The new FreeDOS release candidate is now available! We've been working hard on the next FreeDOS distribution, and we'd like your help testing this new release candidate. The main goals for 1.3 Release Candidate 4 ("RC4") are to provide overall improvements compared to 1.2. Some of these include a LiveCD, a Floppy Edition, new packages, updated packages, and many improvements to the installer to provide hardware compatibility and multi-language support. You can download the new FreeDOS 1.3 RC4 (release candidate 4) from our Downloads page.

Here's a quick overview of what you'll find in FreeDOS 1.3 RC4: FD13LIVE.ISO - The FreeDOS 1.3 RC4 installer. (Most users should use this image to install FreeDOS 1.3 RC4.) FD13LGCY.ISO - A bootable CD image designed for older hardware. FD13FLOP.IMG - Basic FreeDOS installation boot floppy image. FD13BNS.ISO - A non-bootable CD image that contains some FreeDOS extras. FD13LITE.IMG - A minimal FreeDOS installer, as a USB fob drive. FD13FULL.IMG - Plain DOS system and Full install USB stick image.

FreeDOS 1.3 RC4 also includes a Floppy-Only Edition! This edition should run on any hardware that can run FreeDOS and has EGA or better graphics. Are you running a '286 or another classic system without a CD-ROM drive? Install from these floppies to install FreeDOS. The Floppy-Only Edition contains a limited FreeDOS set of programs that are more useful on classic PC hardware, and uses a completely different installer than the CD-ROM or USB installers.

If you're familiar with GCC on Linux, and want the same/similar tools on FreeDOS, you'll like the IA-16 GCC. This is a DJGPP/MS-DOS-hosted (32-bit x86) port of the GNU C and C++ compiler toolchain to the IA-16 target (16-bit Intel x86), by Rask Ingemann Lambertsen, Andrew Jenner, TK Chia, and others. The toolchain itself is 32-bit, but it will output 16-bit code. Changes in this version since the previous release in March: + A compiler bug was causing incorrect code to be output under the options -mcmodel=medium -ffunction-sections. This is now fixed. + There is now a new built-in function, __builtin_ia16_static_far_cast (·), which can be used within a static initializer to cast a near pointer to a far pointer. + argv[0] is now set properly — to an empty string — under MS-DOS 2.x. + Tabs can now delimit command line arguments. + Various other internal improvements. You can find the new IA-16 GCC toolchain at IA-16 GCC releases on GitHub. We've also mirrored this release on the FreeDOS files archive at Ibiblio, under /devel/c/gcc-ia16.

Also available is an updated libi86 library of routines, a companion library for IA-16 GCC. libi86 is an attempt to reimplement non-standard C library facilities (such as conio) commonly used in classical MS-DOS programs, for use with a GCC toolchain for 16-bit x86. The current aim is to be compatible enough with the Open Watcom runtime — as described in the Open Watcom C Library Reference — to be useful for building existing MS-DOS code. Defining the macro _BORLANDC_SOURCE will also enable some degree of compatibility with the Borland Turbo C++ compiler's C library. The new version of the library can be found at libi86 releases on GitLab. We've also mirrored this on Ibiblio, under /devel/c/gcc-ia16/libi86.

jSH is a script interpreter for DOS based operating systems like MS-DOS, FreeDOS or any DOS based Windows (like 95, 98, ME). The focus is on file io and text mode user interfaces. jSH is a side project to DOjS, a Javascript canvas for creative coding. jSH is available on the jSH GitHub under several licenses, including the MIT license, the ISC license, Dzcomm (gift-ware, not really open source), and WATTCP. You can find binary releases on the jSH release page. Just extract the contents of the archive and run jSH.

I manage a small channel on YouTube where I post videos about FreeDOS. I post a new video every week, and topics vary from things like showing how to use FreeDOS commands, how to write sample programs, and playing classic DOS games. If you haven't subscribed to the YouTube channel, here are a few highlights of videos you've missed: How to install programs on FreeDOS without FDIMPLES .. How I edit the website .. How to archive files on DOS .. Playing TIE Fighter .. Writing a gem-matching game (some folks asked for an ASMR video with my clicky IBM keyboard, and this is it) .. "Guess the number game" in a DOS spreadsheet .. Writing a "Guess the number game" in C .. and for April 1st, I made a joke video about writing a "spreadsheet" in C where I ended up with VisiCalc (watch the solution video for how I did it). I'm always open to suggestions if you would like to see other videos on the YouTube channel. Let me know if there's something you'd like me to cover for an upcoming video! And don't forget to Subscribe to the channel for more videos about FreeDOS.

SHSUCDX is an unloadable CD-ROM redirector substitute for MSCDEX. It supports up to 10 drives. Each drive is single-sector buffered and the last 10 directory entries are cached. Each unit from each driver can be assigned a specific drive letter. A minor version was recently released, to allow /L before /D (FM TOWNS compatibility). You can find the latest version at the SHSUCDX website. We have also mirrored it on the FreeDOS files archive at Ibiblio, under /files/dos/shsucdx