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  • FreeDOS configured?

    From F. W.@me@home.com to comp.os.msdos.misc on Mon Mar 15 15:41:48 2021
    From Newsgroup: comp.os.msdos.misc

    Hmm...if I buy a modern notebook with FreeDOS on it, is the hardware configured?

    FW
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  • From JJ@jj4public@gmail.com to comp.os.msdos.misc on Tue Mar 16 18:35:48 2021
    From Newsgroup: comp.os.msdos.misc

    On Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:41:48 +0100, F. W. wrote:
    Hmm...if I buy a modern notebook with FreeDOS on it, is the hardware configured?

    FW

    Considering that it came with FreeDOS, whichever party bundles the FreeDOS, must configure the laptop's firmware so that it can legacy OS boot bethod,
    by enabling CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in the laptop firmware
    settings.

    With CSM enabled, most of the basic hardwares will work in DOS. i.e. display adapter / VGA, storage devices (i.e. disk drive, harddisk, SSD), keyboard,
    and mouse including mouse-typed touchpad. Other devices will require
    separate DOS drivers, but not every laptop manufacturers provide them. For
    e.g. non mouse-typed touchpad, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, card reader, camera, fingerprint reader, etc. Though, devices which are built for moderm OSes
    such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, camera, and fingerprint reader are very
    likely don't have any DOS drivers.

    Windows can still be installed with CSM, but the OS won't support Secure
    Boot feature since it's not compatible with CSM. CSM will have to be
    disabled in order to enable Secure Boot, but that will also disable support
    for legacy OS boot. Though, third party tool(s) may be available for
    providing logacy OS boot without CSM, but I don't know how compatible or effective they would be.
    --- Synchronet 3.18c-Linux NewsLink 1.113
  • From Dylan Taylor the Ultimate Saiyan@dylantaylor114@gmail.com to comp.os.msdos.misc on Sat Mar 20 18:56:28 2021
    From Newsgroup: comp.os.msdos.misc

    Can FreeDOS run Windows 95?

    On Tuesday, 16 March 2021 at 10:36:25 pm UTC+11, JJ wrote:
    On Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:41:48 +0100, F. W. wrote:
    Hmm...if I buy a modern notebook with FreeDOS on it, is the hardware configured?

    FW
    Considering that it came with FreeDOS, whichever party bundles the FreeDOS, must configure the laptop's firmware so that it can legacy OS boot bethod, by enabling CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in the laptop firmware settings.

    With CSM enabled, most of the basic hardwares will work in DOS. i.e. display adapter / VGA, storage devices (i.e. disk drive, harddisk, SSD), keyboard, and mouse including mouse-typed touchpad. Other devices will require separate DOS drivers, but not every laptop manufacturers provide them. For e.g. non mouse-typed touchpad, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, card reader, camera, fingerprint reader, etc. Though, devices which are built for moderm OSes such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, camera, and fingerprint reader are very likely don't have any DOS drivers.

    Windows can still be installed with CSM, but the OS won't support Secure Boot feature since it's not compatible with CSM. CSM will have to be disabled in order to enable Secure Boot, but that will also disable support for legacy OS boot. Though, third party tool(s) may be available for providing logacy OS boot without CSM, but I don't know how compatible or effective they would be.
    --- Synchronet 3.18c-Linux NewsLink 1.113
  • From JJ@jj4public@gmail.com to comp.os.msdos.misc on Sun Mar 21 20:15:27 2021
    From Newsgroup: comp.os.msdos.misc

    On Sat, 20 Mar 2021 18:56:28 -0700 (PDT), Dylan Taylor the Ultimate Saiyan wrote:
    Can FreeDOS run Windows 95?

    I haven't actually, tried. But my guess is that the two combination won't
    work together. NOT because FreeDOS can not run Windows 9x/ME, but because Windows 9x/ME specifically reject DOS if it isn't MS-DOS.
    --- Synchronet 3.18c-Linux NewsLink 1.113