Last Updated on: 10th November 2023, 04:46 pm
Web site: (not active)
Origin: USA
Category: Desktop
Desktop environment: CLI
Architecture: Atari 8-bit family
Based on: independent
Wikipedia: Atari DOS
Media: Install
The last version | Released: XE 1.0 | 1987
Atari DOS – a disk operating system (DOS) used with the Atari 8-bit family of computers, released in 1979 by Atari Inc. The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979.
Atari developed a few versions of the operating systems, such as:
– DOS 1.0
– DOS 2.0
– DOS 3
– DOS 2.5
– DOS 4.0
– DOS XE 1.0 (the last one released in 1987).
GENERAL INFORMATION ON Atari DOS 4
The DOS 4 Disk Operating System is a program which controls disk drives on Atari computers. DOS 4 can be configured to run a variety of different disk drives, single-density or double-density, and single-sided or double-sided. DOS 4 consists of three separate parts:
– The File Management System (FMS)
– The Command Processor (CP)
– The Disk Utility Package (DUP)
The FMS remains in computer memory all the time, while the CP and DUP remain on the disk and are loaded into memory only when needed. The File Management System maintains the file structure on the disk. It performs disk input/output (I/O) commands like OPEN, CLOSE, INPUT, and PRINT. The DOS 4 FMS supports all the commands accepted by Atari DOS 2.0. Virtually all software written for DOS 2.0 or DOS 3 will also work on DOS 4.
The Command Processor displays a menu of all the programs on a disk and runs any of them with a single keystroke. The CP also lets you examine the disk directory (a list of all the files on the disk) or run the cartridge (if a cartridge is installed). The Disk Utility Package performs a wide variety of manipulations on disk files, such as copying, locking and unlocking, renaming, and deleting. Among the most useful commands in the DUP are those which copy files from one disk to another or duplicate an entire disk even if you have only one disk drive.
