All About Freeware

OpenDOS is an open-source variation on the operating system DOS, which is more commonly known in its MS-DOS, FreeDOS, and DR-DOS versions. OpenDOS is legally free to use for non-commercial purposes, and is available for free download on the Internet (note: I recommend downloading DODL701.EXE).

After installing OpenDOS on an older computer, I found that it provides several memory management and security features which either aren’t offered or are more difficult to use in MSDOS. It has a GUI-style setup and configuration program which is relatively convenient.

I tested several commercial DOS programs from the ’80s and early ’90s under OpenDOS and all of them worked, despite probably being designed for MSDOS. The operating system also includes a text editor, an equivalent to MSCDEX, and many other useful utilities.