CP/M-86 Timeline
This is a project aiming to document the timeline of various versions of the CP/M-86 operating system, focusing primarily on those released for the IBM PC.
The various names of the operating system include CP/M-86, CP/M-86 Plus, MP/M-86, Concurrent CP/M-86, Personal CP/M-86, Concurrent DOS, DOS Plus, Concurrent PC DOS (not to be confused with IBM PC DOS), Concurrent DOS 286, Concurrent DOS 386, Concurrent DOS XT, Multiuser DOS (not to be confused with Microsoft's Multitasking DOS 4), and FlexOS.
What to document
For each version, the following information is collected into a table:
- Date of release, or at least the year if unknown
- Release name and version
- Following patches to the release, if any (e.g. CP/M-86 1.1 for IBM PC XT)
- BDOS version, as reported by function 12 (MRTVNO)
- The version's predecessor, if applicable and interesting
- Specific API differences, if applicable
- Present features, especially DOS filesystem support, DOS application support, and multitasking
- Supported media types (e.g. fixed disk, 160k floppies, ...)
- Links to preserved copies: source, binaries, and floppy images, both official and unofficial
- Links to manuals (User's Guide, System Guide, Programmer's Guide), DRI manuals are good sources of information
The CP/M-86 history documentation project channel on Discord is the chat associated with the project, you can join it if you are interested in helping out.
Timeline table
| Version name | BDOS version | Release date | Based on | Features | Supported media types | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CP/M-86 for IBM PC 1.0 | 2.2 | 1982-04-05[1] | Presumably CP/M 2.2 | - | IBM PC CP/M single-side (160k) and double-side (320k) floppy disks | 160k floppies (WinWorld), Manual (WinWorld) |
| CP/M-86 for IBM PC 1.1 | 2.2 | 1982 | CP/M-86 for IBM PC 1.0 | - | As above | 160k floppies (including later GSX) |
| Concurrent CP/M-86 1.0 | 3.0[2] | 1982 | MP/M-86[note 1], CP/M-86 for IBM PC 1.1[note 2] | Multitasking, virtual screens | As above | 160k floppies (WinWorld), Manual (WinWorld) |
| CP/M-86 for IBM PC and IBM PC XT 1.1 | 2.2 | 1983 | CP/M-86 for IBM PC 1.1 | - | IBM PC CP/M single-side (120k) and double-side (320k) floppy disks, IBM XT (and later) fixed disk | 320k floppies (WinWorld), kernel source code |
Detailed information
Here you can find detailed information about the most important versions of CP/M-86, which doesn't fit into the table above.
CP/M-86 for IBM PC 1.0
Officially named CP/M-86 for the IBM Personal Computer Version 1.0, this is the first version of CP/M-86 for the IBM PC. It was delayed around eight months after the IBM PC release in August 1981, giving it a late start against IBM PC DOS 1.0, itself a clone of CP/M.
It is an adaptation of the earlier CP/M-86 codebase developed from 1979 to 1981; the dates of 15 December 1981 and 28 December 1981 can be found on the install media. Unlike later versions, the kernel is not contained in a file named CPM.SYS, instead it is loaded by a bootstrap loader from an unknown location after the boot sector and the directory entry table (needs investigation).
References
- ↑ https://books.google.cz/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=RA2-PA43&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
- ↑ Concurrent CP/M-86 1.0 Programmers' Guide
Notes
- ↑ The Programmers' Guide mentions "MP/M-86 version number" on page 204 for function 163, which is labeled "Return CCP/M Version Number" at page 214, indicating MP/M-86 was left there from previous version by mistake
- ↑ Based on DDT86 being versio 1.2, just like in CP/M-86 1.1, not 1.1 like in CP/M-86 1.0