)
  3) SYS C: (writes bootsector to C: and copies kernel and shell)
  4) Whatever you'd like to do next.
  
Installation issues:
* Initial CD detection code isn't working rightnow. Hardcoded menu to show a CD drive.
  Undocumented: press "Q" to leave this menu. CD seems to have loaded anyway, often as D:
  Undocumented: press "U" to update the CD (copy files to ramdisk, 64MB+ systems only)
* Old installation method hangs somewhere somehow after keyboard selection.
* The new FreeDOS text installer version 4.01 can be used by typing:
  X:\SETUP (where X: is your CD drive) followed by a parameter, which can be a nonsense
  name or a drive/directory containing setup archive files (in YOURDIR\PACKAGES\BASE\).
  Example: D:\SETUP C:\MYFILES (provided C:\MYFILES\PACKAGES\BASE\*.ZIP exist)
* due to there being an ISO on the CD, without the Memdisk/ISO method you'll need to boot
  the small diskette image and/or a bootdisk, then locate the CD, then mount the ISO file
  before continuing. General commands to do so:
  SHSUCDHD /F:D:\ISOLINUX\FDBOOTCD.ISO (or whatever your CD drive is, instead of D: )
  SHSUCDX /D:SHSU-CDH
  Then switch to the newly added drive and type SETUP
* You can copy the inner ISO to harddisk or USB flash drive if you like and mount it there
* Bootdisk menu currently not working  
* ..
  
Limitations:
* Only the BASE set has been packaged, thus meaning the LiveCD environment is missing completely.
* If installing from USB flash drive, be careful. Your flash drive might show up as C: ..
* ..

TODO:
* adding additional sets
* adding useful programs
* creating disksets
* fixing bootdisks
* ..

Useful sites:
* (FreeDOS)         : http://www.freedos.org                                  (FreeDOS news/software)
* (Rugxulo)         : http://sites.google.com/site/rugxulo/                   (continuous updates over the years)
* (Blair Campbell)  : http://sites.google.com/site/blairdude/                 (ports, software, distro)
* (Jeremy Davis)    : http://www.fdos.org / http://wiki.fdos.info             (additional FreeDOS info)
* (Eric Auer)       : http://ericauer.cosmodata.virtuaserver.com.br/soft/specials/ (many small program)
* (Mateusz Viste)   : http://www.viste-family.net/mateusz/dos/en/download.htm (FDupdate program, update packaging)
* (Udo / Florian)   : http://www.drdos.org , http://www.drdos.net             (Extensive DOS Wiki, covering a lot)
* ..

Bernd Blaauw,
2011-12-31