FlexOS is a discontinued modular real-time multiuser
multitasking operating system (
RTOS
A real-time operating system (RTOS) is an operating system (OS) for real-time applications that processes data and events that have critically defined time constraints. An RTOS is distinct from a time-sharing operating system, such as Unix, which m ...
) designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets. Developed by
Digital Research
Digital Research, Inc. (DR or DRI) was a company created by Gary Kildall to market and develop his CP/M operating system and related 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit systems like MP/M, Concurrent DOS, FlexOS, Multiuser DOS, DOS Plus, DR DOS and ...
's Flexible Automation Business Unit in
Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...
, California, in 1985,
the system was considered to become a successor of Digital Research's earlier
Concurrent DOS
Multiuser DOS is a Real-time operating system, real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM Personal Computer, IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 ...
, but with a new, modular, and considerably different system architecture and portability across several processor families.
Still named
Concurrent DOS 68K
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
and
Concurrent DOS 286
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
, it was renamed into FlexOS on 1 October 1986 to better differentiate the target audiences. FlexOS was licensed by several OEMs who selected it as the basis for their own operating systems like
4680 OS
FlexOS is a discontinued modular real-time multiuser multitasking operating system (RTOS) designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets. Developed by Digital Research's Flexible Automation Business U ...
,
4690 OS
4690 Operating System (sometimes shortened to 4690 OS or 4690) is a specially designed point of sale (POS) operating system, originally sold by IBM. In 2012, IBM sold its retail business, including this product, to Toshiba, which assumed support. ...
,
S5-DOS/MT
FlexOS is a discontinued modular real-time multiuser multitasking operating system (RTOS) designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets. Developed by Digital Research's Flexible Automation Business U ...
and others. Unrelated to FlexOS, the original Concurrent DOS system architecture found a continuation in successors like
Concurrent DOS XM
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
and
Concurrent DOS 386
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
as well.
Overview
Concurrent DOS 286, Concurrent DOS 68K and FlexOS were designed by Francis "Frank" R. Holsworth (using
siglum
Scribal abbreviations or sigla (singular: siglum) are abbreviations used by ancient and medieval scribes writing in various languages, including Latin, Greek, Old English and Old Norse. In modern manuscript editing (substantive and mechanica ...
FRH).
Like
Portable CP/M
CP/M, originally standing for Control Program/Monitor and later Control Program for Microcomputers, is a mass-market operating system created in 1974 for Intel 8080/ 85-based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. Initiall ...
,
Concurrent DOS 286
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
,
Concurrent DOS 68K
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
and
Concurrent DOS V60
FlexOS is a discontinued modular real-time multiuser multitasking operating system (RTOS) designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets. Developed by Digital Research's Flexible Automation Business U ...
,
FlexOS was written in
C for higher portability across hardware platforms, and it featured very low interrupt latency and fast context switching.
The original
protected mode
In computing, protected mode, also called protected virtual address mode, is an operational mode of x86-compatible central processing units (CPUs). It allows system software to use features such as virtual memory, paging and safe multi-tasking d ...
FlexOS 286 version 1.3
was designed for host machines equipped with
286 CPUs, and with adaptations for
NEC V60
is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It provides IT and network soluti ...
,
NEC V70
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It prov ...
and
Motorola 68000
The Motorola 68000 (sometimes shortened to Motorola 68k or m68k and usually pronounced "sixty-eight-thousand") is a 16/32-bit complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor, introduced in 1979 by Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector ...
processors planned.
FlexOS 286 executables using the system's native
INT DCh (
INT 220)
application program interface
An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how t ...
had the filename extension
.286
FlexOS is a discontinued modular real-time multiuser multitasking operating system (RTOS) designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets. Developed by Digital Research's Flexible Automation Business U ...
. A
CP/M
CP/M, originally standing for Control Program/Monitor and later Control Program for Microcomputers, is a mass-market operating system created in 1974 for Intel 8080/ 85-based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. Initial ...
API front-end
In software engineering, the terms frontend and backend (or sometimes referred to as back end or back-end) refer to the separation of concerns between the presentation layer (''frontend''), and the data access layer (''backend'') of a piece of soft ...
(FE) was available as well,
using the extension
.CMD for executables. (A filename extension of
.68K
FlexOS is a discontinued modular real-time multiuser multitasking operating system (RTOS) designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets. Developed by Digital Research's Flexible Automation Business U ...
was reserved for FlexOS 68K, a file extension derived from
Concurrent DOS 68K
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
as of 1986.
)
In May 1987, FlexOS version 1.31 was released for 80286 machines.
The developer version required an
IBM PC/AT
The IBM Personal Computer/AT (model 5170, abbreviated as IBM AT or PC/AT) was released in 1984 as the fourth model in the IBM Personal Computer line, following the IBM PC/XT and its IBM Portable PC variant. It was designed around the Intel 8028 ...
-compatible machine with 640 KB of
conventional and 512 KB of
extended memory
In DOS memory management, extended memory refers to memory above the first megabyte (220 bytes) of address space in an IBM PC or compatible with an 80286 or later processor. The term is mainly used under the DOS and Windows operating systems. DOS ...
, and either a (monochrome) CGA or an EGA graphics adapter.
FlexOS supported a concept of
dynamically loadable and unloadable subdrivers, and it came with driver prototypes for floppies, hard disks, printers, serial interfaces, RAM disks, mice and console drivers.
During boot, the FLEX286.SYS kernel would load the resource managers and device drivers specified in the CONFIG.SYS ''binary'' file (not to be mixed up with the similarly named
CONFIG.SYS
CONFIG.SYS is the primary configuration file for the DOS and OS/2 operating systems. It is a special ASCII text file that contains user-accessible setup or configuration directives evaluated by the operating system's DOS BIOS (typically residing ...
configuration file under
DOS
DOS is shorthand for the MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS family of operating systems.
DOS may also refer to:
Computing
* Data over signalling (DoS), multiplexing data onto a signalling channel
* Denial-of-service attack (DoS), an attack on a communicatio ...
), and its shell (COMMAND.286) would execute a CONFIG.BAT startup batch job instead of the common
AUTOEXEC.BAT
AUTOEXEC.BAT is a system file that was originally on DOS-type operating systems. It is a plain-text batch file in the root directory of the boot device. The name of the file is an abbreviation of "automatic execution", which describes its funct ...
.
FlexOS's optional DOS emulator provided limited
PC DOS 2.1 compatibility for DOS .COM and .EXE programs.
Certain restrictions applied in "
8086 emulation mode
Virtual DOS machines (VDM) refer to a technology that allows running 16-bit/32-bit DOS and 16-bit Windows programs when there is already another operating system running and controlling the hardware.
Overview
Virtual DOS machines can operate ei ...
" since these programs were executed in the processor's protected mode. Due to bugs in earlier steppings of the Intel 80286, the FlexOS 286 DOS front-end required at least the 80286 E2 stepping to function properly (see
LOADALL
LOADALL is the common name for two different, undocumented machine instructions of Intel 80286 and Intel 80386 processors, which allow access to areas of the internal processor state that are normally outside of the IA-32 API scope, like ''descr ...
).
These problems had already caused delays in the delivery of Concurrent DOS 286 earlier.
The system optionally supported a multitasking
GEM
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...
VDI for graphical applications.
FlexOS 1.31 could be linked with none, either or both of these two modules. FlexOS 1.31 also supported
FlexNet
FlexNet Publisher (formerly known as FLEXlm) is a software license manager from Flexera Software which implements copy protection, license management and is intended to be used in corporate environments to provide Floating licensing, floating lic ...
.
By June 1987 there were also versions 1.0 of FlexOS 386 (for hosts) and FlexOS 186 (for remote cell controllers).
FlexOS 386 provided a windowing feature, and offered
PC DOS 3.2 and GEM compatibility.
FlexOS 286 and FlexOS 386 versions 2.0 were registered on 3 July 1989.
Among the major FlexOS customers in 1990/1991 were
FANUC
FANUC ( or ; often styled Fanuc) is a Japanese group of companies that provide automation products and services such as robotics and computer numerical control wireless systems. These companies are principally of Japan, Fanuc America Corporat ...
,
IBM,
ICL,
Nixdorf,
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
,
TEC,
Thorn EMI Software
IBM has undergone a large number of mergers and acquisitions during a corporate history lasting over a century; the company has also produced a number of spinoffs during that time.
The acquisition date listed is the date of the agreement betw ...
and
Micrologic.
Novell
Novell, Inc. was an American software and services company headquartered in Provo, Utah, that existed from 1980 until 2014. Its most significant product was the multi-platform network operating system known as Novell NetWare.
Under the lead ...
bought Digital Research for million
in July 1991.
''
X/GEM for FlexOS release 1.0'' (a.k.a. X/GEM FlexOS 286 and 386) and FlexNet were registered on 21 December 1992.
FlexOS was used as the primary test platform for the new
Novell Embedded Systems Technology
Novell Embedded Systems Technology (NEST) was a series of APIs, data formats and network protocol stacks written in a highly portable fashion intended to be used in embedded systems. The idea was to allow various small devices to access Novell ...
(NEST).
When Novell decided to abandon further development of the various Digital Research operating systems such as
Multiuser DOS
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
(a successor to Concurrent DOS) and
Novell DOS
DR-DOS (written as DR DOS, without a hyphen, in versions up to and including 6.0) is a disk operating system for IBM PC compatibles. Upon its introduction in 1988, it was the first DOS attempting to be compatible with IBM PC DOS and MS-D ...
(a successor to
DR DOS
DR-DOS (written as DR DOS, without a hyphen, in versions up to and including 6.0) is a disk operating system for IBM PC compatibles. Upon its introduction in 1988, it was the first DOS attempting to be compatible with IBM PC DOS and MS-DO ...
), they sold FlexOS off to the
Santa Clara, California-based
Integrated Systems Inc.
Integrated Systems Inc. (ISI) was an embedded software company founded by Naren Gupta in 1980/1981. Summit Partners invested in 1987, the company listed in 1990, and it was acquired by Wind River Systems in 2000.
Naren Gupta served as Preside ...
(ISI) for million in July 1994.
The deal comprised a direct payment of half this sum as well as shares representing 2% of the company. The company already had
pSOS+, another modular real-time multitasking operating system for embedded systems, but they continued to maintain FlexOS as well.
FlexOS version 2.33 was current as of May 1998 and with FlexOS 2.34 to be released soon after with added support for faster CPUs, 64 MB of memory, EIDE and ATAPI CDROM drives.
Integrated Systems was bought by their competitor
Wind River Systems
Wind River Systems, also known as Wind River (trademarked as Wndrvr), is an Alameda, California–based company, subsidiary of Aptiv PLC. The company develops embedded system and cloud software consisting of real-time operating systems software, ...
in February 2000.
Commands
The following list of
commands is supported by FlexOS:
*
ASSIGN
* BACK
*
BACKUP
In information technology, a backup, or data backup is a copy of computer data taken and stored elsewhere so that it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form, referring to the process of doing so, is "back up", w ...
*
BREAK
Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to:
Time off from duties
* Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties
* Break (work), time off during a shift/recess
** Coffee break, a short mid-morning rest ...
* CANCEL
*
CHDIR
The command, also known as (change directory), is a command-line shell command used to change the current working directory in various operating systems. It can be used in shell scripts and batch files.
Implementations
The command has been ...
*
CHKDSK
In computing, CHKDSK (short for "check disk") is a system tool and command in DOS, Digital Research FlexOS, IBM/Toshiba 4690 OS, IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows and related operating systems. It verifies the file system integrity of a volume and at ...
*
COMMAND
Command may refer to:
Computing
* Command (computing), a statement in a computer language
* COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS
* Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards
* ...
*
COMP
Comp, COMP or Comps may refer to:
Places
In England:
* Comp, Kent
In France:
* Comps, Drôme
* Comps, Gard
* Comps, Gironde
* Comps-la-Grand-Ville
* Comps-sur-Artuby
Arts, entertainment, and media
;Music
*Accompaniment, especially in jazz
...
* CONFIG
*
COPY
Copy may refer to:
*Copying or the product of copying (including the plural "copies"); the duplication of information or an artifact
**Cut, copy and paste, a method of reproducing text or other data in computing
**File copying
**Photocopying, a pr ...
*
CTTY
*
DATE
Date or dates may refer to:
*Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'')
Social activity
*Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner
**Group dating
*Play date, an ...
* DEFINE
*
DIR
*
DISKCOMP
In computing, diskcomp is a command used for comparing the complete contents of a floppy disk to another one.
Overview
The command is used on DOS, Digital Research FlexOS, IBM/Toshiba 4690 OS, SISNE plus, IBM OS/2 and Microsoft Windows. It is ...
*
DISKCOPY
In computing, diskcopy is a command used on a number of operating systems for copying the complete contents of a diskette to another diskette.
Implementations
The command is available in MS-DOS, IBM PC DOS, DR FlexOS, IBM/Toshiba 4690 OS, M ...
* DISKSET
*
ERASE
Erase may refer to:
*Data erasure, a method of software-based overwriting that completely destroys all electronic data
*Data remanence, the residual representation of data that has been, in some way, nominally erased or removed
* ''Erase'' (album ...
*
EXIT
Exit(s) may refer to:
Architecture and engineering
* Door
* Portal (architecture), an opening in the walls of a structure
* Emergency exit
* Overwing exit, a type of emergency exit on an airplane
* Exit ramp, a feature of a road interchange
A ...
*
FDISK
In computing, the fdisk command-line utility provides disk-partitioning functions, preparatory to defining file systems. fdisk features in the DOS, DR FlexOS, IBM OS/2, and Microsoft Windows operating systems, and in certain ports of FreeBS ...
*
FIND
Find, FIND or Finding may refer to:
Computing
* find (Unix), a command on UNIX platforms
* find (Windows), a command on DOS/Windows platforms
Books
* ''The Find'' (2010), by Kathy Page
* ''The Find'' (2014), by William Hope Hodgson
Film and tel ...
*
FORMAT
Format may refer to:
Printing and visual media
* Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements
* Paper formats, or paper size standards
* Newspaper format, the size of the paper page
Computing
* File format, particular way that informatio ...
* FSET
* LIST
* LOGOFF
* LOGON
*
MKDIR
The mkdir (make directory) command in the Unix, DOS, DR FlexOS, IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows, and ReactOS operating systems is used to make a new directory. It is also available in the EFI shell and in the PHP scripting language. In DOS, OS/2, ...
*
MORE
More or Mores may refer to:
Computing
* MORE (application), outline software for Mac OS
* more (command), a shell command
* MORE protocol, a routing protocol
* Missouri Research and Education Network
Music Albums
* ''More!'' (album), by Booka ...
* ORDER
* PASSWORD
*
PATH
A path is a route for physical travel – see Trail.
Path or PATH may also refer to:
Physical paths of different types
* Bicycle path
* Bridle path, used by people on horseback
* Course (navigation), the intended path of a vehicle
* Desire p ...
*
PRINT
* PROCESS
*
PROMPT
Prompt may refer to:
Computing
* Command prompt, characters indicating the computer is ready to accept input
* Command Prompt, also known as cmd.exe or cmd, the command-line interpreter in some operating systems
* Prompt (natural language), instr ...
* RECDIR
* RECFILE
*
RENAME
Rename may refer to:
* Rename (computing), rename of a file on a computer
* RENAME (command), command to rename a file in various operating systems
* Rename (relational algebra)
In relational algebra, a rename is a unary operation written as \r ...
*
RESTORE
*
RMDIR
In computing, rmdir (or rd) is a command (computing), command which will remove an empty directory (file systems), directory on various operating systems.
Implementations
The command is available in Unix (e.g. macOS, Solaris (operating system), ...
* SECURITY
*
SORT
Sort may refer to:
* Sorting, any process of arranging items in sequence or in sets
** Sorting algorithm, any algorithm for arranging elements in lists
** Sort (Unix), a Unix utility which sorts the lines of a file
** Sort (C++), a function in the ...
*
SYS
*
TIME
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
*
TREE
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
*
TYPE
*
VER Ver or VER may refer to:
* Voluntary Export Restraints, in international trade
* VER, the IATA airport code for General Heriberto Jara International Airport
* Volk's Electric Railway, Brighton, England
* VerPublishing, of the German group VDM Publ ...
*
VOL
Vol or Vols may refer to:
* Vol (command), a computer operating system command
* Vol (heraldry), a heraldic charge
* Volatility (finance)
* Volume (disambiguation)
* Volunteer (Irish republican)
* Nashville Vols, an American minor league baseball t ...
Versions
Known FlexOS versions include:
Motorola 68000
The Motorola 68000 (sometimes shortened to Motorola 68k or m68k and usually pronounced "sixty-eight-thousand") is a 16/32-bit complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor, introduced in 1979 by Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector ...
/
Freescale
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. was an American semiconductor manufacturer. It was created by the divestiture of the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola in 2004. Freescale focused their integrated circuit products on the automotive, embed ...
/
NXP
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXP) is a Dutch semiconductor designer and manufacturer with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The company employs approximately 31,000 people in more than 30 countries. NXP reported revenue of $11.06 billion in 2 ...
ColdFire MCF5251
The NXP ColdFire is a microprocessor that derives from the Motorola 68000 family architecture, manufactured for embedded systems development by NXP Semiconductors. It was formerly manufactured by Freescale Semiconductor (formerly the semiconductor ...
platform:
*
Concurrent DOS 68K
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
1.0 (1985)
* Concurrent DOS 68K 1.1
* Concurrent DOS 68K 1.20 (April 1986,
1986-05-27
)
* Concurrent DOS 68K 1.21 (1986)
* FlexOS 68K
1.x?
Intel 80286
The Intel 80286 (also marketed as the iAPX 286 and often called Intel 286) is a 16-bit microprocessor that was introduced on February 1, 1982. It was the first 8086-based CPU with separate, non-multiplexed address and data buses and also the fi ...
platform:
*
MP/M-286 (1982)
*
Concurrent CP/M-286 (1985)
*
Concurrent DOS 286
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
preview (1985-01)
*
Concurrent DOS 286
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
1.0 (1985-08-06)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.0.01 (1985-08-18/1985-08-21)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.0.02 (1985-08-22/1985-09-12)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.0.03 (1985-09-10/1985-09-12)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.0.04 (1985-09-17)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.0.05 (1985-11-01)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.0.06 (1985-12-10)
* Concurrent DOS 286 1.1 (1986-01-07)
* Concurrent DOS 286 1.2 (1986)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.2.00 (1986-04-10/1986-04-24)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.2.01 (1986-04-16/1986-05-19)
** Concurrent DOS 286 1.2.02 (1986-08-18)
* FlexOS 286 1.3 (November 1986)
* FlexOS 286 1.31 (May 1987)
* FlexOS 286 1.5 (1988-02-29)
* FlexOS 286 2.0.00 (1988-03-31)
* FlexOS 286 2.0 (July 1989)
* FlexOS 286 2.32 (July 1993)
Intel 80186
The Intel 80186, also known as the iAPX 186, or just 186, is a microprocessor and microcontroller introduced in 1982. It was based on the Intel 8086 and, like it, had a 16-bit external data bus multiplexed with a 20-bit address bus. The 801 ...
/
NEC V20
The NEC V20 is a microprocessor that was designed and produced by NEC. It is both pin compatible and object code compatible with the Intel 8088, with an instruction set architecture (ISA) similar to that of the Intel 80188 with some extension ...
/
V30 platform:
* FlexOS 186 (1986-09-04 forked)
* FlexOS 186 1.0 (June 1987)
Intel 80386
The Intel 386, originally released as 80386 and later renamed i386, is a 32-bit microprocessor introduced in 1985. The first versions had 275,000 transistors[NEC V60
is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It provides IT and network soluti ...]
platform:
*
Concurrent DOS V60
FlexOS is a discontinued modular real-time multiuser multitasking operating system (RTOS) designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets. Developed by Digital Research's Flexible Automation Business U ...
?
Adaptations
IBM 4680 OS
Named IBM 4680 OS Version 1,
IBM originally chose DR Concurrent DOS 286 as the basis of their ''IBM 4680'' computer for IBM Plant System products and
Point-of-Sale
The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice f ...
terminals in 1986.
The last release of the IBM 4680 OS has been Version 4, before it was replaced by IBM 4690 Version 1.
Versions:
* IBM 4680 Operating System Version 1 Release 1
* IBM 4680 Operating System Version 1 Release 2
* IBM 4680 Operating System Version 1 Release 3
* IBM 4680 Operating System Version 2 Release 1
* IBM 4680 Operating System Version 3 Release 1
* IBM 4680 Operating System Version 4 Release 1
IBM and Toshiba 4690 OS
In July 1993, IBM announced the adoption of FlexOS version 2.32 as the basis of their
IBM 4690 OS Version 1, to be pre-released on 24 September 1993
and generally made available from 25 March 1994.
FlexOS 2.32 supported 286 and 386 modes, had more efficient memory management, better console and pipe systems, and brought overall quality and performance improvements compared to the version that came with IBM 4680 OS Version 4.
Further, it removed limits on the number of applications running concurrently due to its more efficient use of KOSPOOL.
To support
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
, IBM 4690 OS Version 2 added support for
long filename
Long filename (LFN) support is Microsoft's backward-compatible extension of the 8.3 filename (short filename) naming scheme used in DOS. Long filenames can be more descriptive, including longer filename extensions such as .jpeg, .tiff, .html, a ...
s by means of a
virtual filesystem
A virtual file system (VFS) or virtual filesystem switch is an abstract layer on top of a more concrete file system. The purpose of a VFS is to allow client applications to access different types of concrete file systems in a uniform way. A VFS ...
(VFS) architecture and it introduced
FAT32
File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system developed for personal computers. Originally developed in 1977 for use on floppy disks, it was adapted for use on hard disks and other devices. It is often supported for compatibility reasons by c ...
volumes.
According to "The Year of the Store?", IHL Consulting Group/RIS News, IBM 4690 OS still had a market share of 12% in the
POS register/client market in June 2005, when IBM was starting to phase it out in favour to
IBM Retail Environment for SUSE
IBM Retail Store Solutions was IBM's division in the retail market segment. During its run, IBM Retail Store Solutions had several product lines, both hardware and software. Hardware products included IBM SurePOS 700 point-of-sale systems or print ...
(IRES).
IBM continued to maintain 4690 OS up to April 2015, with the most recent version released by IBM in May 2012 being IBM 4690 OS Version 6 Release 3.
Toshiba released
Toshiba 4690 OS
4690 Operating System (sometimes shortened to 4690 OS or 4690) is a specially designed point of sale (POS) operating system, originally sold by IBM. In 2012, IBM sold its retail business, including this product, to Toshiba, which assumed support ...
Version 6 Release 4 in January 2014 and Version 6 Release 5 in January 2016.
Siemens S5-DOS/MT
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
used and still maintains FlexOS in their factory automation equipment as well. For example, their
Simatic
SIMATIC is a series of programmable logic controller and automation systems, developed by Siemens. Introduced in 1958, the series has gone through four major generations, the latest being the ''SIMATIC S7'' generation. The series is intended for ...
S5
STEP-5
SIMATIC is a series of programmable logic controller and automation systems, developed by Siemens. Introduced in 1958, the series has gone through four major generations, the latest being the ''SIMATIC S7'' generation. The series is intended for ...
operating system
S5-DOS/MT
FlexOS is a discontinued modular real-time multiuser multitasking operating system (RTOS) designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets. Developed by Digital Research's Flexible Automation Business U ...
is based on FlexOS 386 with X/GEM, FlexNet and
Btrieve
Btrieve is a transactional database (navigational database) software product. It is based on Indexed Sequential Access Method (ISAM), which is a way of storing data for fast retrieval. There have been several versions of the product for DOS, Linux, ...
, whereas the smaller
S5-DOS
CP/M-86 was a version of the CP/M operating system that Digital Research (DR) made for the Intel 8086 and Intel 8088. The system commands are the same as in CP/M-80. Executable files used the relocatable .CMD file format. Digital Research also ...
system, also present on these systems, is a variant of Digital Research's
Personal CP/M-86
CP/M-86 was a version of the CP/M operating system that Digital Research (DR) made for the Intel 8086 and Intel 8088. The system commands are the same as in CP/M-80. Executable files used the relocatable .CMD file format. Digital Research als ...
.
Siemens industrial systems like COROS LS-B/FlexOS, COROS OS-B/FlexOS, GRACIS/FlexOS, OS-525 were FlexOS and X/GEM-based.
Computers such as the PC 16-20 and the PC 32 series were available with FlexOS as well.
CTM
The Japanese post office shared terminals III and CTM IV were based on FlexOS.
See also
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Concurrent DOS 286
Multiuser DOS is a real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system for IBM PC-compatible microcomputers.
An evolution of the older Concurrent CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS and Concurrent DOS 386 operating systems, it was originally developed by ...
*
GEM
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...
*
IBM 4683
The IBM 4683 was IBM's first PC-based point of sale (POS) system. It was introduced in 1985. The system consists of a PC-based controller and thin client based POS workstations, typically with a Token Ring network. The system requires an IBM ...
*
IBM 4690 OS
*
IBM 4694 The IBM 4694 was one of IBM's PC based point of sale (POS) systems, a successor to the IBM 4683 and IBM 4693. Introduced in 1991, the 4694 became a flagship model for the company's SurePOS system. The system consists of a PC-based controller, and ...
*
pSOS
PSOS, ''PSOs'' or pSOS may refer to:
* pSOS (real-time operating system)
* Provably Secure Operating System
* Project Support Open Source
* Protective services officers
* The Police Service of Scotland
Police Scotland ( gd, Poileas Alba), off ...
*
Distributed Data Management Architecture Distributed Data Management Architecture (DDM) is IBM's open, published software architecture for creating, managing and accessing data on a remote computer. DDM was initially designed to support record-oriented files; it was extended to support ...
(DDM)
*
Electronic point of sale
The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice f ...
(EPOS)
References
Further reading
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Concurrent DOS 286, FlexOS, IBM 4690*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flexos
CP/M variants
Disk operating systems
DOS variants
Digital Research operating systems
Novell operating systems
Microcomputer software
Real-time operating systems
Embedded operating systems
Discontinued operating systems
C (programming language) software