Microsoft releases MS-DOS 2.0 Source Code

Computer History Museum ^ | 3/25/2014 | Microsoft

[Dalberg-Acton]

With the permission of Microsoft Corporation, the Computer History Museum is pleased to make available the source and object code to Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system versions 1.1 and 2.0, for non-commercial use.

The zip file contains four subdirectories:

• v11source: 7 assembler code files, and an explanatory email from Tim Paterson
• v11object: 27 files, some binary programs and some sample programs
• v20source: 118 text files, mostly assembler code and some documentation
• v20object: 38 files, some binary and some documentation

[Dalberg-Acton]

Nerd alert!

[bkepley]

Great. I’ll just get out my old MASM assembler and...

[Jonty30]

Just great. Now the hackers can attack DOS 2.0.

[AU72]

As if it still has commercial use.

[discostu]

Wow an entire OS in 34 files INCLUDING sample apps. I think my microwave has more source code than that.

[bigbob]

I gotta go see how many times it says “Abort, Retry, Fail”

[Praxeologue]

2.0 was released in March, 1983, thirty-one years ago.

[NorthMountain]

Who is “General Protection Fault” and why is he trying to read my floppy drive?

[FreeAtlanta]

You have made my day. 😊

[SoothingDave]

Finally, I can fix that “1 file(s) copied” thing.

[Bullish]

"We still don't get it"

[MrB]

It would be blasphemous to expect Allah to allow the computer to do the same thing every time.

[usconservative]

I think my microwave has more source code than that.

So your Microwave is running Microsoft bloatware? Must be Windows 8! (/snarky comment)

[I want the USA back]

Should be interesting reading.

[Dalberg-Acton]

In the v20source folder of the “zip” file, in the file “FORMAT.ASM”:

IBMJAPVER EQU FALSE ; SET ONLY ONE SWITCH TO TRUE!
IBMVER EQU FALSE
MSVER EQU TRUE

KANJI EQU FALSE

“Jap” version? Really? Wow.

[OneWingedShark]

Back in the day they did some amazing things with a limited amount of space — so much so that I think if half that level were applied to what we commonly use today the OS wouldn't be more than a GB in size. (As a point of comparison, wikipeda's entry for Wirth's Oberon says: The Oberon OS is available for several hardware platforms, generally in no cost versions. It is typically extremely compact. Even with an Oberon compiler, assorted utilities including a web browser, TCP/IP networking, and a GUI, the entire package can be compressed to a single 3.5" floppy disk.)

[Lx]

Funny, I just saw my old box of MASM 5.1 this morning.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Dalberg-Acton.

[Dalberg-Acton]

“Funny, I just saw my old box of MASM 5.1 this morning.”

Fate decrees: Get Busy!

[Lx]

I’ve got it in my hot little hands and it’s on five 1.2mb floppies, I know I’ve got a drive around here somewhere, I wonder if my BIOS would recognize it?