Post #2096665

2026-05-05 10:32 UTC

Is there an equivalent of DOS for 68K? In thinking about this a bit—considering 68K workstations like Mac, Atari ST, Tektronix 4404—i came to realise that i was probably a bit harsh on DOS (i grew up very much in the DOS period, but never had a DOS machine). Like, i love command line, and DOS is a command line available on a very broad range of machines, all x86 based (right?). Was there any sort of semi-portable command line system that was available on any sort of non-x86 architecture? (i&#39;m thinking small, not like UNIX which could run on 68K, or MVS/TSO which ran on IBM mainframes). [edit: contenders are CP/M-68K (which isn&#39;t vaporware), OS-9, and maybe Human68K] #Retrocomputing #68K

Replies (11)

@idlestate@toot.cat 2026-05-05 10:34

@drj@typo.social maybe? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS-9

Open ##2402863
@nina_kali_nina@tech.lgbt 2026-05-05 10:35

@drj@typo.social there was CP/M-68k at least

Open ##2402867
@amoroso@oldbytes.space 2026-05-05 10:35

@drj@typo.social CP/M-68K?

Open ##2402868
@gemini0@labyrinth.zone 2026-05-05 10:37

@drj@typo.social i remember someone (i think esrael neto?) making something called "md-dos" for the mega drive, but i don't think it was literally dos -- it was probably firmware for the mega everdrive with a fancy name

Open ##2402869
@lunarloony@dosgame.club 2026-05-05 10:42

@drj@typo.social The X68000 had Human68k, which was a bit DOS-y at a high level. http://www.sizecoding.org/wiki/X68000

Open ##2402870
@me_@sueden.social 2026-05-05 12:02

@drj@typo.social CP/M 68k ran on many 68k machines and was also the original basis for Atari ST's. STs later switched to another Digital Research OS, GEMDOS, which was in turn developed on Apple Lisas. There's also OS9, AFAIK still available from Microware, which was quite popular in industrial applications (e.g. Motorola VME bus machines), but was also available for the ST, Sharp X68000 and 68k Macs. http://www.retroarchive.org/docs/software/cpm68.html https://github.com/dwildie/cpm-68k https://github.com/cheesestraws/lisa-gemdos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS-9

Open ##2402871
@trode@hachyderm.io 2026-05-05 14:01

@drj@typo.social netbsd ran on a lot of 68k hardware. DOS was popular and had games tho.

Open ##2402872
@luigithirty@xantronix.social 2026-05-05 15:17

@drj@typo.social CP/M-68K is what you’re looking for, but there isn’t very much software for it. It evolved into GEMDOS, which is, uh, the DOS layer of GEM. It’s all another evolutionary branch of the CP/M API.

Open ##2402873
@hackbyte@joinfriendica.de 2026-05-05 16:43

@drj@typo.social Hmm.. google seems to find some few variants, OS9, sk-dos, CP/M-68K.. but... Would a minix not do the job? ;)

Open ##2402878
@dheadshot@mastodon.social 2026-05-05 22:55

@drj@typo.social I thought OS-9 was for the 6809 (based on the 6800), not the 68000 series? (Confusing, but there's a digit difference)

Open ##2402880
@retroprom@oldbytes.space 2026-05-05 10:35

@drj@typo.social you could look at CPM. there are definitely some ports; not sure about applications. I wanted to try OS-9 once, but never got around. and there is AmigaDOS of course, if it counts.

Open ##2432053