Date:	Thu, 16 Jan 1997 11:30:51 -0800 (PST)
From:	Gene Buckle <geneb AT web DOT wa DOT net>
To:	root <root AT 206 DOT 172 DOT 218 DOT 60>
cc:	Leath Muller <leathm AT gbrmpa DOT gov DOT au>, djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject:	Re: OpenDOS to be released next week!
In-Reply-To:	<Pine.LNX.3.93.970116103032.11272A-100000@206.172.218.60>
Message-ID:	<Pine.LNX.3.93.970116112422.5442I-100000@web.wa.net>
MIME-Version:	1.0

> 
> Cool, that will be interesting to see.  Where can we get more information
> about OpenDOS?  I've been to http://www.caldera.com and seen a bit,
> however I haven't seen anything about what you describe above.  Could you
> email me more info on it or some URLs?  mailto:mharris AT sympatico DOT ca  
>  

Right now there is no more detailed information other than is already on
their homepage.  I imagine next week more info will be posted. (the
package is going to be distributed in two forms.  A multi-disk install set
that can make bootable install disks, and a large archive contained in one
file)  I'm hoping to be able to get more technical documentation from the
EDC and get it out among you folks in a short period of time.  

> > it this way? Does OpenDOS run with normal DOS Ok? Can I have multiple
> > DOS's the same way as I have DOS/95/NT/Linux? Do you have a URL for me
> 
> That is a very good question.  I hope someone can answer it for us.
> Hopefully we can multi boot multiple OS's with it like you say above, only
> I'd put them in a different order.  Linux, OpenDOS, DOS6.22, hmm... I
> can't think of any other OS's. :o)
> 

Since OpenDOS uses a 6.22 compatible FAT system, there should be no
problems at all doing a multi-boot system.  What's really neat is that the
OpenDOS FDISK utility will automatically format a partion as soon as it's
created.  

> I hope that by *multitasking* that it doesn't just mean multitasking
> programs, but multitasking like DESQview in that you can multitask
> multiple programs, not just multitask different things in a single
> program.  I've always liked Desqview, but some of its screen routines, and
> the way the mouse was handled were atrocious.  If I could get my hands on
> the sources for DV then there would be HELL to pay!!!  (Some annoyances
> include: cursor not staying in text boxes on DV forms, handling of Home,
> end, pgup, pgdn in forms, DV colors suck, The DV pull down menu wasn't as
> easily configurable as I'd like, etc... The mouse didn't work right, and
> couldn't move text windows around easily.  Basically I'd like to see
> OpenDOS include a multitasker that is a TEXT version of Windows, only
> without the crashes.  Perhaps also with shell based job control.  Wouldn't
> that be cool?  Or are we just gradually turning DOS into Linux?  Hey,
> Microsoft slowly turned DOS into Windows 95 right?  So whats wrong with
> what I suggest?  :o)
> 

You can multi-task multiple applications via the TaskMgr interface.  If
you want more info on that particular bit, check out Rolf Brown's
Interrupt list.  Search for TaskMAX and TaskMGR.  (the api given is enough
to develop a new task manager from scratch)

> 
> Never mind!  I want it NOW!!!!!!!!!!  (Hope it runs in DOSemu too)
> 

It should.  No reason for it not to...

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