Dear Jim Hall, I apologize if I bother you,
Is it possible to know if the next FreeDOS release will be compatible with Windows 3.1, please? I read an article a few months ago and if I am not wrong, I remember that it talked about this feature. Many thanks for your kindness, Best regards, Alessandro -----Messaggio originale----- Da: Jim Hall via Freedos-user <freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net> Inviato: domenica 27 ottobre 2024 23:48 A: Discussion and general questions about FreeDOS. <freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net> Cc: Jim Hall <jh...@freedos.org> Oggetto: [Freedos-user] Moving towards FreeDOS 1.4 There have been enough changes during the FreeDOS monthly test releases that I think we should be moving towards FreeDOS 1.4. As discussed in the "Demo video on Youtube" thread (and elsewhere) we're seeing more folks who discover FreeDOS and complain about things that we've already fixed, like FDISK or HTML Help (or added new packages, like SBEMU and VSBHDA .. or removed some others, like oZone and Seal) in the monthly test releases. And other packages have had updates to add features, translations, etc. It's time to get an updated FreeDOS distribution out there. ** "1.4" or "2.0"? I think this distribution is "1.4" instead of "2.0" because we haven't seen the updated kernel for testing. If Jeremy sees this, maybe he can share the current status and point to test builds we can try. An updated kernel would justify going to "2.0" .. but if it's just package updates, it's "1.4" ** What I think is "on the table": This version is a "refresh" from FreeDOS 1.3, and will focus on newer versions of packages, and a "cleanup" of how the packages are put on each CD image. We have major improvements to FDISK, HTML Help, and other programs. Jerome's efforts to move packages around also helps to make the distribution smaller, possibly freeing up space for future inclusion of DJGPP. Questions/Answers: *HTML Help or AMB Help? I really like AMB Help. It's small, it looks great, and it's easy to use. But AMB Help requires converting documentation to "AMB" format. And while "AMB" is pretty straightforward, it requires a conversion tool. But HTML Help can read HTML files "on the fly" and there have been several good improvements to HTML Help that make it more reliable. So I have more reasons to prefer HTML Help than AMB Help. *DJGPP? I consider this an open question. We haven't included DJGPP in a test release until now. After T2411 (later this week) I think we can discuss if DJGPP should be added. But I don't want to "get ahead" of that conversation. ** What I think is not "on the table": (x) updated kernel - any new version will need a lot of testing. Once there's a new kernel available for testing, and we've tested it, we can plan "FreeDOS 2.0" at that time. (x) PC/GEOS - this hasn't been included in any test release until now. I understand the developers still say it's "not ready yet." If any PC/GEOS developers think otherwise, I encourage them to join the freedos-devel list to share the news. But even if PC/GEOS were ready today, this would also need a lot of testing. We can wait for "1.5" or "2.0" (whichever comes next) when PC/GEOS may have a release that they feel comfortable with other folks using, and that we are comfortable in including. That discussion (whether or not to include) would come later, after there's something to test. ** Schedule Let's use the monthly test releases to move this forward. That's how we planned to use the monthly test releases, anyway. T2411 will come out later this week, with more package changes. This also has changes to "package groups" to move things around, and better organize things. Jerome can share details, but we've discussed here about splitting up "Util" into "Tools" (like V8 Power Tools, etc) and "Disk Utils" (like dosfsck, etc) and "Util" (everything else). Let's take this a step at a time; after T2411, we can decide if we need to split up "Util" further (such as a new package group that includes "alternatives" like 'xdel' ['deltree' alternative] .. but I think this will be an easier decision after we see T2411. I think we'll need at least 2 more test releases before we have a "1.4 candidate." The next 2 versions are T2411 and T2412, so T2501 might be a "1.4 candidate." After T2502 (the "final candidate") I think we could decide about turning T2402 into "FreeDOS 1.4." (In other words, that suggests "February 2025" to release FreeDOS 1.4.) ** Package freeze In the meantime, I'd like to limit adding new programs into the FreeDOS monthly test releases. That means no new kernel version, no PC/GEOS, etc. (but I'm open to discussing DJGPP after T2411, as mentioned above). Any updates to programs currently in the FreeDOS test release are okay. Any exceptions should be *carefully* managed. Thoughts? On Wed, Oct 23, 2024 at 11:56 AM Jim Hall <jh...@freedos.org> wrote in "Demo video on Youtube": > > I think this demonstrates that FreeDOS 1.3 is getting a bit old (2022) > and the monthly test releases have far outpaced it. For example, we > already dropped Seal and oZone in the monthly test releases; the test > releases have only had OpenGEM for some time.[1] We haven't added > PCGEOS yet, but I'd like to see how things go with shifting packages > between the LiveCD and BonusCD before we look at adding something > large like PCGEOS. Earlier test releases[2] added other critical > updates to packages. The package changes in T2410 were quite good, I'm > interested in testing the package changes in T2411. Basically, the > test release is *really good* and I think we should consider pushing > forward to turn a future monthly test release into a "FreeDOS 1.4." > > > > [1]The report from the monthly test release: > https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions > /test/report.html > > [2]The change log from the monthly test release: > https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions > /test/changes.log > > > On Wed, Oct 23, 2024 at 10:29 AM Liam Proven via Freedos-user > <freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net> wrote: > > > > "Installing FreeDOS with OpenGEM, SEAL and Ozone GUI" > > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS6iTNccgi4 > > > > I am not a fan of videos and I only skimmed a few min of this. > > > > He demonstrates that Seal and Ozone are fairly broken and don't do > > much useful, which is my own opinion too. I nominate both for removal. > > > > He demonstrates that OpenGEM as shipped is broken. I've pointed this > > out here too. It's configured to run in the root directory of a drive. > > > > swsubst g: c:\opengem > > > > and then running it from G: works, as far as I can recall. > > > > He does find a fix, but I don't know how. > > > > He also demonstrates PGME -- but, as I have reported here again > > recently, his mouse does not work correctly. > > > > I suggest trying to get GEOS working and replacing GEM, Ozone and Seal. _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
