🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <9008140827.AA08871@wubios.wustl.edu>, david@WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU
(David J. Camp) writes:
> I am generally curious about the intention of not supporting other
> operating systems.

The FSF has finite resources, so they've focused on some tasks rather
than others.

|> My dream machine would be one that runs all existing software.  Of
|> course, it would be based on Unix, but would also run MsDos, MsWindows,
|> OS/2, Macintosh, Apple II, Amiga, VMS, and IBM mainframe software.

The reason Richard Stallman started doing Gnu is so he wouldn't have to
use proprietary software.  All the software you describe above is
proprietary.  The main mission of FSF is to eventually produce Gnu,
an entirely freely distributable OS.  Don't hold your breath, though.

> It sounds from the tone of certain messages that this is foreign to the
> interests of the FSF. 

FSF distributes some VMS software and they advertise (in the Gnu's
Bulletin) some MS-DOS software; it's just that that's not their
focus.  Most Gnu programs have been ported to the Amiga and Atari-ST.
FSF is boycotting Apple, however.  Given their litigious nature, if
FSF attempted to produce a Mac emulator they'd sue in any case.

> It certainly seems important to have a Dos emulator on 386 systems.

Then write one and contribute it to FSF (after making sure you've done
the reverse engineering of DOS in a legal manner; they're being very
careful about that).

--
Joe Buck
jbuck@galileo.berkeley.edu	 {uunet,ucbvax}!galileo.berkeley.edu!jbuck