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canopic jug [soylentnews.org] writes:

The Eerie Linux blog (also in Gemini [gemini]) has a longer post about how to actually get started using CP/M [wordpress.com], the Control Program for Microcomputers.

This article is just what the headline promises: an introduction to the CP/M operating system. No previous knowledge of 1970s and early ’80s operating systems is required. However, some familiarity with Linux or a BSD-style operating system is assumed, as the setup process suggested here involves using a package manager and command-line tools. But why explore CP/M in the 2020s? There are (at least) two good reasons: 1) historical education 2) gaining a better understanding of how computers actually work.

Last year I wrote two articles about CP/M after having taken a first look at it:

A journey into the 8-Bit microcomputing past: Exploring the CP/M operating system – part 1 [wordpress.com]
A journey into the 8-Bit microcomputing past: Exploring the CP/M operating system – part 2 [wordpress.com]

These were written with a focus on the first reason; I had (partially) read the manuals and tried out a few commands in an emulator (as well as done a little bit of research). I wrote an outsider’s look at CP/M and covered the various versions that were released and some of their notable features.

This article is different. It’s for readers who want to get started with CP/M themselves. Expect a practical introduction to get familiar enough with the platform to be able to explore a wealth of historic software, often enough ground-breaking and influential.

CP/M was of great importance back during the 8-bit microcomputer era. It was ubiquitous in small businesses and government offices for a while. It ran on the Zilog [zilog.com] Z80 [tedium.co] and Intel 8080 [intel.com] hardware architectures. MicroPro International's WordStar and Ashton Tate's dBase II were among the killer apps of the era. Networking was by sneakernet or, maybe, if your cable smithing skills were up to it, by null modem.

Previously:
(2024) Complete WordStar 7.0 Archive [soylentnews.org]
(2024) End of an Era: End-Of-Life for the Venerable Zilog Z80 [soylentnews.org]
(2024) Intel 8080 Emulator. 19th IOCCC. Best of Show. [soylentnews.org]
(2022) Z80—The 1970s Microprocessor Still Alive [soylentnews.org]
(2016) Portion of Gary Kildall's Memoir Made Public [soylentnews.org]

Original Submission