global menu:
Notes: This page is chiefly devoted to free graphics-mode desktops for DOS (menus are listed on the Menus page). Because custom applications must be coded specifically for these environments, the long term success or failure of a given GUI seems to depend partly on the level of interest it generates within the programming community. Many free DOS gui's have been initiated in the past few years, but none seem to have garnered significant long-term attention.
Listed on this page: GEM, formerly a commercial product (c. 1984-89), now open source. Best suited to low resource PC's. Several productivity applications were written for GEM during its commercial years; some independent development continues (e.g., FreeGEM). Desktop 2 is a polished shell with a few accessories, an editor, good file manager, and an icon/folder-based program manager. Desktop2 is also now open source. SEAL, also open source, represents a newer (2000) 32-bit GUI project. More than any other desktop here, SEAL looks and behaves like a modern GUI (sensu Windows). A few media (sound) applications are available for SEAL, as is a multi-format image viewer, a simple text editor, file manager, and html viewer. Remains in beta development so it's not yet a finished, bug-free program, but it does merit attention.
Of course, not all "desktops" require use of a graphics mode environment- two of the most stable and polished "integrated shells" available are text mode programs: Connect and DOS Navigator.
GEM-- GUI desktop for low resource PC's running DOS.
unrated [added 02-19-00]
GEM is a DOS GUI environment which experienced its zenith during the mid to late 1980's (85-89). It has now been released as open source (GPL) freeware and is undergoing some additional development in the hands of independent programmers (e.g., FreeGEM). GEM remains a good choice for low resource PC's running DOS. The GEM desktop allows only one GEM application to run at a time, but the included desktop accessories (clock, calculator, print spooler) can be placed and moved on the desktop when a primary application is running. GEM supports CGA, EGA, and VGA video adapters ( max 16 colors). GEM is limited to accessing conventional memory. Not certain about printer support.
GEM Desktop:
GEM Applications:
Perhaps the major existing strength of GEM is the selection of available productivity applications which mesh naturally with a graphics mode environment. Taking into account their age, the applications appear to be of high quality. But they are dated and not really useful for serious productivity tasks. Apps include a bitmap painter, word processor w/ spell checker, desktop publisher, graphing application, vector drawing program, and an enhanced vector drawing program (ARTLINE). Binaries for these can be downloaded from the following links:
Screenshots:
(Suggested by Max Geller).
DESKTOP2- GUI desktop shell with program and file managers, text editor, more.
unrated [added 10-25-98]
Desktop2 represents a fairly complete VGA desktop shell that should be attractive to GUI enthusiasts. The author has released the program and source code as freeware under the GPL. An English version of the program has recently become available- but english docs are lacking.
Desktop2 is essentially a spruced-up file manager with a nice front-end menu. Overall impression: easy to set up; and well designed for its intended GUI audience. Includes hierarchical folder / icon-based program manager, well designed dual pane file manager, integrated text viewer and editor, file & text finder, calculator, alarm, cd player, and more. DSK2 doesn't support multi-tasking or task switching. I've encountered some erratic mouse behavior using certain dialog boxes. Not Win9x ready. Author: Felix Ritter, Germany (1998). See the EZDOS site for a stalled (?) attempt at further development
Minimum requirements: 286+ PC; VGA, 640K mem (2MB recommended), mouse. Installed files require about 1.6MB.
640X480 screenshot of Desktop 2's file manager on a 386 grayscale VGA laptop.
http://www.geocities.com/rlcgreen/bin/ get dsk2-eng.zip (580K)
SEAL- 32-bit GUI project for DOS.
unrated [added 02-20-00 updated 04-28-00]
SEAL is a new 32-bit GUI project for DOS that is still in an early test developemnt phase. I've placed it here for the programmer as much as the end-user. Unlike some other abandoned GUI projects SEAL already has a selection of applications under development. The most recently reviewed version (v. 1c) includes a dual panel file manager, sound players for cd, mp3, midi/mod, and wav, an HTML viewer, a simple text editor, and a multi-format image viewer. Currently supports partial multitasking and task switching. SEAL requires a 386+ PC, DPMI provider, and (S)VGA. SEAL is open source freeware (GPL). Programmers are needed for this project.
Important installation note: Before running SEAL you must edit the SEAL.INI file [path] section to indicate the path of SEAL.
04-28-00: v. 1d test version available.
Author: Michal Stencl, Czech Republic (2000). Suggested by Florian Xaver.
See SEAL home page, unofficial SEAL Home Page for further information, or the sourceforge development site.
[ Go to Top | Front Page ]
© 1994-2001. Rich Green