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%hSvarDOS origins (history from the point of view of its creator)
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%hSvarDOS origins (history from the point of view of its creator)
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Mateusz Viste, the SvarDOS author, says:
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Mateusz Viste says:
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In the years 2005-2015, I used to perform packaging work for the FreeDOS
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In the years 2005-2015 I used to perform packaging work for the FreeDOS
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project. I wasn't pleased with the packaging tool that FreeDOS used back then
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project. I wasn't pleased with the packaging tool that FreeDOS used back then
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(FDPKG), so in 2012 I started working on a new package manager, with network
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(FDPKG), so in 2012 I started working on a new package manager, with network
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support, automatic updates, etc - I named it FDNPKG. Later I also devised a
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support, automatic updates, etc - I named it FDNPKG. Later I also devised a
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scripted way of generating an "always up to date" FreeDOS CD that I
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scripted way of generating an "always up to date" FreeDOS CD that I
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unimaginatively called "all_cd.iso". This CD included FDNPKG and all the
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unimaginatively called "all_cd.iso". This CD included FDNPKG and all the
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FreeDOS packages available at the given moment.
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FreeDOS packages available at the given moment.
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I still wasn't satisfied with how FreeDOS clings to its notion of "releases"
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I still wasn't satisfied with how FreeDOS clings to its notion of "releases"
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and that it cannot include some software because of licensing issues, so in
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and that it cannot include some software because of licensing issues, so in
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2016 I decided to create my own distribution, that I called Svarog386 (there
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2016 I decided to create my own distribution, that I called Svarog386 (there
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was also a Svarog86 project that I had created a couple of months earlier,
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was also a Svarog86 project that I had created a couple months earlier,
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dedicated to 8086 machines). Svarog386 naturally relied on the FreeDOS kernel
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dedicated to 8086 machines). Svarog386 naturally relied on the FreeDOS kernel
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and used the FDNPKG package manager.
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and used the FDNPKG package manager.
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Then, in 2021, I started to be tired of having two separate distributions to
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Then, in 2021, I found it increasingly annoying to look after two separate
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care about. Over time, FDNPKG also became a huge piece of protected mode code,
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distributions. Over time, FDNPKG also became a huge piece of protected mode
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and although it was magnificent code, I was no longer happy with it: too many
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code, and although it was magnificent code, I was no longer happy with it: too
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features, too complex data processing, too high memory requirements... In a
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many features, too much data processing, too much memory required... In a
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word: too much fluff. I longed for something simpler, that would do perhaps
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word: too much fluff. I longed for something simpler, that would do perhaps
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less, but with more transparency towards the user - and something that would
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less, but with more transparency towards the user - and something that would
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work in real mode with not much RAM, so it could be useful even on ancient
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work in real mode with not much RAM, so it could run even on ancient 8086
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8086 machines.
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machines.
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The result of these thoughts was SvarDOS: a distribution that replaced both
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The result of these thoughts was SvarDOS: a distribution that replaced both
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Svarog86 and Svarog386, and that came with its own package manager - a much
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Svarog86 and Svarog386, and that came with its own package manager - a much
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simpler (and in my opinion much more elegant) tool than FDNPKG.
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simpler (and in my opinion much more elegant) tool than FDNPKG.