Description

What is Cobalt?

Cobalt – a free and open source operating system based on FreeDOS which makes it as easy to use as possible. The system has additional features such as: an optional desktop, support for CD media, long filenames, and a simple installer.

Unlike FreeDOS, it is designed for users with no previous DOS experience.
Cobalt uses the FreeDOS 1.1 kernel, making it 100% compatible with DOS programs and games.

It currently includes:
– 4DOS 8.00 command shell
– FAT12/16/32 file system support
– Optional graphical file manager
– Silent boot
– Support for CD/DVD drives
– Support for long file names

Changelog.

New in Cobalt 1.2:

• Windows 3.0, 3.1, and 3.11 for Workgroups is now officially supported
• The installer has been greatly improved, and you can now repair existing installations
• Now uses JEMMEX as the memory manager instead of Emm386 and Himem, resulting in better performance and lower RAM usage
• Now hides the AUTOEXEC and CONFIG files by default

New in Cobalt 1.1:

• Most FreeDOS commands and programs are now available.
• Added support for upgrading from MS-DOS, FreeDOS, and other DOS-based operating systems
• Switched LFN driver to FreeDOS DOSLFN

How the boot disc works

The Boot Disc loads ISO Linux. It then mounts the floppy image located at cdroot/isolinux/BTDISK.IMG. The floppy image loads a base FreeDOS 1.1 system and enough drivers to mount the entire CD partition (the cdroot folder), sets it to the D:\ drive, and runs the AUTORUN.BAT file within cdroot.

There are two main packages in the installer. The first, BASE.ZIP, contains the base Cobalt OS without a desktop. The second package, DESKTOP.ZIP, includes the optional FreeDOS Shell package.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.