On Sat, 06 Jan 2018 11:15:08 -0500, Samuel V. via Freedos-user
<freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net> wrote:
I was thinking that it could become necessary to start implementing a
FreeDOS version that included natively its own BIOS, and that this
combination of FreeDOS/BIOS is implemented entirely native as 32 or
64-bit code, to keep using the known DOS environment, the same DOS/BIOS
INT calls programming style (now also with other ways to call services),
but extending everything to more modern CPU modes.
Reimplementing BIOS functions so that DOS could still run on a system
without BIOS would be useful. (I suspect someone will do this sooner or
later.)
Creating new functionality for 32/64bit code would only be useful for new
software, so there's not likely to be much interest there. Personally,
since the FreeBASIC compiler can target DOS, I still write code and run it
under DOS on occasion. But I don't develop under DOS because of its
single-tasking nature. I like to have a couple of text editors open all
the time and I don't want to wait for a reboot if my program crashes.
The intention is to update FreeDOS and the BIOS to 32 and 64-bit modes,
Adding 32-bit multitasking and memory protection to DOS would be nifty.
Moving to 64bit could be problematic though because of the lack of V86
mode. This is why I don't normally use 64bit Windows, it can't run any
16-bit programs at all (without the extra hassle of using an emulator).
without forgetting the original 16-bit version, but now giving native
access to features that DOS would benefit from, but that aren't
available in Real Mode, like many Gigabytes of RAM, large IDE/SATA hard
disks, more capable drivers, more file systems.
More drivers and filesystem support could be added in real mode. Some may
not run as efficiently in real mode as if they were fully 32bit code, but
to avoid switching between 16 and 32bit code and have it work with
existing programs I guess you'd need a new DOS extender that included its
own 32bit drivers. Also, I don't think there is a 64bit DOS extender yet.
Whoever makes that could create the standard :)
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