DR DOS DR DOS 3.x 5.x 6.x 7.x 8.x

DR DOS was initially introduced as an OEM-only product designed to address shortcomings of MS-DOS. Although it was based on Concurrent DOS 6.0, all multi-user and multitasking ability was stripped out.

The first DR DOS release was numbered "3.31" to show it was on par with the latest shipping MS-DOS, Compaq DOS 3.31. DR DOS also included large partition (larger than 32MB) support.

DR DOS offered some extended command line tools with command line help, verbose error messages, sophisticated command line history and editing as well as support for file and directory passwords built right into the kernel. It was also cheaper to license than MS-DOS.
Version "4" was skipped to avoid being associated with the disaster called IBM-PC DOS 4.0 and MS-DOS 4.0.

New features include ViewMAX, a GEM-based GUI file management shell, the BatteryMAX power management system, bundled disk-caching software, and HMA and UMB memory use that frees up conventional 640k.

Notice that this was released in May, 1990 well before MS-DOS 5.0. Microsoft was scrambling to get similar features in to MS-DOS 5.0, that they released in June 1991.

Released shortly after MS-DOS 5.0, DR DOS added SuperStor drive compression, and TASKMAX task switcher, once again one-upping Microsoft.

Microsoft responded by placing the infamous "AARD" code in a December 1991 beta of Microsoft Windows 3.1, giving people the impression that DR-DOS might not be compatible with Windows.

This version adds DPMI support, VDM based multitasking, , and Novell Personal Netware. Novell had promised a wide variety of other features, but failed to deliver.

DR DOS was briefly renamed to "Novell DOS' after it was purchased by Novell. Version 7 was also briefly owned by Caldera released as OpenDOS, and then Lineo, and finally wound up under DRDOS, Inc.

After Microsoft intended to merge MS-DOS and Windows 95 as one commercial product, interest in developing DR DOS further mostly stopped. Eventually, parts of DR DOS 7.x were open sourced, and spawned a separate open source project based on that (not mirrored here).

In 2002 Lineo was bought out. Former employees created Devcelogics LLC that continued to sell DR-DOS for use in embedded systems. In 2004 Devicelogivs released DR-DOS 8.0.

DR DOS, Inc. was then created as a spin-off and released DR-DOS 8.1.

While DR-DOS 8.0 was based on DR-DOS Kernel 7.03.[46], 8.1 is instead based on OpenDOS/Enhanced DR-DOS 7.01.xx.

Shortly after release, it was discovered 8.1 as well as 8.0 contained works from FreeDOS, none of which were credited and source was not provided. When the FreeDOS project pointed out this was a GPL violation, DR-DOS, Inc pulled both 8.1 and 8.0 from the market.

Note: It appears 8.1 was distributed as a file set. To install, create a boot disk using "Bootdisk.img" and manually copy all files to a DOS folder.

Caldera DR-DOS 7.02 Lite (02-05-1998) (3.5-1.44mb).7z,2.69 MB
Caldera DR-DOS 7.03 (01-07-1999) (3.5-1.44mb).7z,5.52 MB
Caldera OpenDOS 7.01 (11-04-1997) (3.5-720k) (5.25-1.2mb) (3.5-1.44mb).7z,5.32 MB
Devicelogics DR-DOS 8.0 (3.5).7z,2.58 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 3.35 (2001 Sales OEM EZ-DOS 3.35) (1988) (5.25-360k).7z,3.61 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 3.40 (1989) (5.25-360k).7z,3.53 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 3.40 (2001 Sales OEM EZ-DOS 3.40) (1989) (5.25-360k).7z,5.90 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 3.41 (Acorn OEM) (1989) (3.5-720k).7z,1.09 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 5.0 (2-1-1991) (Premier Innovations OEM) (3.5-1.44mb).7z,0.73 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 5.0 (8-14-1990) (3.5-720k).7z,0.40 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 6.0 (1-16-1992) [Spanish] (3.5-1.44mb).7z,1.25 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 6.0 (10-16-1991) (3.5-720k) (alt).7z,4.03 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 6.0 (10-16-1991) [German] (5.25-360k).7z,1.25 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 6.0 (12-6-1991) (3.5-720k).7z,1.83 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 6.0 (8-23-1991) (5.25-1.2mb).7z,3.17 MB
Digital Research DR DOS 6.0 Manuals (1991).7z,66.73 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 3.41 (5.25).7z,0.21 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 5.0 (06-15-1990) (5.25 - 360KB).7z,0.40 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 5.0 (12-13-1990) [Spanish] (5.25-360k).7z,0.41 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 5.0 (5.25).7z,0.40 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 5.0 (6-15-1990) (Highscreen OEM) [German] (5.25-360k).7z,1.18 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 5.0 (8-22-1990) (Highscreen OEM) [German] (5.25-360k).7z,1.00 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 6.0 (10-16-1991) (3.5-720k).7z,1.22 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 6.0 (12-6-1991) [French] (3.5-720k).7z,1.25 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 6.0 (12-6-1991) [German] (5.25-1.2mb).7z,1.58 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 6.0 (3-27-1992) [German] (3.5-720k).7z,1.82 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 6.0 (4-28-1992) [French] (3.5-720k).7z,1.27 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 6.0 (5.25).7z,1.13 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 6.0 (8-29-1991) [German] (5.25-1.2mb).7z,1.25 MB
Digital Research DR-DOS 6.0 [Japanese] (3.5-1.44mb).7z,2.04 MB
DR DOS Inc DR-DOS 8.1 (3.5-1.44mb).7z,1.59 MB
Novell DOS 7.0 (01-26-1994) (5.25-1.2mb).7z,7.88 MB
Novell DOS 7.0 (02-22-1994) [German] (3.5-1.44mb).7z,9.09 MB
Novell DR DOS 6.0 (4-7-1992) (3.5-360k).7z,4.87 MB
Novell DR DOS 6.0 (4-7-1992) (3.5-720k).7z,2.13 MB