├── AUTOEXEC.BAT ├── CONFIG.SYS └── README.md /AUTOEXEC.BAT: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | @ECHO OFF 2 | 3 | SET DOSDIR=C:\SVARDOS 4 | PATH %DOSDIR%;c:\utils\fdedit;c:\utils\map;c:\utils\dosshell;c:\apps\msword;c:\protext;c:\ws;c:\drivers\doslfn 5 | 6 | REM Uncomment the line below for CDROM support 7 | SHSUCDX /d:SVCD0001 /v 8 | 9 | REM enable CPU power saving 10 | lh FDAPM ADV:REG 11 | 12 | SET LANG=EN 13 | 14 | 15 | rem Uncomment following line for UK keyboard layout 16 | rem lh KEYB uk,437,%DOSDIR%\KEYBOARD.SYS 17 | 18 | rem Uncomment following line for VirtualBox TCP/IP support 19 | rem lh c:\drivers\pcntpk\pcntpk int=0x60 20 | 21 | lh \drivers\doskey\doskey 22 | lh \drivers\ctmouse\ctmouse 23 | 24 | SET NLSPATH=%DOSDIR%\NLS 25 | SET DIRCMD=/O/P 26 | SET WATTCP.CFG=%DOSDIR% 27 | set temp=%dosdir%\temp 28 | set tmp=%dosdir%\temp 29 | set dircmd=/oen 30 | PROMPT $P$G 31 | 32 | dosshell 33 | 34 | 35 | ver 36 | mem 37 | 38 | 39 | ECHO. 40 | ECHO Welcome to SvarDOS! The following commands may be useful to know. 41 | ECHO Type 'HELP' if you need help. 42 | ECHO 'DOSLFN' loads support for long filenames (e.g. for WordStar documentation.) 43 | ECHO 'DOSSHELL' will reload the main menu. 44 | 45 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /CONFIG.SYS: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | ; SvarDOS kernel configuration 2 | 3 | ; highest allowed drive letter 4 | LASTDRIVE=Z 5 | 6 | ; max. number of files that programs are allowed to open simultaneously 7 | FILES=25 8 | 9 | ; XMS memory driver 10 | DEVICE=C:\SVARDOS\HIMEMX.EXE 11 | 12 | ; EMS driver 13 | 14 | device=c:\drivers\jemm\jemm386.exe frame=none ram 15 | 16 | ; try moving DOS to upper memory, then to high memory 17 | DOS=UMB,HIGH 18 | 19 | ; command interpreter (shell) location and environment size 20 | SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /E:512 /P 21 | 22 | ; NLS configuration 23 | COUNTRY=044,437,C:\SVARDOS\COUNTRY.SYS 24 | 25 | ; CD-ROM driver initialization 26 | DEVICEhigh=C:\DRIVERS\VIDECDD\VIDE-CDD.SYS /D:SVCD0001 27 | 28 | 29 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /README.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # DOS live USB images with tools for writers 2 | 3 | ## What this is 4 | 5 | This repo contains [downloads](https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos/releases) of compressed disk images of bootable USB keys. 6 | 7 | Version 1 is based on several upstream FOSS projects, plus some ancient DOS freeware applications. The idea is to provide a complete, easy-to-use, distraction-free environment for writers. It is set up for English with provision for US and UK keyboard layouts. If you want other translations, I welcome help! 8 | 9 | To get your work off the key, just insert the key into a computer that's already running any more modern OS than DOS. 10 | 11 | You _cannot_ go online with the keys and there are no Internet tools. There are also no games included. Both are intentional. 12 | 13 | ## What it contains: SvarDOS plus a menu launcher and a choice of freeware writing tools 14 | 15 | The operating system is [SvarDOS](http://svardos.org/), the latest release as of January 2025. For source code for the OS, go to the SvarDOS website. 16 | 17 | There **are no build scripts or source code here.** I did not use any. I did not compile anything at all. What I did was take pre-existing compiled code from SvarDOS and other projects, install it, and configure it. Then I worked out [how to make](https://liam-on-linux.livejournal.com/50416.html) bootable media in VMs, imaged those DOS-bootable USB media, and put the downloads here. 18 | 19 | The main writing-tools key has a simple launch menu using the DOSShell menu from PC DOS 2000, which back in 2021 I made into a Virtualbox VM and [published on my tech blog](https://liam-on-linux.livejournal.com/78306.html). 20 | 21 | It contains three word processors, two outliners, three plain-text editors, and some other apps. These alls are all explicitly freeware or products from companies that no longer exist. 22 | 23 | There is a more complete list of components here: 24 | 25 | [What is (and isn't) included and how it works](https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos/wiki/What-is-%28and-isn%27t%29-included-and-how-it-works). 26 | 27 | ## What you need 28 | 29 | 1. A PC that is able to boot DOS. ***NOTE:** UEFI-only PCs cannot boot DOS.* 30 | 2. A PC that is able to boot from USB\*. 31 | 3. *Any* x86-32 processor, and 1MB or more of RAM. This system will run usefully on a 35-year-old PC. 32 | 33 | That's all. You _do not need a hard disk._ It will work fine without one, or with a drive that's encrypted or otherwise unreadable. 34 | 35 | You do not need any other OS on the target PC. 36 | 37 | \* There are ways around that. You can also write the image to a CF card and use that instead of an EIDE hard disk. 38 | 39 | More info: [System Requirements](https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos/wiki/System-Requirements) 40 | 41 | ## How to use it 42 | 43 | 1. Download it from the [Releases page](https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos/releases), which is in the sidebar on the right. 44 | 2. [Write it to a key](https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos/wiki/How-to-write-the-image-to-a-USB-storage-device). 45 | 3. [Boot your computer from the key](https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos/wiki/How-to-boot-from-your-new-DOS-USB-key). 46 | 47 | That's it. There is no installation process. 48 | 49 | There are some more instructions in the [USB-DOS wiki](https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos/wiki). 50 | 51 | **NOTE** You [*must* have legacy boot enabled](https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos/wiki/System-Requirements) in your firmware. 52 | 53 | ## Questions, hints, suggestions? 54 | 55 | By all means use Github issues to tell me about problems, make suggestions, etc. You can also find me on [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/lproven.bsky.social), [Mastodon](https://social.vivaldi.net/deck/@lproven/), [~~Twitter~~ X](https://x.com/lproven), [Dreamwidth](https://liam-on-linux.dreamwidth.org/) and [other places](https://about.me/liamproven). 56 | 57 | ## Espresso your gratitude? 58 | 59 | If you like this or find it useful, then by all means please do [Buy Me A Coffee](https://buymeacoffee.com/lproven). Thank you! 60 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------