Caldera to release DOS source code
Thomas G. McWilliams
CALDERA ANNOUNCES OPEN-SOURCE CODE MODEL FOR DOS
DR DOS + the Internet = Caldera OpenDOS
PROVO, Utah Sept. 10, 1996 Caldera Inc. today announced that
it will openly distribute the source code for DOS via the Internet
as part of the company's plans to encourage continued development of
DOS technologies and applications, further leveling the playing field
for software developers worldwide. This effort, targeted to benefit
both individual developers and industry partners, follows Caldera's
commitment to embrace and fund an open software environment. Caldera
also announced plans for internal development and marketing of DOS,
including a new product called Caldera OpenDOS .
"DOS continues to meet the technical and financial requirements
of a large portion of the computing industry, especially in the areas of
network computing devices, specialized game devices and embedded systems,"
said Bryan Sparks, President and CEO of Caldera, Inc. "Publishing source
code for DOS will benefit a large number of independent and in-house
developers creating customized solutions based on DOS."
Caldera plans to openly distribute the source code for all of the
DOS technologies it acquired from Novell, Inc. on July 23, including CP/M,
DR DOS, PalmDOS, Multi-User DOS and Novell DOS 7. Pending an evaluation
and organization of the the technologies, the source code will be made
available from Caldera's web site during Q1 1997. Caldera learned from
its early investment in Linux technologies that the commercial market
is now ready to embrace open technology standards for operating systems.
Benefits of an Open Technology Model
Caldera believes an open source code model benefits the
industry in many ways. This model:
- Increases competition, which historically leads to higher-
quality and lower-cost products.
- Decreases the time-to-market of innovative software.
- Facilitates creation of customized solutions by developers,
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Value Added
Resellers (VARs) for even the most highly-specialized
computing environments.
- Extends market implementation of mature, proven
technologies historically de-emphasized by major software
vendors who favor new, resource-intensive technologies.
Empowers independent developers to influence future
technology advancements.
- Creates a large pool of individuals with broad knowledge of
DOS, increasing availability of technical support and
consulting for end users, historically at a lower cost and with
quicker response time.
Existing/Potential DOS Markets
"The day Caldera announced its purchase of DOS, we were
inspired by the number of calls and email we received from end users,
development partners and OEMs who wanted to buy or license the
technology," said Ransom Love, Vice President of Marketing and
Sales for Caldera. "They continue to be extremely interested in DOS
and support our open-source technology direction. We have more than
sufficient evidence to believe that the development and end user
communities are responding favorably to our efforts with DOS."
Caldera lists the greatest existing and potential markets for
DOS technologies as:
- network computing devices
- specialized game devices
- refurbished 286/386 Intel-compatible computers (desktop and
other)
- embedded systems (interactive kiosks; automated retail
devices, like pay-at-the pump systems; medical, industrial and
banking devices; and other niche market solutions requiring an
operating system with low memory requirements and minimal
development costs.)
- licensing individual DOS components for usage in turnkey
solutions (For example, using a DOS boot sector to load a
virus scanning utility).
OEMs and Channel Partners
Caldera is currently in OEM negotiations with potential
partners that sell products to each of the markets listed above.
Caldera's comprehensive OEM program enables OEMs to license Caldera
OpenDOS and Caldera OpenLinux as part of a complete set of network
and stand-alone solutions. Caldera's leveraged, open- systems model
will enable OEM partners to leverage aggressive pricing and shorter
development cycles. Caldera plans to release a version of DOS for OEM
implementation by December 1996. Caldera's OEM and Channel Partners
can utilize the open-source code models for DOS and Linux to create
low-cost, custom applications and enhanced utilities for vertical
and niche markets. Caldera enables its partners to integrate stable,
low-cost Internet devices with the most powerful Internet server platforms
and commercial add-on products. Caldera's support for the open-source
code model provides partners with maximum flexibility in providing more
complete product and service solutions.
Individuals can use OpenDOS source for personal use at no
cost. Individuals and organizations desiring to commercially redistribute
Caldera OpenDOS must acquire a license with an associated small
fee. Source code for proprietary third-party components of Novell DOS
7 will not be published.
Why Did Caldera Want DOS?
Caldera's system software products are based on Linux
technologies, including networking and Internet protocols, and other
technologies common to UNIX-based systems. Linux technologies include a
DOS box, which allows end users to run DOS applications in Linux system
software environments. From the company's inception in October 1994,
Caldera planned to license and integrate DOS with its Linux-based software
products. These plans included the addition of Internet connectivity
tools to DOS, enabling DOS to function as a light-weight, stand-alone
client to the Internet, or to Linux when used as a workgroup server. By
December 1996, Caldera will integrate DOS with the company's next versions
of system software products, including the Caldera Network Desktop. By
including DOS, Caldera will ease installation and improve compatibility
for simultaneous use of DOS and Linux.
DOS Retail Package
Industry statistics show that DOS operating system products
continue to maintain high market share. Industry distribution giant
Merisel® lists MS DOS 2nd in the Operating System category on the
Retail HOT LIST and 3rd in the same category on the VAR HOT
LIST for September 1996.
DOS versions of mainstream software applications are listed
throughout the Business; Personal Productivity; Education &
Recreation; DTP, Presentation & Graphics; Utilities; and Languages
sections of both the Merisel Retail and VAR HOT LISTS. (Visit
Merisel's HOT LISTS at http://www.merisel.com/17000001.htm and
http://www.merisel.com/50000001.htm.)
In Spring 1997, Caldera will release Caldera OpenDOS, the
first commercial-grade, open-source code DOS product. Caldera
OpenDOS will build upon its predecessors (CP/M, DR DOS and
Novell DOS 7) by adding Novell Personal NetWare , bug fixes to
Novell DOS 7 and additional networking capabilities. Potential
technologies under consideration include a graphical user interface
(GUI); Internet web browser; TCP/IP stack; and other Internet
connectivity services. This aggressive update to DOS will leverage
internal and third-party development.
Caldera OpenDOS will protect the investments made in
existing 286/386 Intel-compatible environments, where DOS meets
both the technological and financial requirements of many end users
and organizations. By incorporating new technologies, like Internet
connectivity, and by openly publishing the source code for DOS to
the Internet, Caldera hopes to encourage continued application
development that utilizes this established, stable technology.
Technical Support for DOS
Caldera's technical support philosophy focuses on providing
installation support to end users and long-term engineering support to
Caldera's channel, OEM and third-party developer partners. Caldera's
technical support objective is to develop a solid network of channel
partners who serve as the primary front-line for technical support on
Caldera products. Caldera provides its customers with free installation
support during a specified time period and encourages customers to
utilize the free, service-rich technical support environment on
Caldera's World Wide Web site and available from peers via the
Internet. Caldera also offers fee-based direct support options beyond
the complimentary installation and Internet services.
The DOS environment already enjoys an established pool of
local resellers who offer high-quality support for reasonable fees.
DOS users will also benefit from the exchange of technical
support that occurs between end users in an open-source development
environment. For example, the community of Linux users connected
via the Internet provide each other with technical support for Linux-
based products that surpasses the quality, speed and value of technical
support historically provided by major industry software vendors.
Caldera believes that openly publishing the source code for DOS will
create a similar environment.
Caldera designs, develops and markets to consumers and businesses
a line of full-featured, economical system software for the Internet, by the
Internet, providing stable, high-quality alternatives to Windows NT, Sun
Solaris and SCO UNIX. It uses its own technological and marketing
resources to leverage technologies including the Linux operating system
created by independent developers worldwide. Caldera's web site is at
http://www.caldera.com/.
###
Caldera is a registered trademark; and Caldera Network Desktop, Caldera
Internet Office Suite, Caldera Solutions CD, Caldera Open Linux and Caldera
OpenDOS are trademarks of Caldera, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark, in
the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open
Company Limited. All other products, services and publications are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Caldera Press Contact:
Lyle Ball Nancy Pomeroy
lyle...@caldera.com na...@caldera.com
Tel: (801) 229-1675 x305 Tel: (801) 229-1675 x206
mwal...@skyler.wiltel.com
Cool.
Would someone rewrite DOS's dir function to provide a
color directory listing, one where directories are one
color and filenamess are a different color. :)
Mike
Chris Waters
In article <NEWTNews.842629299.9325.mwallace@celsius-tul>,
<mwal...@skyler.wiltel.com> wrote:
Someone already has--4DOS allows you to specify colors based either on
attribute (directory, read-only, etc.) or on extension (.exe, .com, .c,
etc.)
Ob-ontopic: has anyone ported Linux's colorized version of ls to djgpp?
Maan M. Hamze
mwal...@skyler.wiltel.com wrote:
>
> Cool.
>
> Would someone rewrite DOS's dir function to provide a
> color directory listing, one where directories are one
> color and filenamess are a different color. :)
>
could someone just throw DOS away, and let us all move to Linux and be
done with it :)
Just a thought!
Maan
Maan M. Hamze
mmh...@mail.utexas.edu
Weiqi Gao
"Maan M. Hamze" <mmh...@mail.utexas.edu> wrote:
>mwal...@skyler.wiltel.com wrote:
>>
>> Cool.
>>
>> Would someone rewrite DOS's dir function to provide a
>> color directory listing, one where directories are one
>> color and filenamess are a different color. :)
>>
>> Mike
>could someone just throw DOS away, and let us all move to Linux and be
>done with it :)
>Just a thought!
The thought behind the Free DOS is exactly that: you can now throw
your MS DOS away, and buy Linux---Linux (at least Caldera) will
include a free DOS that allows you to run all your old DOS programs in
a Linux dosemu session (which will get a big boost when the DOS source
is made public.)
--
Weiqi Gao
weiq...@crl.com
Eli Zaretskii
On Sat, 14 Sep 1996, Chris Waters wrote:
> >Would someone rewrite DOS's dir function to provide a
> >color directory listing, one where directories are one
> >color and filenamess are a different color. :)
>
> Ob-ontopic: has anyone ported Linux's colorized version of ls to djgpp?
The latest GNU Fileutils 3.13 include the color support in the official
distribution. I'm finishing the DJGPP port of those Fileutils, and they
will be part of DJGPP 2.01, including the colorization.
Samuel Vincent
On Mon, 16 Sep 1996, Weiqi Gao wrote:
> "Maan M. Hamze" <mmh...@mail.utexas.edu> wrote:
>
> >mwal...@skyler.wiltel.com wrote:
> >>
> >> Cool.
> >>
> >> Would someone rewrite DOS's dir function to provide a
> >> color directory listing, one where directories are one
> >> color and filenamess are a different color. :)
> >>
> >> Mike
>
> >could someone just throw DOS away, and let us all move to Linux and be
> >done with it :)
> >Just a thought!
>
> The thought behind the Free DOS is exactly that: you can now throw
> your MS DOS away, and buy Linux---Linux (at least Caldera) will
> include a free DOS that allows you to run all your old DOS programs in
> a Linux dosemu session (which will get a big boost when the DOS source
> is made public.)
>
> --
> Weiqi Gao
> weiq...@crl.com
Since win95 is merely a dos program, will we be able to run that? ;)
-Sam
Michael Donn
Eli Zaretskii
On Fri, 20 Sep 1996, Michael Donn wrote:
> Very interesting thread. See below my first attempt at a vanilla-flavored
> DOS batch program that will give you subdirectories in one color (pink) and
> files in another (green). It requires ANSI.SYS.
The DJGPP port of GNU Fileutils 3.13 supports colorization even when
ANSI.SYS isn't installed.
J. Kroll
On Mon, 16 Sep 1996, Maan M. Hamze wrote:
> could someone just throw DOS away, and let us all move to Linux and be
> done with it :)
> Just a thought!
Right on!!!!!