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We’re used to updating Windows, macOS, and Linux systems at least once a month (and usually more), but people with ancient DOS-based PCs still get to join in the fun every once in a while. Over the weekend, the team that maintains FreeDOS officially released version 1.4 of the operating system, containing a list of fixes and updates that have been in the works since the last time a stable update was released in 2022.
FreeDOS creator and maintainer Jim Hall goes into more detail about the FreeDOS 1.4 changes here, and full release notes for the changes are here. The release has “a focus on stability” and includes an updated installer, new versions of common tools like fdisk, and format and the edlin text editor. The release also includes updated HTML Help files.
Hall talked with Ars about several of these changes when we interviewed him about FreeDOS in 2024. The team issued the first release candidate for FreeDOS 1.4 back in January.
As with older versions, the FreeDOS installer is available in multiple formats based on the kind of system you’re installing it on. For any “modern” PC (where “modern” covers anything that’s shipped since the turn of the millennium), ISO and USB installers are available for creating bootable CDs, DVDs, or USB drives. FreeDOS is also available for vintage systems as a completely separate “Floppy-Only Edition” that fits on 720KB, 1.44MB, or 1.2MB 5.25 and 3.5-inch floppy disks. This edition “contains a limited set of FreeDOS programs that are more useful on classic PC hardware” and, to conserve space, does not include any FreeDOS source code.
The standard install image includes all the files and utilities you need for a working FreeDOS install, and a separate “BonusCD” download is also available for those who want development tools, the OpenGEM graphical interface, and other tools.
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