I changed my OS to ROM-DOS (It's free too)

Datalight ROM-DOS Version 7.1SU
Copyright (c) 1989-2008 Datalight, Inc.

I had a copy a while back, but the version I had back then couldn't do much.... Basically it was just a bare-bones boot disk... They didn't have support for sockets in it... Now I'd love to have the $$$ to get the developer kit, Eprom Burner, Source code to a BIOS that'd work on my
machines, etc... And have the ROM-DOS built into the BIOS on an actual
machine of mine.... Especially if they allow you to add other commands and stuff in the BIOS.... I'm guessing they make it much like Tandy's built-in DOS when booting from the ROM. In that, I mean they have the bare-bones commands on a virtual drive and boot-up into a command shell, any external commands act like they're on the hard drive for less often used commands you have to install the dos commands to the hard drive.... In fact, if I still had my computer business and could work out a deal to where I could modify
the ROM DOS the way I liked it (without having to sell my soul to the devil!)
I can think of some cool options to add to the ROM DOS....I could setup some batch files with a portable version of one of the anti-virus packages and
have a command to update the virus definitions using the built-in socket support, and scan the hard drive. I could write a few quick-repair options. Perhaps a quick restore option where you insert a cd-rom and effectively un-zip's the contents of your hard drive to quickly restore it back to normal.... Depending on how much room you had and all, it'd be cool if you could put a basic BBS in the ROM and have default settings in a file that if they didn't exist on the hard drive, the BBS would copy it to the hard drive and then you could modify it from there and add your own users, etc.... Have it setup for full fidonet and binkP support.... Then you could sell pre-built systems that where ready to go, all a sysop had to do was plug it in, turn it on and make any changes they wanted to the system.... Power failure, not a problem! Hard Drive crash? Not a big problem, just re-install a hard drive, re-boot, and re-configure the BBS.... ;-)

... "Balls" said Pooh, in an attitude a bit more forthright than usual.
___ Mountain Reader - 1.3
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
* Origin: Doc's Place BBS Fido Since 1991 docsplace.tzo.com (1:123/140)

Hi BEN,

Thursday June 17 2010 12:48, BEN RITCHEY wrote to BOB KLAHN:

If anyone wants to share thier Freeware copy I'd be
interested. I'm at fido4cmech(at)bellsouth(dot)net

What version do you have?

Kevin

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: My other computer is a 486! (1:342/77)

Hi JOHN,

Sunday June 13 2010 09:33, JOHN GUILLORYY wrote to KEVIN KLEMENT:

I had a copy a while back, but the version I had back then
couldn't do much.... Basically it was just a bare-bones boot
disk... They didn't have support for sockets in it... Now

I recreantly setup ROM-DOS on my AT box on my LAN, a 486DX. It's just the basic ROM-DOS setup, running beside MS-DOS 6.22.

So far it's working fine with. 1 error message with QEMM

EZ-BIOS
MS Client Version 3.11.. DOS LAN Client
QEMM 7.1
Max & Squish & Binkley & a ton of DOS-Based bbs utilities
Norton v4.5
Hyperdisk v4.50

hard drive.... In fact, if I still had my computer
business and could work out a deal to where I could modify
the ROM DOS the way I liked it (without having to sell my
soul to the devil!) I can think of some cool options to add
to the ROM DOS....I could setup some batch files with a

Like the guys at Datalight say, ROM-DOS was developed for hobbyists, last time I chatted with them, they said they stopped development. I use the OS as-is.

Some of the options I'm trying out over MS-DOS look vcool.

support.... Then you could sell pre-built systems that where
ready to go, all a sysop had to do was plug it in, turn it
on and make any changes they wanted to the system.... Power
failure, not a problem! Hard Drive crash? Not a big
problem, just re-install a hard drive, re-boot, and
re-configure the BBS.... ;-)

JOHN GUILLORY (c) Plug'n'Play bbs box :)

Ah.. the good old bbs days. I still run my board since 1988, it's a pretty good hobby. *YES*, you would've had the ultimate bbs box, but that was then, this is now, Fidonet has dropped off now. :(

I run my board for *me* I call it my Retro toy, I offer Fidonet and Usenet, I gate the internet into my board. Not many users any more.

Kevin
klement@gypsy-designs.com

... Fools rush in where fools have been before.
--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Gypsy BBS -- Gypsy Designs CDN (403) 242-3221 (1:342/77)

* An ongoing debate between Kevin Klement and Ben Ritchey rages on ...

If anyone wants to share thier Freeware copy I'd be
interested. I'm at fido4cmech(at)bellsouth(dot)net

| KK> What version do you have?

I operate my Mailer & BBS under native MS-DOS 6.22, don't have ROMDOS (yet)

--
Be well :^)

: Ben aka cMech http://bellsouthpwp.net/c/m/cmech617/
:
+ WildCat! Board 24/7 +1-337-984-4794 any BAUD 8,N,1
--- GoldEd+/DOS v1.1.5cM
* Origin: FIDONet - The Positronium Repository (1:393/68)

Hi BEN,

Monday June 21 2010 02:49, BEN RITCHEY wrote to KEVIN KLEMENT:

I operate my Mailer & BBS under native MS-DOS 6.22, don't
have ROMDOS (yet)

Ah.. me too. got MS-DOS 6.22 and ROM-DOS running-side-by-side. I thought you were looking for the latest ROM-DOS version.

I don't have their old freeware version.

Kevin
klement@gypsy-designs.com

... Nothing is impossible if you don't have to do it yourself.
--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Gypsy BBS -- Gypsy Designs CDN (403) 242-3221 (1:342/77)

Hi mark,

i hear that... did you get my netmail reply?

Nope... Netmail me directly via binkP :)

gypsy-designs.tzo.com

Kevin

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: My other computer is a 486! (1:342/77)

I changed my OS to ROM-DOS (It's free too)

Datalight ROM-DOS Version 7.1SU
Copyright (c) 1989-2008 Datalight, Inc.

I had a copy a while back, but the version I had back then
couldn't do much.... Basically it was just a bare-bones
boot disk... They didn't have support for sockets in it...
Now I'd love to have the $$$ to get the developer kit,
Eprom Burner, Source code to a BIOS that'd work on my
machines, etc... And have the ROM-DOS built into the BIOS
on an actual machine of mine.... Especially if they allow
you to add other commands and stuff in the BIOS.... I'm

The free version you can download has a lot in it, and it will
work with the MS dos functions.

...

if I still had my computer business and could work out a
deal to where I could modify the ROM DOS the way I liked
it (without having to sell my soul to the devil!) I can

It costs the low couple thousand range for the development
system, and I believe that could do what you want.

...

normal.... Depending on how much room you had and all,
it'd be cool if you could put a basic BBS in the ROM and
have default settings in a file that if they didn't exist
on the hard drive, the BBS would copy it to the hard drive
and then you could modify it from there and add your own
users, etc....

Hey... I like that one.

Have it setup for full fidonet and binkP
support.... Then you could sell pre-built systems that
where ready to go, all a sysop had to do was plug it in,
turn it on and make any changes they wanted to the
system.... Power failure, not a problem! Hard Drive
crash? Not a big problem, just re-install a hard drive,
re-boot, and re-configure the BBS.... ;-)

That does sound interesting.



BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... "The only warriors I see are dead. We are soldiers."
* Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a
* Origin: FidoTel & QWK on the Web! www.fidotel.com (1:124/311)

* An ongoing debate between Bob Klahn and John Guillory rages on ...

I changed my OS to ROM-DOS (It's free too)
Datalight ROM-DOS Version 7.1SU
Copyright (c) 1989-2008 Datalight, Inc.

The only version I could find online costs $30, no free version available as far as I can see!

--
Be well :^)

: Ben aka cMech http://bellsouthpwp.net/c/m/cmech617/
:
+ WildCat! Board 24/7 +1-337-984-4794 any BAUD 8,N,1
--- GoldEd+/DOS v1.1.5cM
* Origin: FIDONet - The Positronium Repository (1:393/68)

Hi BEN,

Wednesday June 16 2010 08:48, BEN RITCHEY wrote to BOB KLAHN:

The only version I could find online costs $30, no free
version available as far as I can see!

It used to be /free/ but now Datalight want's $30.00, I got lucky and got a version of it before they started charging.

Kevin
klement@gypsy-designs.com

... It's better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick.
--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Gypsy BBS -- Gypsy Designs CDN (403) 242-3221 (1:342/77)

Hi bob,

Tuesday June 15 2010 16:02, bob klahn wrote to John Guillory:

That does sound interesting.

Ya... I agree quite the setup hu.

Kevin

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: My other computer is a 486! (1:342/77)

* An ongoing debate between Bob Klahn and John Guillory
rages on ...

I changed my OS to ROM-DOS (It's free too)
Datalight ROM-DOS Version 7.1SU
Copyright (c) 1989-2008 Datalight, Inc.

The only version I could find online costs $30, no free
version available as far as I can see!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

They stopped giving it away. It is now sold for a 'nominal'
price.

I don't see why they don't just put it in the public domain.

Sheesh...

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... I AM CALM!!! %#%#&&^%(*#%
* Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a
* Origin: FidoTel & QWK on the Web! www.fidotel.com (1:124/311)

The only version I could find online costs $30, no free
version available as far as I can see!

It used to be /free/ but now Datalight want's $30.00, I got lucky
and got a version of it before they started charging.

is it redistributable? if so, do so ;)

)\/(ark


* Origin: (1:3634/12)

I don't see why they don't just put it in the public
domain.

Cheep skates

ugh... other way around... greedy barstards instead... they likely see those wanting the free version as cheapskates... someone's on the wrong side of the fence :P

)\/(ark


* Origin: (1:3634/12)

I don't have their old freeware version.

what'd you do with the copy you had?

)\/(ark


* Origin: (1:3634/12)

* An ongoing debate between Bob Klahn and Ben Ritchey rages
on ...

I changed my OS to ROM-DOS (It's free too)
Datalight ROM-DOS Version 7.1SU
Copyright (c) 1989-2008 Datalight, Inc.

The only version I could find online costs $30, no free
version available as far as I can see!

| BK>> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
| BK>> They stopped giving it away. It is now sold for a 'nominal'
| BK>> price. I don't see why they don't just put it in the public domain.

If anyone wants to share thier Freeware copy I'd be
interested. I'm at fido4cmech(at)bellsouth(dot)net

--
Be well :^)

: Ben aka cMech http://bellsouthpwp.net/c/m/cmech617/

ANYBODY WHO HAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOILING CRAWFISH ON HIS WEBSITE
MUST BE RELATED TO LEE LAFASO AND IS TO BE SHUNNED AS A PARIAH!

Or not.



BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... Sonny Bono - He loved the tree not wisely, but too well.
* Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a
* Origin: FidoTel & QWK on the Web! www.fidotel.com (1:124/311)

* An ongoing debate between Bob Klahn and Ben Ritchey rages on ...

I changed my OS to ROM-DOS (It's free too)
Datalight ROM-DOS Version 7.1SU
Copyright (c) 1989-2008 Datalight, Inc.

The only version I could find online costs $30, no free
version available as far as I can see!

| BK> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
| BK> They stopped giving it away. It is now sold for a 'nominal'
| BK> price. I don't see why they don't just put it in the public domain.

If anyone wants to share thier Freeware copy I'd be interested. I'm at fido4cmech(at)bellsouth(dot)net

--
Be well :^)

: Ben aka cMech http://bellsouthpwp.net/c/m/cmech617/
:
+ WildCat! Board 24/7 +1-337-984-4794 any BAUD 8,N,1
--- GoldEd+/DOS v1.1.5cM
* Origin: FIDONet - The Positronium Repository (1:393/68)

Hi bob,

Wednesday June 16 2010 19:18, bob klahn wrote to BEN RITCHEY:

I don't see why they don't just put it in the public
domain.

Cheep skates

Kevin
klement@gypsy-designs.com

... Oxymoron: Microsoft Works
--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Gypsy BBS -- Gypsy Designs CDN (403) 242-3221 (1:342/77)

Hi mark,

Wednesday June 23 2010 21:37, mark lewis wrote to Kevin Klement:

I don't have their old freeware version.

what'd you do with the copy you had?

I'm using it, my dos box is running ROM-DOS (successfully)

Datalight gave me (fully working) Version 7.1/6.22SU


Kevin

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: My other computer is a 486! (1:342/77)

Hi mark,

Wednesday June 23 2010 21:36, mark lewis wrote to Kevin Klement:

I don't see why they don't just put it in the public
domain.

Cheep skates

ugh... other way around... greedy barstards instead... they
likely see those wanting the free version as cheapskates...
someone's on the wrong side of the fence :P

From my understanding, it *was* free at one time.


Kevin
klement@gypsy-designs.com

... Jet engine theory: suck, squeeze, bang, blow!
--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Gypsy BBS -- Gypsy Designs CDN (403) 242-3221 (1:342/77)

* An ongoing debate between Bob Klahn and Ben Ritchey rages on ...

: Ben aka cMech http://bellsouthpwp.net/c/m/cmech617/

| BK> ANYBODY WHO HAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOILING CRAWFISH ON HIS WEBSITE
| BK> MUST BE RELATED TO LEE LAFASO AND IS TO BE SHUNNED AS A PARIAH!
| BK> Or not.

ROFLMAO ... temps manger' !

--
Be well :^)

: Ben aka cMech http://bellsouthpwp.net/c/m/cmech617/
:
+ WildCat! Board 24/7 +1-337-984-4794 any BAUD 8,N,1
--- GoldEd+/DOS v1.1.5cM
* Origin: FIDONet - The Positronium Repository (1:393/68)

HI Ben,

On Thu 2038-Jun-24 08:48, BEN RITCHEY (1:393/68) wrote to BOB KLAHN:

| BK> ANYBODY WHO HAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOILING CRAWFISH ON HIS WEBSITE
| BK> MUST BE RELATED TO LEE LAFASO AND IS TO BE SHUNNED AS A PARIAH!
| BK> Or not.

ROFLMAO ... temps manger' !

That's good stuff!!! USed to go to the ST. Charles TAvern
in NEw ORleans on Tuesday nights for all you can eat crab!!! Rockin' some of that Zataran's (spelling) seasoning, them
boiled crabs, some ears of corn and little boiled new
potatoes. ADd a couple cold beers and I was in hog
heaven!!! Wife taught me how to open 'em up with a knife.
YOu could always tell the tourists, they needed the claw
crackers.
Just had a plate of dirty rice for lunch. Good stuff!

<back on topic, sorry 'bout that folks>.


Regards,
Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: (1:116/901)

Hi mark,

Wednesday June 23 2010 21:37, mark lewis wrote to Kevin Klement:

what'd you do with the copy you had?

BTW. they also said it was given to me "as-is".

From: Tony Questad [tony.questad@datalight.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 5:11 PM
To: Kevin Klement
Cc: support
Subject: RE: Microsoft Client v3.11

Attachments: suv1594.zip

Greetings, Kevin:

Attached, please find the ROM-DOS Single User Version SDK, v4.20.1594.

Up until a few days ago, this was available as a free download to hobbyists and other evaluation customers, but (as Bob mentioned below) as a free product we were getting many, many different support calls, and as of a few days ago they decided to try to help offset this cost by charging for the product.

I'm sorry for the confusion earlier. I'm going to provide this to you free of charge for evaluation, and it is being provided "As-is". Datalight no longer currently does development on this, and so I would suggest giving a try the programs you are looking to test, but at this time I don't believe anything can be done if they do not work for you.

One of the other engineers I talked with says that he believes we have customers using QEMM as well, but is not sure on versions, or recent testing.

I hope this works well for you!

Best Regards, Tony

Kevin klement@gypsy-designs.com

... The army has only two sizes, too large and too small.
--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Gypsy BBS -- Gypsy Designs CDN (403) 242-3221 (1:342/77)

Up until a few days ago, this was available as a free download to hobbyists and other evaluation customers, but (as Bob mentioned
below) as a free product we were getting many, many different
support calls, and as of a few days ago they decided to try to
help offset this cost by charging for the product.

yep! that'd do it, alright! folk expecting free support from a commercial entity?? how're they gonna put food on the table if they spend all their time doing free support... someone's not got their heads on straight :?

)\/(ark


* Origin: (1:3634/12)

Hi mark,

Friday June 25 2010 07:47, mark lewis wrote to Kevin Klement:

yep! that'd do it, alright! folk expecting free support from
a commercial entity?? how're they gonna put food on the
table if they spend all their time doing free support...
someone's not got their heads on straight :?

Don't know... Considering I have a free as-is copy, I wont bother seeking support. ROM-DOS + add-on sockets does work. (mostly)

Kevin

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: My other computer is a 486! (1:342/77)

yep! that'd do it, alright! folk expecting free support from
a commercial entity?? how're they gonna put food on the
table if they spend all their time doing free support...
someone's not got their heads on straight :?

Don't know... Considering I have a free as-is copy, I wont bother
seeking support. ROM-DOS + add-on sockets does work. (mostly)

i hear that... did you get my netmail reply?

)\/(ark


* Origin: (1:3634/12)