Select a kernel

FreeDOS kernel - OEM id 0xfd

The "official" kernel is the sourceforge 'freedos' project 'kernel' source. It formally had two branches, HEAD and UNSTABLE.
The UNSTABLE was formally the development branch (kernels with w revision suffix - for work-in-progress). It is no longer maintained and its use is discourged for all purposes!

The current kernel is now stored in SVN and is the TRUNK branch.
TRUNK is meant to remain as a stable branch for those needing a stable kernel for their product [personal or commercial].

Official Kernel

Stable kernel snapshot from svn TRUNK branch. Compiled with Open Watcom.
Kernel archive includes:

KERNEL.SYS - core; implements DOS API
COMMAND.COM - command interpreter
SYS.COM - system installer; copies kernel file(s), command shell, and usually updates boot sector
COUNTRY.SYS - NLS resource file (COUNTRY, UCASE, LCASE, FUCASE, COLLATE, DBCS and YESNO); used with COUNTRY= statement in CONFIG.SYS
Code Page Information - mapping of characters (letters) to code points, see CPI help - used with display and mode
SHARE.COM - file sharing and locking support; see SHARE; ONLY works with FreeDOS kernels!

Latest release kernels

latest FreeDOS kernel release
latest update packages for fdpkg)

releases - from SourceForge project

Fat32 enabled, for 386+

ke386f32.zip - implements DOS API, recommended for most
command.com - command interpreter

Other build variations

ke86f16.zip - FAT16 and FAT12 only, for 8086+, for older computers and programs incompatible with FAT32 based DOS
ke386f16.zip - FAT16 and FAT12 only, for 386+
ke86f32.zip - FAT32 enabled, for 8086+, same options as used in release builds

Source code

kernel_s.zip - source from SVN used to compile above builds
cmd_s.zip - source for command interpreter TODO

Testing kernels

testing - see here for posted nightly or other kernels for testing purposes

Alternate DOS-C Kernel - OEM id 0xdc

Development kernel snapshot from my FDOS distribution.
Not currently available.

FAT+

FAT+ is a specification for FAT compatible file system with support for files greater than 4 GiB. (Prior drafts of the specification are still available - draft release 1, initial draft - diff between draft r1 & r2. See also the DR-DOS/OpenDOS Enhancement Project (DR-DOS trademark DRDOS Inc.)

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