FDOS/kernel
FreeDOS kernel - implements the core MS-DOS/PC-DOS (R) compatible operating system. It is derived from Pat Villani's DOS-C kernel and released under the GPL v2 or later. Please see http://www.freedos.org/ for more details about the FreeDOS (TM) Project. observed · 2026-08-28
Health v2 · maintenance only
88/100
- Activity 91
- Release rhythm 78
- Longevity 100
How is this computed?
round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10) — computed 2026-09-03. Adoption (stars, forks) is never an input.
- gap_med: 77.5
- age_days: 3113
- days_rel: 65
- days_push: 59
- n_releases_24m: 3
Adoption not part of the score
1046 stars · 177 forks observed · 2026-08-28
What it is AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, 2026-08-30, confidence not recorded
The FreeDOS kernel (DOS-C), an MS-DOS/PC-DOS compatible operating system kernel implementing the core DOS API. It is written in C and assembly, derived from Pat Villani's DOS-C, and released under GPL v2 or later.
Use cases
- run legacy DOS applications and games on modern or vintage hardware
- build a free open-source MS-DOS compatible operating system
- boot old PCs that cannot run modern operating systems
- embed a DOS-compatible environment in embedded or industrial systems
- develop and test DOS software in an authentic environment
- replace MS-DOS on an existing installation by copying kernel.sys
When to choose
- you need a free, GPL-licensed MS-DOS compatible kernel
- you want to revive or maintain legacy DOS hardware and software
- you need FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 support on 8086+ or 80386+ machines
- you want to contribute to or study a classic operating system kernel written in C
When to avoid
- you need a modern multitasking, networked, or 64-bit operating system
- you want a general-purpose desktop OS with a GUI
- you need drivers or features beyond the DOS API
- your hardware is not IBM PC compatible
Facets
application · maturity active
file-system cli operating-systems developer-tools cross-platform c ms-dos-compatible freedos kernel fat32 legacy-hardware retro-computing operating-system x86 dos
2 sources
- readme: https://github.com/FDOS/kernel · fetched 2026-08-28 · 9b5c87f9a36b
- homepage: http://kernel.fdos.org/ · fetched 2026-08-29 · 842bc143660b
Member repositories
| Repository | Role | Health v2 |
|---|---|---|
| FDOS/kernel | main | 88 |
For agents
Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00 · Report a problem