• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Quick Survey: What version of Dos for XT machines?

chjmartin2

chjmartin2

Experienced Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2012
Messages
434
Hi,

What version of DOS are you all running? I am running DOS 6.22, but wondering if that is the most compatible, best option. I've looked at FreeDOS but wow it seems a bit complicated. I'd appreciate any thoughts. I'm asking for XT machines specifically.

Thanks,

Chris
 
I also have DOS 6.22 on my XT and it seems to be alright. Haven't noticed any specific incompatibilities but then again I'm using a VGA card and not an EGA or CGA card.
 
3.3 unless you have larger hard disks. 6.22 with drivespace turned off is fine but does use slightly more memory since the XT can't load high.
 
I've always used DOS 3.3 on an XT. I use DOS 5.0 on AT. FreeDOS is more intended for Pentium Class but it can be installed on XT or AT class systems. Just takes more manual work and using the floppy boot. There is a video by Tech Tangents where he put FreeDOS on a PC.

I also have had good success with DR-DOS 5 and Caldera DRDOS 7.01. I run DR-DOS 5 on a CF Card on my NEC 286, along with DOS 5.0 on another CF Card. I run Caldera DRDOS 7.01 on my KLH 286 on it's RLL hard drive. It all works great.

Seaken
 
I use IBM PC-DOS 7.0 in my Tandy 1000's equipped with homemade memory cards that give them 96k+ of upper memory; with everything maxxed out with USE!UMB and DOSMAX they give you one or two more K free than MS-DOS 6.22. But other than that it's mostly functionally identical to it. FWIW, my PATH includes some pieces harvested from other DOSes, like the DOS 5/6 EDIT and QBASIC commands, the BASIC/BASICA and MODE binaries from Tandy DOS 3.21 (renamed "tmode", because it includes Tandy-specific screen and speed commands), the FreeDOS mode command (under another alias, because it has better serial port setting options)... etc.

I did give the DR/Caldara DOS-es a test drive and, well, I guess they're okay but the syntax differences clashed with my thirty year old muscle memory so I didn't bother with them in the end. Getting FreeDOS whipped into shape might be an interesting challenge but, likewise, I just haven't found the spoons in my drawer to make the investment.
 
Last edited:
IBM PC-DOS 3.30 installed on period hard disks; PC-DOS 5.0 installed on 2 Gb Compact Flash cards (XT-IDE/XT-CF Lite). Ocasionally using 2.10, loading from 5.25" drive, mostly for testing purposes.

2.x has the lowest RAM consumption. 3.30 takes a bit more RAM, and it's able to recognize drives up to 32 Mb each partition. 5.0 takes more RAM but it allows drives up to 2 Gb. I'm just avoiding 4.x as it's one of the most RAM hungry, and its sadly famous for having a lot of bugs.
 
Depends on what you're trying to do. When I showed off my early Model A 5150 at VCFSW, I had a Gotek, running everything from DOS 1.0 to 6.22, but my go-to then was mostly 5.02. Also depends on what size hard drive you have. I think 3.3 is limited to 32MB partitions IIRC, whereas with >4.00, you can have up to 2GB partition sizes. Not that it mattered for me - my only hard drive was my ThinkPad 755C connected via a laplink cable.
 
Had PC-DOS 2K on mine when I had it running several years ago. Ran fine for what I needed it for.
 
PC DOS7/2k gives you a more modern DOS environment with larger drive support and other amenities than PC DOS 3.3 while being lightweight enough to run games that require 640k. MS DOS 6 and FreeDOS take up too much real mode memory for games that need it.
 
MS-DOS 3.31 on some machines because it uses, just like 3.30, less memory then 6.22 but supports HDDs up to 512 MB. On two machines with UMB I use 6.22.
 
IBM/MS-DOS 3.21 on those that do not have HD floppies and IBM/MS-DOS 3.30 on the rest. This was the last DOS version intended for those machines.
 
IBM PC DOS 7.0/2000 if it has 640K and a hard drive. MS/PC DOS 3.3 on a floppy-only system and/or with less than 640K RAM.

On later Tandy machines, whatever version came in ROM (usually 3.3).

If I'm using 3.3, I add some useful utilities from newer versions, like EDIT/QBASIC, MOVE, DELTREE, UNDELETE, MSD, SCANDISK, etc. (DEFRAG requires at least DOS 5.)

EDIT from Windows 95/98 will even run on an XT-class machine in DOS 3.3, as long as it has NEC V20/V30/V40 CPU. It'll hang on a plain 8088 or 8086.
 
So my conclusion here is ... everything. That's ok, this is what I thought. I like how everybody also picks and chooses other tools from each DOS to their use as well. I have a lot to think about!
 
I run MS-DOS 6.22 w/ some 2.11 stuff (mode.com, basica) on my Tandy 1000A with no problems. Even Mode "kinda" works (putting it in TV mode using MODE TV causes some sync issues on my capture device) - but other than that, it runs great. That's what I do all my #SEPTandy videos with every year. I toyed with upgrading to FreeDOS, but I've heard it causes problems with the Tandy 1000 series of XT machines.
 
vwestlife said:
If I'm using 3.3, I add some useful utilities from newer versions, like EDIT/QBASIC, MOVE, DELTREE, UNDELETE, MSD, SCANDISK, etc. (DEFRAG requires at least DOS 5.)
Click to expand...
From which version, if I may ask? AFAIK these programs will complain about the wrong DOS version.
 
chjmartin2 said:
So my conclusion here is ... everything. That's ok, this is what I thought. I like how everybody also picks and chooses other tools from each DOS to their use as well. I have a lot to think about!
Click to expand...
In my case, I keep 3.30 for the sake of period accurateness and nostalgia, because, IIRC, it was the OS originally released with the PS/2 Model 30, and I keep it also for caution, in case I find an application or game that doesn't fit on RAM because of the extra ~25 Kb that 5.x takes. Nevertheless, to this day all the games/applications I tried work right on 5.0, even some hungry ones such as Crime Wave. I should also add that I didn't try all the games and productivity apps that were made for this class of computers, only a few dozens from the thousands and thousands available...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top