What Happened To Freedows? 6
adagioforstrings asks: "A couple years ago I remember hearing a lot about an open source operating system called Freedows. It used the concept of a cache kernel in order to provide emulation for several operating systems (among them Windows, Linux, MacOS). I was looking at the Web site and there haven't been any updates for nearly a year now. What happened to the project? Too ambitious, or did it just never get enough steam going?" According to the site, it looks like Freedows didn't quite make it out of the specification stage. Is the project still alive? Is it dead? Or is it in suspended animation waiting for the right set of people to reanimate it?
Freedows, it is not just a snack (Score:1)
Freedows [freedows.org] I once heard that they would get something out, at least an alpha in 1998, then 1999, then 2000. The Cache Kernel idea is a good one.
If only IBM, Dell, Gateway, Compaq, or some other computer company would help out, it might be a decent OS.
With the Application Kernels it was supposed to run DOS (FreeDOS actually), Linux, C64, TRS-80 COCO, Macintosh, and Windows 3.X with the possibility of 32 bit Windows code. If this puppy ever sees market and gets ported to the X86, PowerMac, 68K, CHRP/POP etc platforms, it could give Microsoft a run for its money.
Thank You (Score:1)
I said years ago that it wouldn't happen. Aside from the impression that I got that it was conceived by a young man with a lot of ambition, no code, and very little idea of wherefore he spoke, the Freedows project never had any prima facie credibility. Really, with the WINE project chugging along for years, and the folks at ARDI working so hard on Executor, the idea that somebody could come along with a magic bullet in the form of a "cache kernel" and seamlessly emulate not only Windows and MacOS, but a whole host of other operating systems and even 8-bit computer hardware seemed, well, absurd.
As for the future, I think Freedows will continue to go nowhere. I'm guessing developers aren't jumping on it because it doesn't seem at all feasible.
The answer: (Score:3)
The answer:
http://www.egroups.com/message/fr eedows-chat/237? [egroups.com]
-Davidu
Re:I know (Score:1)
Fritos. Freedows.
Ne'er mind....
semi related... (Score:1)
Re:Freedows, it is not just a snack (Score:1)
In my day we didn't need any emulators to run software from different platforms. If we wanted to port software to VAX we rewrote the assembly and we liked it. Nowadays, all you young wishywashees need some fancy schmancy emulator to run programs that were never meant for your system! Emulators are a tool of the Devil!!