#software history

[basic-retro-programming]

MICROSOFT has released the source code to MS-DOS 4.00 under the MIT license ...

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/opensource/2024/04/25/open-sourcing-ms-dos-4-0/

"Ten years ago, Microsoft released the source for MS-DOS 1.25 and 2.0 to the Computer History Museum, and then later republished them for reference purposes. This code holds an important place in history and is a fascinating read of an operating system that was written entirely in 8086 assembly code nearly 45 years ago. 

Today, in partnership with IBM and in the spirit of open innovation, we’re releasing the source code to MS-DOS 4.00 under the MIT license. There’s a somewhat complex and fascinating history behind the 4.0 versions of DOS, as Microsoft partnered with IBM for portions of the code but also created a branch of DOS called Multitasking DOS that did not see a wide release."

Jeff Wilcox & Scott Hanselman

Post 302: Microsoft, Open Source Blog, The release of the MS DOS 4.0 source code under the MIT licence, 2024.

[retrocompmx]

Efemérides computacional: 21 de junio de 1948

El 21 de junio de 1948 se ejecuta el primer programa en la primera computadora con programa almacenado del mundo, la Máquina Experimental a Pequeña Escala de Manchester (SSEM). Este primer programa, diseñado para probar la fiabilidad de la computadora, se ejecutó durante 52 minutos, realizando 3,5 millones de operaciones #retrocomputingmx #SSEM #software #oldtech

[asphaltapostle]

This morning, I found a packaged, very early version of Infinite Flight Simulator for iOS on archive dot org and proceeded to extract many goodies. This collection of all included sound files in the app is definitely my favorite, though.

[hindbodes]

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware used to look like this.

[softwarehistory]

View this post on Instagram

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[oldschoolfrp]

Influential RPG adventure writer, artist, and video game creator Jennell Jaquays has died.

She was a founder of the Dungeoneer zine before it was sold to Judges Guild. Her D&D adventures Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia became classics, often studied as examples of adventure design. She also wrote and illustrated for TSR, Metagaming, Steve Jackson Games, and many other publishers. Her video game career included developing many of Coleco's titles in the 1980s and level design for the Quake sequels at id Software in the 90s, and she co-founded the SMU Guildhall video game program.

She recently was hospitalized for symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome, and a GoFundMe to cover her medical expenses is still active.

[toupee-or-nottoupee]

he really is so pretty, isn't he?

[marzipanandminutiae]

explaining modern brand names to a Victorian

me: so just like. a word, usually.

Victorian: a word related to the product, or-

me: no just a random word

Victorian: huh. because I'd have thought

me: yeah

Victorian: a word related to the product's alleged best qualities

me: no no it's just any word really. the founder might have some reason behind it, but it only makes sense to them most of the time

Victorian: interesting

me:

Victorian:

Victorian: but definitely misspelled right

me: oh EXTREMELY misspelled

[locusfandomtime]

you can really tell the different audience demographics of Lifesteal vs Hermitcraft by the comment sections because the average spokeishere or whatever comment is like “LIKE THIS if you are a real Spoke fan!!! ❤️👊😎 if this comment gets 100 LIKES ill tell my mom to subscribe 🤪 who else is watching in 2028❓❓😂” whilst the average ethoslab comment is like “my wife is giving birth but this is more important”

[digitalismmm]

Sony CMT

[arconinternet]

Fifty-Five Hollywood Online Interactive Kits (Windows 3.1, Hollywood Online, 1994/1995/1996)

You can play them in your browser here.

Edit: my mistake, they're for WIndows 3.1, emulated in DOSBox.

[diamondchili]

as soon as i saw the concept art for the choir in bloodborne, i thought the mantle part could translate to the wide pleated collar of an 1830s Victorian evening gown!! now to grind my sewing skills until i can make this dress a reality orz

(id in alt text!)

[asphaltapostle]

kill

KILL(1) - General Commands Manual

NAME

kill - terminate or signal a process

SYNOPSIS

kill [-s signal_name] pid … kill -l [exit_status] kill -‌signal_name pid … kill -‌signal_number pid …

DESCRIPTION

The kill utility sends a signal to the processes specified by the pid operands.

Only the super-user may send signals to other users’ processes.

The options are as follows:

-s signal_name

A symbolic signal name specifying the signal to be sent instead of the default TERM.

-l [exit_status]

If no operand is given, list the signal names; otherwise, write the signal name corresponding to exit_status.

-‌signal_name

A symbolic signal name specifying the signal to be sent instead of the default TERM.

-‌signal_number

A non-negative decimal integer, specifying the signal to be sent instead of the default TERM.

The following PIDs have special meanings:

-1

If superuser, broadcast the signal to all processes; otherwise broadcast to all processes belonging to the user.

Some of the more commonly used signals:

1

HUP (hang up)

2

INT (interrupt)

3

QUIT (quit)

6

ABRT (abort)

9

KILL (non-catchable, non-ignorable kill)

14

ALRM (alarm clock)

15

TERM (software termination signal)

Some shells may provide a builtin kill command which is similar or identical to this utility. Consult the builtin(1) manual page.

EXIT STATUS

The kill utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

EXAMPLES

Terminate the processes with PIDs 142 and 157:

kill 142 157

Send the hangup signal (SIGHUP) to the process with PID 507:

kill -s HUP 507

Terminate the process group with PGID 117:

kill -- -117

SEE ALSO

builtin(1), csh(1), killall(1), ps(1), sh(1), kill(2), sigaction(2)

STANDARDS

The kill utility is expected to be IEEE Std 1003.2 (“POSIX.2”) compatible.

HISTORY

A kill command appeared in Version 3 AT&T UNIX in section 8 of the manual.

BUGS

A replacement for the command “kill 0” for csh(1) users should be provided.

macOS 12.7 - October 3, 2016

[frank-olivier]

The story of BASIC’s development began in 1963, when Kemeny and Kurtz, both mathematics professors at Dartmouth, recognized the need for a programming language that could be used by non-technical students. At the time, most programming languages were complex and required a strong background in mathematics and computer science. Kemeny and Kurtz wanted to create a language that would allow students from all disciplines to use computers, regardless of their technical expertise.

The development of BASIC was a collaborative effort between Kemeny, Kurtz, and a team of students, including Mary Kenneth Keller, John McGeachie, and others. The team worked tirelessly to design a language that was easy to learn and use, with a syntax that was simple and intuitive. They drew inspiration from existing programming languages, such as ALGOL and FORTRAN, but also introduced many innovative features that would become hallmarks of the BASIC language.

One of the key innovations of BASIC was its use of simple, English-like commands. Unlike other programming languages, which required users to learn complex syntax and notation, BASIC used commands such as “PRINT” and “INPUT” that were easy to understand and remember. This made it possible for non-technical users to write programs and interact with the computer, without needing to have a deep understanding of computer science.

BASIC was first implemented on the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System, a pioneering computer system that allowed multiple users to interact with the computer simultaneously. The Time-Sharing System was a major innovation in itself, as it allowed users to share the computer’s resources and work on their own projects independently. With BASIC, users could write programs, run simulations, and analyze data, all from the comfort of their own terminals.

The impact of BASIC was immediate and profound. The language quickly gained popularity, not just at Dartmouth, but also at other universities and institutions around the world. It became the language of choice for many introductory programming courses, and its simplicity and ease of use made it an ideal language for beginners. As the personal computer revolution took hold in the 1970s and 1980s, BASIC became the language of choice for many hobbyists and enthusiasts, who used it to write games, utilities, and other applications.

Today, BASIC remains a popular language, with many variants and implementations available. While it may not be as widely used as it once was, its influence can still be seen in many modern programming languages, including Visual Basic, Python, and JavaScript. The development of BASIC was a major milestone in the history of computer science, as it democratized computing and made it accessible to a wider range of people.

The Birth of BASIC (Dartmouth College, August 2014)

Friday, April 25, 2025

[softwarehistory]

Jemba Inertia Notes System

[gracehosborn]

This is a Scrivener appreciation post because ugh I love this software. For the chapter I’m working on, I’ve had to reference both a map and a muster roll, and I can just do this seamlessly without needing to toggle between my manuscript and an internet browser or files. It’s wonderful.

For how wonderful that is, I will only need to look at this muster roll for this one chapter and that’s it. Never to be mentioned again. All the hours of work of hunting the roll down and transcribing it, just for this one scene. 😂