DOS ain't dead - 32-bit DOS unkludged

kerravon

Ligao, Free World North,
10.09.2025, 21:50

32-bit DOS unkludged (Developers)

This is another issue, different from what I posted about a short time ago.

Decades ago, someone wrote "Until DOS itself is made 32-bit, DOS extenders are just a kludge".

I no longer remember or have access to the person who wrote that, so I have to guess what he meant. Maybe someone else has the same opinion.

I'm guessing that his complaint is that DOS extenders repeatedly switch from PM32 to RM16. It's unclear to me why that is a "kludge" rather than "design".

Regardless, with PDOS/386 I don't switch to use DOS, I do the same switch - ie from PM32 to RM16 - to use the BIOS.

And why not? That's what the manufacturer shipped. They shipped the BIOS, I used it. Is that a kludge or not?

IF it IS a kludge, then I need to directly manipulate the hardware instead of using the BIOS, to make it non-kludged?

Regardless, I realized that at some point there was 32-bit UEFI, which means I can stay in 32-bit. If I switch PDOS to use 32-bit UEFI, would I then have an officially unkludged OS?

Then the next challenge would be to have the unkludged OS certified as "32-bit DOS". I think that might be impossible. But first I want to know the definition of "unkludged". Anyone know?

tom

Germany (West),
11.09.2025, 00:13

@ kerravon

32-bit DOS unkludged

Post reply

> This is another issue, different from what I posted about a short time
> ago.

Given that you regularly post "stuff", which one do you mean?

> Decades ago, someone wrote "Until DOS itself is made 32-bit, DOS extenders
> are just a kludge".
What exactly does that 'prove'? As in "monkeys and typewriters", you can have anything from "someone on the internet said decades ago".

>
> I no longer remember or have access to the person who wrote that, so I have
> to guess what he meant. Maybe someone else has the same opinion.

someone is wrong on the internet

>
> I'm guessing that his complaint is that DOS extenders repeatedly switch
> from PM32 to RM16. It's unclear to me why that is a "kludge" rather than
> "design".
Usually DOS extenders switch from PM32 to PM16. Explain why this is a "kludge".

>
> Regardless, with PDOS/386 I don't switch to use DOS, I do the same switch -
> ie from PM32 to RM16 - to use the BIOS.
>
> And why not? That's what the manufacturer shipped. They shipped the BIOS, I
> used it. Is that a kludge or not?
>
> IF it IS a kludge, then I need to directly manipulate the hardware instead
> of using the BIOS, to make it non-kludged?
I think you don't even understand the concept of "hardware" vs. "protected".
>
> Regardless, I realized that at some point there was 32-bit UEFI, which
> means I can stay in 32-bit. If I switch PDOS to use 32-bit UEFI, would I
> then have an officially unkludged OS?

Whatever "unkludged OS" means in your mind, please specify it better for mere mortals for us to understand before we might judge on it's merits.

>
> Then the next challenge would be to have the unkludged OS certified as
> "32-bit DOS".
"certified"? By you? or what authority do you have in mind?
You as in "Everything is everything, depending on definition" is about the worst person to certify anything.

> I think that might be impossible. But first I want to know
> the definition of "unkludged".
Whatever "someone on the internet" meant by it. Just take what it means to you, but don't expect anybody else to share your interpretation.