FreeDOS Project turns 30 years old!

The FreeDOS Project will turn 30 years old on June 29, 2024. This is a long time for any open source project, especially one like FreeDOS.

FreeDOS is an open source DOS-compatible operating system that you can use to play classic DOS games, run legacy business software, or write new DOS programs. Any program that works on MS-DOS should also run on FreeDOS.

And yes, lots of people really do run FreeDOS in 2024. There’s a sizable community of retro computing enthusiasts who like to run classic operating systems like DOS. You can find many people online who restore old computers and put FreeDOS on them.

But there’s more than just the throwback aspect to FreeDOS. One thing I like about FreeDOS (or any DOS, but FreeDOS especially) is that it has so few “moving parts” that it’s very easy for beginner computer users to understand how a computer works.

And of course, there were just so many great DOS games from the 1980s and 1990s. And just because these games are old doesn’t mean they aren’t fun to play; I love going back to play classic shareware DOS games like DOOM, or Jill of the Jungle, or Commander Keen. These are still excellent in 2024.