Microsoft Publicly Releases MS-DOS 4.0 Source Code

In a historic move, Microsoft has made the source code for MS-DOS 4.0, one of the most influential operating systems of all time, publicly available on GitHub.

This decision marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to open-source software and preserving computing history.

“Today, we are thrilled to release the source code for MS-DOS 4.0 under the MIT license, fostering a spirit of open innovation,” said a Microsoft spokesperson. “This operating system’s 8086 assembly code, written over 45 years ago, is a remarkable testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our predecessors.”

The Legacy of MS-DOS

MS-DOS, short for Microsoft Disk Operating System, was the dominant operating system for personal computers throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

Developed by Microsoft and first released in 1981, MS-DOS provided a command-line interface that allowed users to interact with their computers and run applications.

Despite its simplicity, MS-DOS ...