Microsoft open sources DOS 1.0 – and it's more than the code
6 hours ago
- #Retrocomputing
- #Microsoft
- #Open Source
- Microsoft releases source code and notes for PC-DOS 1.00, marking the earliest days of its operating system.
- Microsoft purchased 86-DOS (QDOS) from Seattle Computer Products for under $100,000, adapting it into PC-DOS 1.0 for IBM in 1981.
- This release is licensed under MIT, allowing unrestricted reuse and modification, unlike earlier constrained licenses.
- The materials include annotated listings and development snapshots, offering historical insight into OS development on 8086 hardware.
- Open-sourcing clarifies versioning questions and provides a reference for early DOS builds, aiding researchers and retrocomputing enthusiasts.