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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.
http://kernel.fdos.org/
GNU General Public License v2.0
811 stars 144 forks source link

Systems without BIOS drivers for USB keyboards cannot have FreeDOS installed on because it is impossible to get through the installer #111

Closed AverseABFun closed 1 year ago

AverseABFun commented 1 year ago

And it is unnecessary to create drivers, as Bret Johnson has them at bretjohnson.us.

ecm-pushbx commented 1 year ago

I think Bret's programs are not free software.

tkchia commented 1 year ago

Hello @AverseABFun, hello @ecm-pushbx,

In addition, I believe Bret Johnson's drivers do not quite support newer XHCI controllers yet?

Plus I am not sure which particular PC models this may help. The PCs I have encountered that can boot in either BIOS or UEFI mode, seem to have support for USB keyboards (using some internal voodoo that makes them pretend to be PS/2 keyboards). But maybe I am wrong.

Thank you!

AverseABFun commented 1 year ago

Hello @AverseABFun, hello @ecm-pushbx,

In addition, I believe Bret Johnson's drivers do not quite support newer XHCI controllers yet?

Plus I am not sure which particular PC models this may help. The PCs I have encountered that can boot in either BIOS or UEFI mode, seem to have support for USB keyboards (using some internal voodoo that makes them pretend to be PS/2 keyboards). But maybe I am wrong.

Thank you!

You're right, of course. But I got a old computer that doesn't have UEFI or built-in USB keyboard drivers.

AverseABFun commented 1 year ago

I think Bret's programs are not free software.

I believe that the source is available on the website, no?

ecm-pushbx commented 1 year ago

I think Bret's programs are not free software.

I believe that the source is available on the website, no?

Free software is about more than the source being available. It means recipients have the freedoms to use, modify, and redistribute the software, for any purpose and without restrictions. This includes selling the software (possibly including the sources if there is copyleft), which this software explicitly forbids (quoth USBINTRO.DOC):

 You also
 cannot distribute the programs, documentation, or source code and charge
 (even indirectly) for their distribution.  You can charge someone enough
 to cover your actual, direct costs for distribution (disks, shipping
 materials, postage, etc.), but cannot charge for "handling".  This also
 means that you cannot distribute the programs, documentation, or source
 code directly from a web site that charges a "registration fee" in an
 attempt to make a profit or to recover direct or indirect costs for
 maintaining the web site.
AverseABFun commented 1 year ago

Oh, I haven't looked at the license and I probably should have before mentioning that XD

On Mon, Aug 21, 2023 at 12:28 AM E. C. Masloch @.***> wrote:

I think Bret's programs are not free software.

I believe that the source is available on the website, no?

Free software is about more than the source being available. It means recipients have the freedoms to use, modify, and redistribute the software, for any purpose and without restrictions. This includes selling the software (possibly including the sources if there is copyleft), which this software explicitly forbids (quoth USBINTRO.DOC):

You also cannot distribute the programs, documentation, or source code and charge (even indirectly) for their distribution. You can charge someone enough to cover your actual, direct costs for distribution (disks, shipping materials, postage, etc.), but cannot charge for "handling". This also means that you cannot distribute the programs, documentation, or source code directly from a web site that charges a "registration fee" in an attempt to make a profit or to recover direct or indirect costs for maintaining the web site.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/FDOS/kernel/issues/111#issuecomment-1685665842, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ATOOUFVYA7QUHXFVFE7FKH3XWLWZBANCNFSM6AAAAAA3W34TSE . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: @.***>