{{Short description|Computer operating system}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019|cs1-dates=y}} {{Use list-defined references|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox OS | name = 86-DOS | logo = 86-DOS logo.svg | screenshot = 86-DOS running assembler and HEX2BIN (screenshot).png | caption = A sample 86-DOS session (simulated) | developer = Seattle Computer Products / Tim Paterson | supported_platforms = x86 | kernel_type = Monolithic kernel | influenced_by = CP/M | ui = Command-line interface (COMMAND.COM) | family = DOS | released = {{Start date and age|1980|df=yes}} | latest_release_version = 86-DOS 1.10 | latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|1981|07|df=yes}} | marketing_target = S-100-based micro-computers with 8086 processor | programmed_in = 8086 assembly language | prog_language = 8086 assembly language | language = English | updatemodel = | package_manager = N/A | working_state = Historic, unsupported | license = Proprietary | succeeded by = MS-DOS, IBM PC DOS | website = }}

'''86-DOS''' (known internally as '''QDOS''',<ref name="Paterson_2019_Presentation">{{cite web |last1=Paterson |first1=Tim |title=The Original DOS and the Old Days |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Qh0O3Dt10 |website=YouTube |publisher=Vintage Computer Federation |access-date=1 March 2022 |location=Mountain View, CA, United States |date=5 August 2018}}</ref> for '''Quick and Dirty Operating System''') is a discontinued operating system developed and marketed by Seattle Computer Products (SCP) for its Intel 8086-based computer kit.

86-DOS shared a few of its commands with other operating systems such as OS/8 and CP/M, which made it easy to port programs from the latter. Its application programming interface was very similar to that of CP/M. The system was licensed and then purchased by Microsoft and developed further as MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS.<ref name="Beley_1986_MS-DOS_Encyclopedia" />

==History== ===Origins=== 86-DOS was created because sales of the Seattle Computer Products 8086 computer kit, demonstrated in June 1979 and shipped in November,<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/> were languishing due to the absence of an operating system. The only software that SCP could sell with the board was Microsoft's Standalone Disk BASIC-86, which Microsoft had developed on a prototype of SCP's hardware.<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/> SCP wanted to offer the 8086-version of CP/M that Digital Research had initially announced for November 1979, but it was delayed and its release date was uncertain.{{r|paterson198306}} This was not the first time Digital Research had lagged behind hardware developments; two years earlier it had been slow to adapt CP/M for new floppy disk formats and hard disk drives. In April 1980, SCP assigned 24-year-old Tim Paterson to develop a substitute for CP/M-86.<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/>

Using a CP/M-80 manual as reference,<ref name="nerds2"/> Paterson modeled 86-DOS after its architecture and interfaces, but adapted to meet the requirements of Intel's 8086 16-bit processor, for easy (and partially automated) source-level translatability of the many existing 8-bit CP/M programs;<ref name="paterson198306"/> porting them to either DOS or CP/M-86 was about equally difficult<ref name="edlin19820607"/> and eased by the fact that Intel had already published a method that could be used to automatically translate software from the Intel 8080 processor, for which CP/M had been designed, to the new 8086 instruction set.{{r|paterson198306}} At the same time he made a number of changes and enhancements to address what he saw as CP/M's shortcomings. CP/M cached file system information in memory for speed, but this required a user to force an update to a disk before removing it; if the user forgot, the disk would become corrupt. Paterson took the safer, but slower approach of updating the disk with each operation. CP/M's PIP command, which copied files, supported several special file names that referred to hardware devices such as printers and communication ports. Paterson built these names into the operating system as device files so that any program could use them. He gave his copying program the more intuitive name COPY. Rather than implementing CP/M's file system, he drew on Microsoft Standalone Disk BASIC-86's File Allocation Table (FAT) file system.<ref name="Beley_1986_MS-DOS_Encyclopedia"/>

By mid-1980 SCP advertised 86-DOS, priced at {{currency|amount=95|code=USD|linked=yes}} for owners of its {{currency|amount=1290|code=USD|linked=no}} 8086-board and {{currency|amount=195|code=USD|linked=no}} for others. It touted the software's ability to read Zilog Z80 source code from a CP/M disk and translate it to 8086 source code, and promised that only "minor hand correction and optimization" was needed to produce 8086 binaries.{{r|BYTE_1980_86-DOS}}

===IBM interest=== In October 1980, IBM was developing what would become the original IBM Personal Computer. CP/M was by far the most popular operating system in use at the time, and IBM felt that it needed CP/M in order to compete. IBM's representatives visited Digital Research and discussed licensing with Digital Research's licensing representative, Dorothy Kildall (née McEwen), who hesitated to sign IBM's non-disclosure agreement. Although the NDA was later accepted, Digital Research would not accept IBM's proposal of {{currency|amount=250,000|code=USD|linked=no}} in exchange for as many copies as IBM could sell, insisting on the usual royalty-based plan.<ref name="Freiberger_1984_Fire_Valley"/> In later discussions between IBM and Bill Gates, Gates mentioned the existence of 86-DOS, and IBM representative Jack Sams told him to get a license for it.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}}

===Creation of PC&nbsp;DOS=== Microsoft purchased a non-exclusive license for 86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products<ref name="86-DOS_License"/> in December 1980 for {{currency|amount=25000|code=USD|linked=no}}.{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}}<!-- Lots of third-party sources state 1980-12 and US$25,000, however, the license agreement was signed on 1981-01-06 and the total payments described in there depended on some conditions. This needs to be sorted out in better detail. --> In May 1981, it hired Tim Paterson to port the system to the IBM&nbsp;PC,<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/> which used the slower and less expensive Intel 8088 processor and had its own specific family of peripherals. IBM watched the developments daily,<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/> submitting over 300 change requests before it accepted the product and wrote the user manual for it.

In July 1981, a month before the PC's release, Microsoft purchased all rights to 86-DOS from SCP for {{currency|amount=50000|code=USD|linked=no}}.<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/><ref name="86-DOS_Sale"/><ref name="Duncan_1988_MS-DOS_Encyclopedia"/> It met IBM's main criteria: it looked like CP/M,<ref name="Beley_1986_MS-DOS_Encyclopedia"/> and it was easy to adapt existing 8-bit CP/M programs to run under it, notably thanks to the TRANS command which would translate source files from 8080 to 8086 machine instructions. Microsoft licensed 86-DOS to IBM, and it became PC&nbsp;DOS&nbsp;1.0. This license also permitted Microsoft to sell DOS to other companies, which it did. The deal was spectacularly successful, and SCP later claimed in court that Microsoft had concealed its relationship with IBM in order to purchase the operating system cheaply. SCP ultimately received a {{currency|amount=1|code=USD|linked=no}}&nbsp;million settlement payment.

===Intellectual property dispute=== When Digital Research founder Gary Kildall examined PC&nbsp;DOS and found that it duplicated CP/M's programming interface, he wanted to sue IBM, which at the time claimed that PC&nbsp;DOS was its own product. However, Digital Research's attorney did not believe that the relevant law was clear enough to sue. Nonetheless, Kildall confronted IBM and persuaded them to offer CP/M-86 with the PC in exchange for a release of liability.

Controversy has continued to surround the similarity between the two systems. Perhaps the most sensational claim came from Jerry Pournelle, who said that Kildall personally demonstrated to him that DOS contained CP/M code by entering a command in DOS that displayed Kildall's name,<ref name="TWIT_2006"/><ref group="nb" name="NB_Paterson_EasterEgg"/> but Pournelle never revealed the command and nobody has come forward to corroborate his story. A 2004 book about Kildall says that he used such an encrypted message to demonstrate that other manufacturers had copied CP/M, but does not say that he found the message in DOS;<ref name="Evans_2004_They_Made_America"/> instead Kildall's memoir (a source for the book) pointed to the well-known interface similarity. Paterson insists that the 86-DOS software was his original work and has denied referring to or otherwise using CP/M code while writing it.<ref name="Paterson_1994_Origins_DOS"/><ref name="Paterson_1997"/> After the 2004 book appeared, he sued the authors and publishers for defamation.<ref name="USA_Today_2005_Programmer_Sues"/> The court ruled in summary judgment that no defamation had occurred, as the book's claims were opinions based on research or were not provably false.<ref name="Paterson_v_Little_2007"/>

==={{anchor|0.10|0.11|0.20|0.30|0.33|0.34}}{{anchor|0.42|0.56|0.60|0.74|0.75|0.76|0.80|1.00|1.01|1.10}}Versions=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | QDOS 0.10<!-- pending zero --> | 1980-07<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/> || Roughly half completed version of the OS.<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/> It implemented the original form of Paterson's derivation of Microsoft's FAT filesystem. In contrast to the earlier 8-bit FAT filesystem found in Standalone Disk BASIC-86, this variant<!-- well, at least 0.3 is known for this --> already supported 12-bit table elements,<ref name="Paterson_2007_Design-DOS"/> reduced the number of FATs from 3<ref name="Schulman_1994_Undocumented-DOS"/> to 2, redefined the semantics of some of the reserved cluster values<!-- according to Marc McDonald in 2012-08 -->, and modified the disk layout, so that the root directory was now located between the FAT and the data area<!-- according to Marc McDonald in 2012-08 -->. Paterson also increased the previous 9-character length limit<!-- in Standalone Disk BASIC-80/86 --> to 11 characters in order to support CP/M-style 8.3 filenames and File Control Blocks. This variant, however, still used 16-byte directory entries and therefore is not compatible with what became later known as FAT12 in MS-DOS/PC&nbsp;DOS.<!-- and supported since 86-DOS 0.42 --> Possibly shipped already.<ref name="Paterson_1983_Byte_Short_History"/> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | QDOS/86-DOS 0.11 | 1980-08 | Bug fix<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/> shipment.<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/><!-- Definitely shipped --> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | QDOS/86-DOS 0.2 | 1980-08 | EDLIN added. Renamed to 86-DOS by August 1980.<ref name="BYTE_1980_86-DOS"/> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.3<!-- no pending zero --> | 15 November 1980 || First version licensed by SCP to Microsoft.<ref name="86-DOS_License"/> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.33 | 1980-12 | First version distributed by SCP to OEMs and Microsoft as 86-DOS.<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/><ref name="86-DOS_License"/> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.34<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 29 December 1980<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || Cleaned up release for SCP OEMs including Microsoft. |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.42<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 25 February 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || At the indirect request of IBM (through Microsoft<ref name="86-DOS_Sale"/>) size of directory entries changed from 16 to 32&nbsp;bytes<!-- according to Marc McDonald in 2012-08 --> (similar to MDOS/MIDAS<!-- unknown, if the same layout of 32-byte entries as in MIDAS was used in 86-DOS or not, but both supported 32-byte directory entries -->) in order to add support for a last-modified date stamp (2&nbsp;bytes) and theoretical file sizes larger than 16&nbsp;MB (4&nbsp;bytes)<!-- not sure how it was organized in earlier versions right now, as I'm not sure if earlier versions supported byte-level granular file access already -->,<ref name="SCP_1981_86-DOS_1.0_Addendum"/> thereby implementing the earliest form of the 12-bit FAT file system logically fully compatible with what became known as FAT12 in MS-DOS/PC&nbsp;DOS later on. 86-DOS retained the capability to read volumes written under older versions of 86-DOS up to MS-DOS 1.14 at the least<!-- SCP 86-DOS 1.0 tested, SCP MS-DOS 2.0 not tested yet. SCP MS-DOS 1.25 was thought to support this as well, but now that MS has published the source code (in 2014-03) of what they claim is MS-DOS 1.25, I couldn't find it in there. -->, whereas generic MS-DOS 1.20 / PC&nbsp;DOS 1.1 and higher no longer supported it.<!-- PC DOS 1.0 possibly still supported it, but not tested yet. It is known, that SMALLDIR support was removed for MS-DOS 1.20 / 1981-12-31. --> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.56<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 23 March 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || Support for disk blocking/deblocking as requested since 1981-01-15.<ref name="86-DOS_Sale"/> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.60<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 27 March 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || The file <code>DOSIO.ASM</code> found in 86-DOS 1.00 mentions that it is the "I/O System for 86-DOS version 0.60 and later".<ref name="86-DOS_Files"/> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.74<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 15 April 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || Added device files. |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.75<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 17 April 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || Bug fix. |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.76<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 23 April 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || Bug fix. |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 0.80<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 27 April 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || Added system calls. |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 1.00<ref name="Paterson_1983_Byte_Short_History"/><ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 28 April 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || Modified system calls.<ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS"/><ref name="Paterson_1983_Byte_Short_History"/><ref name="86-DOS_Files"/><ref name="SCP_86-DOS_1.0_Files"/> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 1.01<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 12 May 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> || Bug fix. |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 1.10<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/> | 21 July 1981<ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125"/><!-- not a typo here --> || Purchased by Microsoft and renamed to MS-DOS on 27 July 1981,<ref name="86-DOS_Sale"/><ref name="Paterson_1983_Byte_Short_History"/> therefore the last version with genuinely matching 86-DOS and MS-DOS version numbers. First version known to implement the 'hidden' attribute.<!-- not sure when the 'system' attribute support was added, as it was not needed by 86-DOS, but it was supported by PC DOS 1.0 already. --> |- ! {{Row header|style=white-space:nowrap;}} | 86-DOS 1.14<ref name="Paterson_1983_Byte_Short_History"/> | 1981-10/11 || According to Tim Paterson PC&nbsp;DOS 1.0 basically reflects 86-DOS 1.14,<ref name="Paterson_1983_Byte_Short_History"/> other sources find a match of PC&nbsp;DOS 1.0 with MS-DOS/86-DOS 1.10 as of 21 July 1981 more likely. |}

==Features== ===Commands=== The following list of commands is supported by 86-DOS.<ref name="SCP_1980_86-DOS-UM"/>

====Internal commands==== {{div col|colwidth=9em}} * CLEAR * COPY * DIR * ERASE * RENAME * TYPE {{div col end}}

====External commands==== {{div col|colwidth=9em}} * ASM * CHKDSK * DEBUG * EDLIN * HEX2BIN * MAKRDCPM * RDCPM * SYS * TRANS {{div col end}}

=====EDLIN===== By 1982, when IBM asked Microsoft to release a version of DOS that was compatible with a hard disk drive, PC&nbsp;DOS 2.0 was an almost complete rewrite of DOS, so by March 1983, very little of 86-DOS remained. The most enduring element of 86-DOS was its primitive line editor, EDLIN, which remained the only editor supplied with Microsoft versions of DOS until the June 1991 release of MS-DOS 5.0, which included a text-based user interface editor called MS-DOS Editor, based on QBasic. EDLIN can still be used on contemporary machines, since there is an emulated DOS environment up to Windows 10 (32 bit).

===Supported disk formats{{Anchor|Formats}}=== Seattle Computer Products' 86-DOS supported the FAT12 filesystem on a range of 8-inch and 5.25-inch floppy disk drives on S-100 floppy disk controller hardware manufactured by Cromemco, Tarbell Electronics and North Star Computers. The Western Digital FD1771-based Cromemco and Tarbell boards supported one-sided, single-density soft-sectored drives. A Tarbell double-density board utilizing the FD1791 was supported as well. Later, SCP offered advanced floppy disk controllers, like the Disk Master series.

86-DOS<!-- at least up to including 1.00 --> did not take advantage of a FAT ID byte<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_FEh" /> or BIOS parameter block (BPB), as later DOS versions do, to distinguish between different media formats; instead different drive letters were hard-coded at time of compilation to be associated with different physical floppy drives, sides and densities. That meant, depending on its type, a disk had to be addressed under a certain drive letter to be recognized correctly. This concept was later emulated with more flexibility by DRIVER.SYS under DOS 3.x and later versions.

Two logical format variants of the 86-DOS 12-bit FAT format existed—the original format with 16-byte directory entries and the later format (since 86-DOS 0.42) with 32-byte directory entries. Only the second one is logically compatible with the FAT12 format known since the release of MS-DOS and PC&nbsp;DOS. MS-DOS still cannot mount such volumes, as in absence of a BPB it falls back to retrieve the FAT ID in the FAT entry for cluster 0 to choose among hard-coded disk geometry profiles. In all formats of a volume formatted under MS-DOS that would otherwise be supported by both systems and typically also in all other formats, this ID is located in the first byte of logical sector 1—that is, the volume's second sector with physical cylinder-head-sector (CHS) address 0/0/2 or logical block addressing (LBA) address 1—since MS-DOS assumes a single reserved sector, the boot sector. Under 86-DOS, the reserved sectors area is significantly larger (whole tracks), and therefore the prototypical<!-- because 86-DOS does not make use of it, at least not in early versions --> FAT ID {{code|0xFE}} (and {{code|0xFF}}) is located elsewhere on disk, making it impossible for MS-DOS to retrieve it, and even if it would, the hard-coded disk profile associated with it would not take this larger reserved sectors region under 86-DOS into account.<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_FEh" />

CP/M&nbsp;2 floppy media were readable through RDCPM.

86-DOS did not offer any specific support for fixed disks, but third-party solutions in form of hard disk controllers and corresponding I/O system extensions for 86-DOS were available from companies like Tallgrass Technologies, making hard disks accessible similar to superfloppies within the size limits of the FAT12 file system.<!-- most probably without any kind of partitioning, but if so, not in the later MBR partitioning scheme as introduced with PC DOS 2.0 -->

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;" |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Size | 8&nbsp;inch || <!-- 8&nbsp;inch || -->8&nbsp;inch || 8&nbsp;inch || 5.25&nbsp;inch || 5.25&nbsp;inch |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Density | SD || <!-- SD || -->DD || DD || SD || SD |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Modulation | FM || <!-- FM || -->MFM || MFM || FM || FM |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Formatted capacity (KB) | 250.25<ref name="86-DOS_Files" /> | | <!-- 500.5 || -->616<ref name="86-DOS_Files" /> | | 1232<ref name="86-DOS_Files" /> | | 90<ref name="86-DOS_Files" /> | | 87.5<ref name="86-DOS_Files" /> |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Cylinders (CHS) | 77 || <!-- 77 || -->77 || 77 || 40 || 35 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Physical sectors / track | 26 || <!-- 26 || -->8 || 8 || 18 || 10 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Number of heads | 1 || <!-- 2 || -->1 || 2 || 1 || 1 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Byte payload / physical sector | 128 || <!-- 128 || -->1024 || 1024 || 128 || 256 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Bytes / logical sector | 128 || <!-- 128 || -->1024 || 1024 || 128 || 256 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Logical sectors / cluster | 4 || <!-- 4 || -->1 || 1 || 2 || 1 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Reserved logical sectors | 52 (2 tracks) || <!-- ? || -->1 || 1 || 54 (3 tracks) || 30 (3 tracks) |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Number of FATs | 2 || <!-- 2 || -->2 || 2 || 2 || 2 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Root directory entries<br />(á 32 bytes,<br />86-DOS 0.42 and higher only) | 64 (16 sectors) || <!-- 64 (16 sectors) || -->96 (3 sectors) || 128 (4 sectors) || 64 (16 sectors) || 64 (8 sectors) |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Root directory entries<br />(á 16 bytes) | 64 || <!-- 64 || -->{{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || 64 || {{N/A}} |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Total logical sectors | 2002 || <!-- 4004 || -->616 || 1232 || 720 || 350 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Logical sectors / FAT | {{dunno|6?}} || <!-- ? || -->{{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Hidden sectors | 0 || <!-- 0 || -->0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Logical sector order | {{dunno}} || <!-- ? || -->{{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} |- <!-- | Sector interleave || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} --> <!-- | Head skew || {{N/A}} || {{dunno}} || {{N/A}} || {{dunno}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} --> ! style="text-align:right;" | Sector mapping | sector+/ track+ || <!-- sector+/ head+/ track+? --><!-- or sector+/ track+/ head+? --><!-- || -->sector+/ track+ || sector+/ head+/ track+ || sector+/ track+ || sector+/ track+ |- ! style="text-align:right;" | First physical sector | 1 || <!-- 1 || --> 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Sector index | Soft || <!-- Soft || --> Soft || Soft || Soft || Hard (10+1) |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Controller type | Cromemco/Tarbell FD1771 || <!-- ? --><!-- not sure if the 500.5 KB format is actually supported by 86-DOS. If so, only by Tarbell --><!-- || -->Tarbell FD1791 || Tarbell FD1791 || Cromemco FD1771 || NorthStar<!-- with Shugart SA-400 drives --> |- ! style="text-align:right;" | FAT ID | {{No}} (FEh)<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_FEh" /> || <!-- No || -->{{No}} (FEh)<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_ELSE" /> || {{No}} (FEh)<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_ELSE" /> || {{No}} (FEh)<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_ELSE" /> || {{No}} (FEh)<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_ELSE" /> |- ! style="text-align:right;" | BPB presence | {{No}} || <!-- No || -->{{No}} || {{No}} || {{No}} || {{No}} |}

Various OEM versions of MS-DOS 1.2x and 2.x supported a number of similar 8-inch FAT12 floppy disk formats as well, although not identical to those supported by 86-DOS.<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_FEh" />

Disk formats supported by one of the last versions<!-- 1.25 or 1.26 --> developed by Tim Paterson at Microsoft, MS-DOS 1.25<!-- circular link --> <ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125" /><ref name="SCP_MS-DOS_1.25_Files" /><ref name="Shustek_2014_MS-DOS" /><ref name="Levin_2014_MS-DOS" /> (March 1982) for the ''SCP Gazelle'' computer with SCP controller or Cromemco 16FDC controller (by default, this version only supported the MS-DOS-compatible variants of the 8.0&nbsp;in formats with a single reserved sector but it could be built to provide two extra drive letters to read and write floppies in the previous SCP 86-DOS 8.0&nbsp;in disk formats since 0.42 as well):

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;" |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Size | 8&nbsp;inch || 8&nbsp;inch || <!-- 8&nbsp;inch || -->8&nbsp;inch || 8&nbsp;inch || 8&nbsp;inch || 5.25&nbsp;inch || 5.25&nbsp;inch || 5.25&nbsp;inch |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Density | SD || SD || <!-- SD || -->DD || DD || DD || SD || DD || DD |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Modulation | FM || FM || <!-- FM || -->MFM || MFM || MFM || FM || MFM || MFM |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Formatted capacity (KB) | style="background:#F2F2F2;" | 250.25 (SCP) || 250.25 (MS) || <!-- 500.5 || -->616 || style="background:#F2F2F2;" | 1232 (SCP) || 1232 (MS) || 90 || 160 || 320 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Cylinders (CHS) | 77 || 77 || <!-- 77 || -->77 || 77 || 77 || 40 || 40 || 40 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Physical sectors / track<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_0Dh" /> | 26 || 26 || <!-- 26 || -->8 || 8 || 8 || 18 || 8 || 8 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Number of heads<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_0Fh" /> | 1 || 1 || <!-- 2 || -->1 || 2 || 2 || 1 || 1 || 2 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Byte payload / physical sector | 128 || 128 || <!-- 128 || -->1024 || 1024 || 1024 || 128 || 512 || 512 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Bytes / logical sector<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_00h" /> | 128 || 128 || <!-- 128 || -->1024 || 1024 || 1024 || 128 || 512 || 512 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Logical sectors / cluster<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_02h" /> | 4 || 4 || <!-- 4 || -->1 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 1 || 2 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Reserved logical sectors<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_03h" /> | style="background:#F2F2F2;" | 52 (2 tracks) || 1 || <!-- ? || -->1 || 1 || 1 || 54 (3 tracks) || 1 || 1 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Number of FATs<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_05h" /> | 2 || 2 || <!-- 2 || -->2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Root directory entries<br />(á 32 bytes)<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_06h" /> | style="background:#F2F2F2;" | 64 (16 sectors) || 68 (17 sectors) || <!-- 64? (16? sectors) || -->96 (3 sectors) || style="background:#F2F2F2;" | 128 (4 sectors) || 192 (6 sectors) || 64 (16 sectors) || 64 (4 sectors) || 112 (7 sectors) |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Total logical sectors<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_08h" /> | 2002 || 2002 || <!-- 4004 || -->616 || 1232 || 1232 || 720 || 320 || 640 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Logical sectors / FAT<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_0Bh" /> | {{dunno|style=background:#F2F2F2;|6?}} || 6 || <!-- ? || -->1 || {{dunno|style=background:#F2F2F2;}} || 2 || 4 || 1 || 1 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Hidden sectors<ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_11h" /> | 0 || 0<ref group="nb" name="NB_Microsoft_Hidden" /> || <!-- 0 || -->0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Total number of clusters<!-- unless there were bad sectors --> | {{dunno}} || 497 || <!-- ? || -->{{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || 1227 || {{dunno}} || 313 || 315 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Logical sector order | {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || <!-- ? || -->{{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} |- <!-- | Sector interleave || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} || {{dunno}} --> <!-- | Head skew || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{dunno}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{dunno}} || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || {{dunno}} --> ! style="text-align:right;" | Sector mapping | sector+/ track+ || sector+/ track+ || <!-- sector+/ head+/ track+? --><!-- or sector+/ track+/ head+? --><!-- || -->sector+/ track+ || sector+/ head+/ track+ || sector+/ head+/ track+ || sector+/ track+ || sector+/ track+ || sector+/ head+/ track+ |- ! style="text-align:right;" | First physical sector | 1 || 1 || <!-- 1 || --> 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Sector index | Soft || Soft || <!-- Soft || --> Soft || Soft || Soft || Soft || Soft || Soft |- ! style="text-align:right;" | Controller type | Cromemco&nbsp;/ Tarbell FD1771 || Cromemco&nbsp;/ Tarbell FD1771 || <!-- ? --><!-- not sure if the 500.5 KB format is actually supported by 86-DOS. If so, only by Tarbell --><!-- || -->Tarbell FD1791&nbsp;/ FD1793 || Tarbell FD1791&nbsp;/ FD1793 || Tarbell FD1791&nbsp;/ FD1793 || Cromemco 4FDC FD1771 || SCP / Cromemco 16FDC || SCP / Cromemco 16FDC |- ! style="text-align:right;" | FAT ID<ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_FEh" /><ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_0Ah" /> | FEh || FEh || <!-- || -->FEh || FEh || FEh || FEh || FEh || FFh |- ! style="text-align:right;" | BPB Presence | {{No}} || {{No}} || <!-- No || -->{{No}} || {{No}} || {{No}} || {{No}} || {{No}} || {{No}} |} In 1984 Seattle Computer Products released an OEM version of MS-DOS 2.0<!-- circular link --> for the SCP S-100 computer with SCP-500 Disk Master Floppy controller. It added support for 5.25&nbsp;in DD/1S (180&nbsp;KB) and DD/2S (360&nbsp;KB) FAT12 formats and supported the older formats as well<!-- at least 8.0 in DD/1S on Qume QumeTrak 842 and 5.25 in DD/2S on TEAC FD-55B-01-U. -->, although possibly with some of the parameters<!-- TDB: reserved sectors, FAT ID, BPB --> modified compared to MS-DOS 1.25.<ref name="Bob_2009" />

==See also== * MIDAS<!-- a Microsoft system implementing FAT --> * MSX-DOS<!-- sort of opposite approach: "DOS look&feel but 8-bit CP/M compatible" -->

==Notes== {{reflist|group="nb"|refs= <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_00h">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the bytes per logical sector corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x00}} under DOS 2.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_02h">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the logical sectors per cluster (allocation units) corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x02}} under DOS 2.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_03h">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the number of reserved logical sectors corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x03}} under DOS 2.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_05h">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the number of FATs corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x05}} under DOS 2.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_06h">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the number of root directory entries (á 32 bytes) corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x06}} under DOS 2.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_08h">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the total number of logical sectors corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x08}} under DOS 2.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_0Ah">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the FAT ID corresponds with the media descriptor byte at BPB offset {{code|0x0A}} under DOS 2.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_0Bh">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the number of logical sectors per FAT corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x0B}} under DOS 2.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_0Dh">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the number of physical sectors per track corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x0D}} under DOS 3.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_0Fh">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the number of heads corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x0F}} under DOS 3.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_BPB_11h">DOS 1.x does not support a BPB, but this entry for the number of hidden sectors corresponds with BPB offset {{code|0x11}} under DOS 3.0 and higher.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_FEh">8.0" 250.25&nbsp;KB images formatted under 86-DOS 1.00 sport a FAT ID of FEh, however, in contrast to MS-DOS/PC&nbsp;DOS, 86-DOS does not seem to use this to detect the disk format, as this information is hard-coded into disk profiles associated to certain drive letters at compile-time. MS-DOS would not be able to mount such volumes as (in absence of a BPB) it expects the FAT ID in logical sector 1, assuming only one reserved sector of 512 bytes (the boot sector in logical sector 0) instead of the 52 reserved sectors á 128 bytes used by 86-DOS here. This works for MS-DOS, because the system files are not part of the reserved area under MS-DOS, while under 86-DOS there are no system files and the ca. 6&nbsp;KB large DOS kernel is located in the reserved area.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_FATID_ELSE">Executing the {{code|CLEAR}} command under 86-DOS 1.00 COMMAND.COM seems to initialize a volume's FAT&nbsp;ID byte to FEh regardless of disk drive and format used.<!-- Still needs verification on live media, though. Seen live on 250&nbsp;KB media only, so far. --></ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_Microsoft_Hidden">For unknown reasons, some Microsoft documents give a value of 3 for this entry, where 0 seems correct technically. SCP MS-DOS 1.25 implicitly assumes 0 as well.</ref> <ref group="nb" name="NB_Paterson_EasterEgg">Somewhat ironically in the context of Jerry Pournelle's claim that Gary Kildall demonstrated to him a way to display Kildall's name in DOS, Tim Paterson claims to have hidden an easter egg, displaying his ''own'' name, in the FAT code of MSX-DOS 1, when he developed this Z80-based CP/M clone resembling 86-DOS/MS-DOS 1.25 in 1983: {{cite web|first=Tim|last=Paterson|author-link=Tim Paterson|title=The History of MSX-DOS|url=http://www.msx.org/wiki/The_History_of_MSX-DOS|date=2014-02-17|access-date=2014-05-31|publisher=Jorito, Maggoo, John Hassink, MSX Resource Center}}</ref> }}

==References== <references> <ref name="Freiberger_1984_Fire_Valley">{{cite book |title=Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer |author-last1=Freiberger |author-first1=Paul |author-link1=Paul Freiberger |author-first2=Michael |author-last2=Swaine |author-link2=Michael Swaine (technical author) |orig-year=1984 |edition=2nd |date=2000 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |location=New York |isbn=0-07-135892-7 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/fireinvalleymaki00frei_0/page/332 332–333] |url=https://archive.org/details/fireinvalleymaki00frei_0/page/332 }}</ref> <ref name="Beley_1986_MS-DOS_Encyclopedia">{{Cite book |editor1-first=Jim |editor1-last=Beley |editor2-first=Barry |editor2-last=Preppernau |editor3-first=Pam |editor3-last=Beason |editor4-first=Andrea |editor4-last=Lewis |editor5-first=David |editor5-last=Rygmyr |author-first1=Howard |author-last1=Bornstein |author-first2=Lawrence |author-last2=Bredehoeft |author-first3=Ray |author-last3=Duncan |author-first4=Carol |author-last4=Morris |author-first5=David |author-last5=Rose <!-- |author-link5=David Rose --> |author-first6=John |author-last6=Socha |author-link6=John Socha |author-first7=Jim |author-last7=Tomlin |author-first8=Kathleen |author-last8=Vian |author-first9=Van |author-last9=Wolverton |title=MS-DOS (Versions 1.0-3.2) Technical Reference Encyclopedia |contribution=Technical advisors |contributor-first1=Paul |contributor-last1=Allen |contributor-link1=Paul Allen |contributor-first2=Bill |contributor-last2=Gates |contributor-link2=Bill Gates |contributor-first3=Adrian |contributor-last3=King |contributor-first4=Chris |contributor-last4=Larson |contributor-first5=Gordon |contributor-last5=Letwin |contributor-link5=Gordon Letwin |contributor-first6=Bob |contributor-last6=O'Rear |contributor-link6=Bob O'Rear |contributor-first7=Tim |contributor-last7=Paterson |contributor-link7=Tim Paterson |contributor-first8=Chris |contributor-last8=Peters |contributor-first9=Bruce |contributor-last9=Phillips |contributor-first10=Aaron |contributor-last10=Reynolds |contributor-link10=Aaron R. Reynolds |contributor-first11=Betty |contributor-last11=Stillmaker |contributor-first12=Mark |contributor-last12=Zbikowski |contributor-link12=Mark Zbikowski |date=1986 |edition=Original withdrawn |publisher=Microsoft Press |series=Microsoft Reference Library |volume=1 |location=Redmond, Washington, USA |isbn=0-914845-69-1 |lccn=86-8640 |oclc=635600205}} (xvii+1053 pages; 29&nbsp;cm) (NB. This original edition contains flowcharts of the internal workings of the system. It was withdrawn by Microsoft before mass-distribution in 1986 because it contained many factual errors as well as some classified information which should not have been published. Few printed copies survived. It was replaced by a completely reworked edition in 1988. [https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/larryosterman/2004/06/14/does-anyone-remember-the-original-ms-dos-encyclopedia/])</ref> <ref name="Duncan_1988_MS-DOS_Encyclopedia">{{Cite book |title=The MS-DOS Encyclopedia: versions 1.0 through 3.2 |author-first1=Ray |author-last1=Duncan |author-first2=Steve |author-last2=Bostwick |author-first3=Keith |author-last3=Burgoyne |author-first4=Robert A. |author-last4=Byers |author-first5=Thom |author-last5=Hogan |author-first6=Jim |author-last6=Kyle |author-first7=Gordon |author-last7=Letwin |author-link7=Gordon Letwin |author-first8=Charles |author-last8=Petzold |author-link8=Charles Petzold |author-first9=Chip |author-last9=Rabinowitz |author-first10=Jim |author-last10=Tomlin |author-first11=Richard |author-last11=Wilton |author-first12=Van |author-last12=Wolverton |author-first13=William |author-last13=Wong |author-first14=JoAnne |author-last14=Woodcock |contribution=Technical advisors |contributor-first1=Mark |contributor-last1=Zbikowski |contributor-link1=Mark Zbikowski |contributor-first2=Paul |contributor-last2=Allen |contributor-link2=Paul Allen |contributor-first3=Steve |contributor-last3=Ballmer |contributor-link3=Steve Ballmer |contributor-first4=Reuben |contributor-last4=Borman |contributor-first5=Rob |contributor-last5=Borman |contributor-first6=John |contributor-last6=Butler |contributor-first7=Chuck |contributor-last7=Carroll |contributor-first8=Mark |contributor-last8=Chamberlain |contributor-first9=David |contributor-last9=Chell |contributor-first10=Mike |contributor-last10=Colee |contributor-first11=Mike |contributor-last11=Courtney |contributor-first12=Mike |contributor-last12=Dryfoos |contributor-first13=Rachel |contributor-last13=Duncan |contributor-first14=Kurt |contributor-last14=Eckhardt |contributor-first15=Eric |contributor-last15=Evans |contributor-first16=Rick |contributor-last16=Farmer |contributor-first17=Bill |contributor-last17=Gates |contributor-link17=Bill Gates |contributor-first18=Michael |contributor-last18=Geary |contributor-first19=Bob |contributor-last19=Griffin |contributor-first20=Doug |contributor-last20=Hogarth |contributor-first21=James W. |contributor-last21=Johnson |contributor-first22=Kaamel |contributor-last22=Kermaani |contributor-first23=Adrian |contributor-last23=King |contributor-first24=Reed |contributor-last24=Koch |contributor-first25=James |contributor-last25=Landowski |contributor-first26=Chris |contributor-last26=Larson |contributor-first27=Thomas |contributor-last27=Lennon |contributor-first28=Dan |contributor-last28=Lipkie |contributor-first29=Marc |contributor-last29=McDonald |contributor-link29=Marc McDonald |contributor-first30=Bruce |contributor-last30=McKinney |contributor-first31=Pascal |contributor-last31=Martin |contributor-first32=Estelle |contributor-last32=Mathers |contributor-first33=Bob |contributor-last33=Matthews <!-- |contributor-link33=Robert Matthews (scientist)??? --> |contributor-first34=David |contributor-last34=Melin |contributor-first35=Charles |contributor-last35=Mergentime |contributor-first36=Randy |contributor-last36=Nevin |contributor-first37=Dan |contributor-last37=Newell |contributor-first38=Tani |contributor-last38=Newell |contributor-first39=David |contributor-last39=Norris |contributor-first40=Mike |contributor-last40=O'Leary |contributor-first41=Bob |contributor-last41=O'Rear |contributor-link41=Bob O'Rear |contributor-first42=Mike |contributor-last42=Olsson |contributor-first43=Larry |contributor-last43=Osterman |contributor-first44=Ridge |contributor-last44=Ostling |contributor-first45=Sunil |contributor-last45=Pai |contributor-first46=Tim |contributor-last46=Paterson |contributor-link46=Tim Paterson |contributor-first47=Gary |contributor-last47=Perez |contributor-first48=Chris |contributor-last48=Peters |contributor-first49=Charles |contributor-last49=Petzold |contributor-link49=Charles Petzold |contributor-first50=John |contributor-last50=Pollock |contributor-first51=Aaron |contributor-last51=Reynolds |contributor-link51=Aaron R. Reynolds |contributor-first52=Darryl |contributor-last52=Rubin |contributor-first53=Ralph |contributor-last53=Ryan |contributor-first54=Karl |contributor-last54=Schulmeisters |contributor-first55=Rajen |contributor-last55=Shah |contributor-first56=Barry |contributor-last56=Shaw |contributor-first57=Anthony |contributor-last57=Short |contributor-first58=Ben |contributor-last58=Slivka |contributor-first59=Jon |contributor-last59=Smirl |contributor-first60=Betty |contributor-last60=Stillmaker |contributor-first61=John |contributor-last61=Stoddard |contributor-first62=Dennis |contributor-last62=Tillman |contributor-first63=Greg |contributor-last63=Whitten |contributor-first64=Natalie |contributor-last64=Yount |contributor-first65=Steve |contributor-last65=Zeck |date=1988 |edition=Completely reworked |publisher=Microsoft Press |location=Redmond, Washington, USA |isbn=1-55615-049-0 |lccn=87-21452 |oclc=16581341 |page=20}} (xix+1570 pages; 26&nbsp;cm) (NB. This edition was published in 1988 after extensive rework of the withdrawn 1986 first edition by a different team of authors. [https://www.pcjs.org/pubs/pc/reference/microsoft/mspl13/msdos/encyclopedia/])</ref> <ref name="TWIT_2006">{{cite podcast |url=http://www.twit.tv/73 |title=this WEEK in TECH |website=The TWiT Netcast Network |date=2006-10-16 |access-date=2006-11-28 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130418203921/http://www.twit.tv/73 |archive-date=2013-04-18 |url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="Evans_2004_They_Made_America">{{cite book |author-first1=Harold |author-last1=Evans |author-link1=Harold Evans |author-first2=Gail |author-last2=Buckland |author-first3=David |author-last3=Lefer |author-link3=David Lefer |date=2004 |title=They Made America: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine: Two Centuries of Innovators |publisher=Little, Brown and Co. |isbn=0-316-27766-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/theymadeamericaf00evan}}</ref> <ref name="Paterson_1994_Origins_DOS">{{cite journal |title=The Origins of DOS: DOS Creator Gives His View of Relationship Between CP/M, MS-DOS |author-last=Paterson |author-first=Tim |author-link=Tim Paterson |journal=Microprocessor Report |publisher=MicroDesign Resources (MDR) |volume=8 |issue=13 |date=1994-10-03 |issn=0899-9341 |url=http://www.ece.umd.edu/courses/enee759m.S2000/papers/paterson1994-kildall.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531090452/http://www.ece.umd.edu/courses/enee759m.S2000/papers/paterson1994-kildall.pdf |archive-date=2012-05-31}}</ref> <ref name="USA_Today_2005_Programmer_Sues">{{cite news |title=Programmer sues author over role in Microsoft history |agency=Associated Press |date=2005-02-03 |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-03-02-ms-coding-dis_x.htm |access-date=2006-11-28}}</ref> <ref name="Paterson_2007_Design-DOS">{{cite web |title=Design of DOS |author-first=Tim |author-last=Paterson |author-link=Tim Paterson |work=DosMan Drivel |date=2007-09-30 |url=https://dosmandrivel.blogspot.com/2007/09/design-of-dos.html |access-date=2011-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120075653/http://dosmandrivel.blogspot.com/2007/09/design-of-dos.html |archive-date=2013-01-20}}</ref> <ref name="Hunter_1983_Roots_of_DOS">{{cite magazine |title=The Roots of DOS: Tim Paterson |author-first=David |author-last=Hunter |magazine=Softalk |date=March 1983 |url=http://www.patersontech.com/dos/softalk.aspx |access-date=2013-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906120449/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/softalk.aspx |archive-date=6 September 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> <ref name="SCP_1981_86-DOS_1.0_Addendum">{{cite web |title=SCP 86-DOS 1.0 Addendum |author=Seattle Computer Products |author-link=Seattle Computer Products |date=1981 |url=http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/seattleComputer/86-DOS_1.0_Addendum.pdf |access-date=2013-04-02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219013028/http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/seattleComputer/86-DOS_1.0_Addendum.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-19}} (1+14+1 pages)</ref> <ref name="Paterson_1983_Byte_Short_History">{{cite journal |title=A Short History of MS-DOS |author-last=Paterson |author-first=Tim |author-link=Tim Paterson |date=June 1983 |journal=Byte |issn=0360-5280 |volume=8 |edition=6 |url=http://www.patersontech.com/dos/byte%E2%80%93history.aspx |access-date=2013-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031040606/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/byte%E2%80%93history.aspx |archive-date=31 October 2015 |url-status=dead }} (NB. This source mentions the 1981-07-27 as the date of purchase.)</ref> <ref name="nerds2">{{cite episode |title=Part II |url=https://www.pbs.org/nerds/part2.html |series=Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires |credits=Cringely, Robert X. |network=PBS |airdate=June 1996 |season=1}}</ref> <ref name="BYTE_1980_86-DOS">{{cite magazine |title=86-DOS - 8086 OPERATING SYSTEM - $95 |author=Seattle Computer Products |author-link=Seattle Computer Products |magazine=Byte |volume=5 |number=8 |date=August 1980 |publisher=BYTE Publications Inc. |issn=0360-5280 |id={{CODEN|BYTEDJ}} |type=Advertisement |page=173 |url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1980-08/1980_08_BYTE_05-08_The_Forth_Language#page/n173/mode/2up |access-date=2013-08-18 }} [https://tech-insider.org/personal-computers/research/acrobat/8008-a.pdf] (NB. The SCP advertisement already calls the product ''86-DOS'', but does not mention a specific version number. Version 0.3 is known to be called 86-DOS already, so the name change must have taken place either for version 0.2 or immediately afterwards in August 1980.)</ref> <ref name="Schulman_1994_Undocumented-DOS">{{cite book |author-first1=Andrew |author-last1=Schulman |author-first2=Ralf D. |author-last2=Brown |author-link2=Ralf D. Brown |author-first3=David |author-last3=Maxey |author-first4=Raymond J. |author-last4=Michels |author-first5=Jim |author-last5=Kyle |title=Undocumented DOS: A programmer's guide to reserved MS-DOS functions and data structures - expanded to include MS-DOS 6, Novell DOS and Windows 3.1 |publisher=Addison Wesley |edition=2 |date=1994 |orig-year=November 1993<!-- first printing --> |isbn=0-201-63287-X |location=Reading, Massachusetts |url=https://archive.org/details/undocumenteddosp00andr_0 }} (xviii+856+vi pages, 3.5"-floppy) Errata: [https://web.archive.org/web/20190417215556/http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/ralf/pub/books/UndocumentedDOS/errata.ud2][https://web.archive.org/web/20190417212906/https://www.pcjs.org/pubs/pc/programming/Undocumented_DOS/#errata-2nd-edition]</ref> <ref name="paterson198306">{{cite journal |author-last=Paterson |author-first=Tim |author-link=Tim Paterson |title=An Inside Look at MS-DOS - The design decisions behind the popular operating system |journal=Byte |publisher=Byte Publications Inc. |volume=8 |series=6 |date=June 1983 |url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-06/1983_06_BYTE_08-06_16-Bit_Designs#page/n229/mode/2up |access-date=2013-10-19 |pages=230}} (NB. The article often uses "MS-DOS" to refer to both 86-DOS and MS-DOS, but mentions QDOS and 86-DOS in a sidebar article, "A Short History of MS-DOS".)</ref> <ref name="edlin19820607">{{cite journal |author-first=Jim |author-last=Edlin |title=CP/M Arrives - IBM releases a tailed-for-the-PC version of CP/M-86 that profits from the learning curve |journal=PC Magazine |date=1982-06-07 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=RA2-PA43 |access-date=2013-10-21 |pages=43}}</ref> <ref name="Paterson_2014_MSDOS125">{{cite web |author-first=Tim |author-last=Paterson |author-link=Tim Paterson |title=Microsoft DOS V1.1 and V2.0: /msdos/v11source/MSDOS.ASM |url=http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/microsoft-research-license-agreement-msdos-v1-1-v2-0/ |publisher=Computer History Museum, Microsoft |date=2013-12-19<!-- 2014-03-25 --> |orig-year=1983<!-- 1983-05-17 --> |access-date=2014-03-25}} (NB. While the publishers claim this would be MS-DOS 1.1 and 2.0, it actually is SCP MS-DOS 1.25 and a mixture of Altos MS-DOS 2.11 and TeleVideo PC DOS 2.11.)</ref> <ref name="Shustek_2014_MS-DOS">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/microsoft-ms-dos-early-source-code/ |title=Microsoft MS-DOS early source code |series=Software Gems: The Computer History Museum Historical Source Code Series |author-first=Len |author-last=Shustek |date=2014-03-24 |access-date=2014-03-29}} (NB. While the author claims this would be MS-DOS 1.1 and 2.0, it actually is SCP MS-DOS 1.25 and a mixture of Altos MS-DOS 2.11 and TeleVideo PC DOS 2.11.)</ref> <ref name="Levin_2014_MS-DOS">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2014/03/25/microsoft-makes-source-code-for-ms-dos-and-word-for-windows-available-to-public.aspx |title=Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public |date=2014-03-25 |author-first=Roy |author-last=Levin |work=Official Microsoft Blog |access-date=2014-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328094124/http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2014/03/25/microsoft-makes-source-code-for-ms-dos-and-word-for-windows-available-to-public.aspx |archive-date=2014-03-28 |url-status=dead}} (NB. While the author claims this would be MS-DOS 1.1 and 2.0, it actually is SCP MS-DOS 1.25 and a mixture of Altos MS-DOS 2.11 and TeleVideo PC DOS 2.11.)</ref> <ref name="Bob_2009">{{cite web |url=http://bartosh.us/s-100/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904203728/http://bartosh.us/s-100/ |title=Seattle Computer Products 8086 S-100 Bus Microcomputer - Picture of 8.0" DD/1S distribution floppy disks for SCP MS-DOS 2.0 |date=2009-11-22 |archive-date=2013-09-04 |access-date=2014-05-06}}</ref> <ref name="86-DOS_License">{{cite web |title=86-DOS version 0.3 (1980-11-15) License Agreement between Seattle Computer Products and Microsoft |date=1981-01-06<!-- signed date --> |url=http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00001.pdf |access-date=2013-04-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218165128/http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00001.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-18}} (NB. Published as part of the Comes v. Microsoft case as exhibit #1.)</ref> <ref name="86-DOS_Sale">{{cite web |title=86-DOS Sales Agreement between Seattle Computer Products and Microsoft |date=1981-07-27 |url=http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00002.pdf |access-date=2013-04-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219011420/http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00002.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-19}} (NB. Published as part of the Comes v. Microsoft case as exhibit #2. The document also carries a typed date stamp as of 1981-07-22.)</ref> <ref name="Paterson_v_Little_2007">{{cite web |title=Paterson v. Little, Brown, and Co., et al. - Order |author=United States District Court for the Western District of Washington |author-link=United States District Court for the Western District of Washington |location=Seattle, Washington, USA |newspaper=Seattle Times |id=Case 2:05-cv-01719-TSZ Document 29 |date=2007-07-25 |orig-year=2005-02-28 |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2007/07/26/2003806592.pdf |access-date=2014-12-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003165746/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2007/07/26/2003806592.pdf |archive-date=2018-10-03}}</ref> <ref name="86-DOS_Files">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724210024/http://www.86dos.org/downloads/86DOS_FILES.ZIP A ZIP file containing most of the files from 86-DOS 0.75 (1981-04-17<!-- change to internal version 0.75 -->/1981-04-18<!-- date stamp of files in archive -->) to 1.00<!-- version in file header -->/1.10<!-- actual internal version as of 1981-07-21 --> (1981-07-21<!-- date stamp of files in archive -->)]</ref> <ref name="SCP_86-DOS_1.0_Files">[http://www.schorn.ch/cpm/zip/86dos.zip 86-DOS 1.00 disk images for SIMH simulator]</ref><ref name="SCP_MS-DOS_1.25_Files">[http://www.schorn.ch/cpm/zip/msdos125.zip MS-DOS 1.25 disk images for SIMH simulator]</ref> <ref name="SCP_1980_86-DOS-UM">{{cite book |title=86-DOS - Disk Operating System for the 8086 - User's Manual |edition=Preliminary |version=Version 0.3 |date=1980 |publisher=Seattle Computer Products, Inc. |location=Seattle, Washington, USA |url=http://www.patersontech.com/Dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf |access-date=2019-07-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714004434/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf |archive-date=2019-07-14}} (59 pages)</ref> <ref name="Paterson_1997">{{cite magazine |title=DOS Testimony |author-first=Tim |author-last=Paterson |author-link=Tim Paterson |department=Letters |date=1997-05-06 |magazine=PC Magazine |issn= |volume=16 |number=9 |publisher=Ziff-Davis Publishing Company |page=24 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FxChL0Kr_3EC&pg=PA24 |access-date=2021-12-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203162831/https://books.google.de/books?id=FxChL0Kr_3EC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=fat+binary+CP%2FM+DOS&source=bl&ots=SeFn_exfIs&sig=ACfU3U2_QqyBIMQ2fyPm03_R53gpW7tKUw&hl=de&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiNhpn4hcj0AhWn_7sIHW1AAho4PBDoAXoECCEQAw#v=onepage&q=fat%20binary%20CP%2FM%20DOS&f=false |archive-date=2021-12-03}}</ref> </references>

==Further reading== * {{cite book |title=86-DOS - Disk Operating System for the 8086 - Programmer's Manual |edition=Preliminary |version=Version 0.3 |date=1980 |publisher=Seattle Computer Products, Inc. |location=Seattle, Washington, USA |url=https://bitsavers.org/pdf/seattleComputer/86-DOS_0.3_Programmers_Manual_1980.pdf |access-date=2024-10-13}} (41 pages)

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160506004555/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/origins-of-dos.aspx 86-DOS documentation] from Paterson Technology * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208014302/http://www.86dos.org/index.htm Run SCP 86-DOS 1.0] in the Altair 8800 SIMH simulator by Howard M. Harte

{{Disk operating systems}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:86-Dos}} Category:Microcomputer software Category:Disk operating systems Category:DOS variants Category:Floppy disk-based operating systems Category:Discontinued operating systems Category:Proprietary operating systems Category:1979 software Category:Software programmed in assembly language Category:Products and services discontinued in 1981