submitted 3 weeks ago by falseprophet@piefed.social to c/operating_systems@beehaw.org

14 comments fedilink hide all child comments

SvarDOS is an open-source project that is meant to integrate the best out of the currently available DOS tools, drivers and games. DOS development has been abandoned by commercial players a long time ago, mostly during early nineties. Nowadays it survives solely through the efforts of hobbyists and retro-enthusiasts, but this is a highly sparse and unorganized ecosystem. SvarDOS aims to collect available DOS software and make it easy to find and install applications using a network-enabled package manager (like apt-get, but for DOS and able to run on a 8086 PC).

top 14 comments

sorted by: hot top new old

[-] dbtng@eviltoast.org 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I've been using FreeDOS for a really long time. Decades.
https://www.freedos.org/

I'm all for new stuff, new emulators, new toys.
But if I had a job to do, I'd probably go with FreeDOS, because its THE standard.

There isn't a whole lot of info on the SvarDOS page that might allow you to differentiate their offering from FreeDOS.

It doesn't have version numbers, which does not actually sound like a good thing to me.
It has an online package manager. You know, like FreeDOS does with FDNPKG16.

So ... I want to know more, but this seems a bit sketch to me.

Edit: Their site is shit. Took me a while to find this.
*** Why would I want to use SvarDOS instead of FreeDOS? ***
http://svardos.org/phpamb.php?fname=help%2Fhelp-en&f=freedos.ama

Dunno. I'm not buying the reasoning. ...
... But then again, I've heard less coherent reasons to fork the code.

[-] falseprophet@piefed.social 2 points 3 weeks ago

Why are you so much against, people building there own OSes, let people do what they want. You don't have to use it. Building their own OS helps to learn many things, it does not always have to have a specific need.

[-] dbtng@eviltoast.org 1 points 3 weeks ago

I use them. I play with them. I judge them as I like. This is a place to discuss them. Would you rather empty silence?
You are also an OS fan. We have far more in common than not.

In this particular case, SvarDOS is trying to play in a space where real tools may actually be required.
Is it a real tool? That is an open question.

[-] falseprophet@piefed.social 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Debate is and criticism is fine. But you seem extremely aggressive calling things shit and acting as if you decide which Operating system should exist or not.

[-] dbtng@eviltoast.org 2 points 3 weeks ago

The website in question was in fact shit. Some things are easily judged in objective terms.

As to SvarDOS, I'm on the fence. There are aspects of it that seem unstable, and for most DOS usage these days, stability is the only thing you actually want out of it.

Are you upset about my opinion of Haiku? That project is a joke that I've been watching for over 2 decades. I am extremely surprised they got it along this far. Its better than ever. Still kinda silly with their branding and copyrights.

Stop and think about this for a second. You post into the void. Nobody replies. Look back and see it.
I read one of your posts, spend an hour or more on the site you link, dig deep into it, come up with an opinion, and post a cogent reply.
What did you expect when you posted? More of nothing?
This is what its like when actual people converse about things wherein they have opinions.

I'm not in the least bit upset about anything. I enjoy your posts. You post about things I care about.
Nice to meet you, regardless of the friction.

[-] falseprophet@piefed.social 2 points 3 weeks ago

I expect a calm and decent discussion. I don't like something being called a joke, when people have put hours of work into it. I don't expect everyone to like a project and criticism can be valid, but there are much better ways to to critisize something.

[-] Quexotic@beehaw.org 2 points 3 weeks ago

It is indeed possible to criticize a thing without engaging in yum-yucking.

[-] falseprophet@fedia.io 1 points 3 weeks ago

Am I yum-yucking?

[-] Quexotic@beehaw.org 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

i was agreeing with your criticism somewhat. Looks like they changed their post though.

Seemed like they went so hard there. A bit much.

[-] falseprophet@piefed.social 2 points 3 weeks ago

Ok, I was not sure with whom you were agreeing.

[-] dbtng@eviltoast.org 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Pineapple on pizza. Eeewww! :]

Cool nic! I take you you started out as a play on quixotic, and then you found some crazy characters? That's unique.

[-] Quexotic@beehaw.org 2 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks. I do not prefer pineapple on pizza.

[-] dbtng@eviltoast.org 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Expect as you like. Jokes are, as they are. Not much to be said about Haiku, its a joke.
Really. Get over yourself.
Its ok if I don't like something. I'm not disagreeing with your or criticizing your post. Check Lemvotes. I upvote you.
I'm a bit bemused by all this fragility displayed, but I'm sure we will all get past it.

[-] falseprophet@piefed.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

I know you are not disagreeing with me. This is not about me. I already told I couple times my problem is not that do not like something. My problem is they way to express your disliking. Which you are have hard time understanding. I totally fine not liking and you have every right to critique something. But you do not have to be rude about it.

this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2026

9 points (100.0% liked)

Operating Systems

4033 readers

1 users here now

All things operating system related, from Windows to Mac to Linux distros and the more obscure.

Subcommunity of Technology.

This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

alyaza@beehaw.org

1993_toyota_camry@beehaw.org

remington@beehaw.org