The making of MSX-DOS

The making of MSX-DOS

by Maggoo on 16-02-2014, 15:58
Topic: Media
Tags: MSX DOS
Languages:

Tim Paterson, author the original MS DOS 1 and programmer of MSX-DOS was kind enough to answer a few questions and share his memories of the "making of" MSX DOS in 1983/1984. The information Tim has shared has been updated into the MSX wiki.

If you also have some interesting historical background information or articles to share, you can place them in our wiki too.

Happy reading!

Relevant link: The history of MSX-DOS

Comments (33)

By konamiman

Paragon (1227)

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16-02-2014, 16:37

Quote:

They did not provide a machine for me, and instead had me come to Tokyo to help them

The japanese are very very strange folks... Big smile

Quote:

It turned out they’d been hacking away at the code without telling me, so we weren’t working from the same code base

Oh well. Bad coding practices are intemporary.

Perhaps he still has the original source code somewhere? The MSX-DOS 1 kernel source that I received had been generated with a disassembler...

By yzi

Champion (444)

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17-02-2014, 17:29

Thanks, very interesting article/interview/story.

By WORP3

Paladin (864)

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17-02-2014, 20:29

Indeed a very nice story Wink

By JohnHassink

Ambassador (5700)

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17-02-2014, 21:57

Nice read, thanks! Smile

By mohai

Paragon (1060)

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21-02-2014, 12:08

Hello Monamiman,

I have original sources for MSX-DOS 1.
I downladed a package named after MSXDOSKIT.ZIP from somewhere.
It contains original source code (including some MS-DOS comments here and there, also ! ).
It also contains an alternate DOS version made for Argentinian company Telematica S.A.

By AxelF

Champion (398)

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21-02-2014, 14:08

mohai wrote:

Hello Konamiman,

I have original sources for MSX-DOS 1.
I downladed a package named after MSXDOSKIT.ZIP from somewhere.
It contains original source code (including some MS-DOS comments here and there, also ! ).
It also contains an alternate DOS version made for Argentinian company Telematica S.A.

Please share it with us...

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

23-02-2014, 17:44

By snout

Ascended (15187)

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21-02-2014, 17:02

Sorry for the mod here, but afaik the copyright on these sources has not been lifted.

By mohai

Paragon (1060)

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21-02-2014, 18:08

OOPS !
Snout, you are right.
We use to deal with somehow old stuff and sometimes we do not think/care about copyrights... Eek!

Well, if someone want that kit, then e-mail me.

By konamiman

Paragon (1227)

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21-02-2014, 23:27

Well, I think it is not a big surprise if I say that I want it, right? I have already the sources for v2 anyway... Smile

By AxelF

Champion (398)

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22-02-2014, 23:32

mohai wrote:

OOPS !
Snout, you are right.
We use to deal with somehow old stuff and sometimes we do not think/care about copyrights... Eek!

Well, if someone want that kit, then e-mail me.

Mohai, can you please mail me the DOS source code, Thanks Wink

By tfh

Prophet (3579)

tfh's picture

23-02-2014, 12:34

Maybe also nice to add into the story somewhere:

http://oboroc.com/posts/2005/03/16/microsoft-news-release-ab...

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

23-02-2014, 15:52

Do you admins realise how hypocrite it is to remove a LINK, which is not even illegal (EU court of justice just reaffirmed this *again*), while applauding and posting every release of Nextor?

By snout

Ascended (15187)

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23-02-2014, 17:15

yes.

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

23-02-2014, 17:36

Let me ask another question then: do you enjoy being power hungry assholes?

(and before you think "oh it didn't take long for guyver800 to become offensive again", maybe think about how you can reduce being a power hungry asshole)

By snout

Ascended (15187)

snout's picture

23-02-2014, 17:38

Actually we're discussing this internally. The link might return, it might not. Nothing to do with power hungry, just with running a website. As you were.

By snout

Ascended (15187)

snout's picture

23-02-2014, 17:45

RIght. Link is back as it is indeed 'just' a link. Contents of the website linked to are not our responsibility. Power to the people!

I assume/hope people understand me being a bit extra careful after the whole recent Konamito thing.

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

23-02-2014, 18:00

No... The reaction on the Konamito thing was totally excessive and ridiculous. The C&D message was clear and ENTIRELY REASONABLE, but the whole thing was responded to way out of proportion.

By snout

Ascended (15187)

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23-02-2014, 18:02

Guess we both agree on that one, then.

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

23-02-2014, 18:14

If that's the case, why are you bringing it up as an excuse to play the Almighty God-Protector of Copyright?

By Latok

msx guru (3996)

Latok's picture

23-02-2014, 18:19

Shall we return to the subject?

Thank you Smile

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

23-02-2014, 18:32

Fine.

Turns out this is not the original MSX-DOS source code at all. It is the MSX-DOS KIT that was sent to OEMs in order for them to write the disk driver for their own hardware and then compile a compatible MSX-DOS DiskROM.

The source code files that are in the archive were disassembled by the OEM that received this kit, which apparently is Telematica S.A. from Argentina.

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

24-02-2014, 01:09

{mod}

By Jorito

Mr. Ambassadors (1842)

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24-02-2014, 00:22

Is teh silly.

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

24-02-2014, 00:55

This is the last time I listen to Latok's voice of reason...

BTW, all you're doing is proving my point. Way to go.

I seriously doubt you would have returned the link if I had not protested it so.

Sama only posts flames on threads I participate in or to stroke his own ego, just check his posting history...

By snout

Ascended (15187)

snout's picture

24-02-2014, 01:13

Where is a rewind button when you need one, eh? Post modded. Lets not (un)flatter ourselves and get back on topic. Again.

By mohai

Paragon (1060)

mohai's picture

24-02-2014, 11:11

I sent MSX DOS KIT to everyone asked for it.
@AxelF: I did not see your e-mail, so you will have to use the link above.

As fas as I saw, there are 2 versions included: the original one with Spanish comments (this kit comes from an Argentinian company and I hope original source files were not modified) and another version with added commands, named after "version 1.20".

Files MSXDOS1.MAC and COMMAND1.MAC are alternate versions.

Please, notice timestamps of the files in the ZIP archive. Shocked!

regards,
Ivan

By Maggoo

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24-02-2014, 12:09

tfh wrote:

Maybe also nice to add into the story somewhere:

http://oboroc.com/posts/2005/03/16/microsoft-news-release-about-msx.html

Nice find !

By tfh

Prophet (3579)

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28-02-2014, 13:42

I can't take the credits for that. I found this link at msxposse ;-)

By Creepy

Champion (335)

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25-03-2014, 21:16

Microsoft release the sourcecode for MS-DOS 1.1 and 2.0.

http://www.computerhistory.org/_static/atchm/microsoft-ms-do...

Quote:

But I didn’t have the source to the earlier version 1.1, and neither, apparently, did Microsoft. Just as I was finishing the first draft of this article, I received it directly from the author, Tim Paterson! We are grateful to Tim for sending it, and to Roy for quickly getting the additional permission needed to release it as well.

Maybe something can be arranged for MSX-DOS as well?

By Grauw

Ascended (10901)

Grauw's picture

26-03-2014, 13:29

I read the news today and sped here to post a link to it… but you beat me to it ;p. Indeed, would be very cool if Tim Paterson could do the same for MSX-DOS!

Also, one would think that MSX-DOS is basically a port of MS-DOS, the source code for the latter would still be interesting because it would follow the same general structure…

By snout

Ascended (15187)

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26-03-2014, 13:58

I'm quite sure Maggo will read this -and as he already has been in touch with Tim Paterson I think he should be the one to formally request this (and see if the source code is still actually available).

By mohai

Paragon (1060)

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26-03-2014, 14:26

I wonder if MSX-DOS 2 has anything to with MSD-DOS 2.
I mean, MS-DOS was created to manage large disks and (sub)directories, as MSX-DOS was.
Did both OSs were created from the same source code as MSX-DOS 1 was or started from different source codes?

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