Where to download CP/M-86 software
CP/M-86 is a footnote to the history of the personal computer, which is part of why it's interesting.
The downside is the limited popularity the operating system enjoyed makes it difficult to discover online resources, particularly software. I face this issue when looking for software and tools for my V20-MBC homebrew computer, which can run CP/M-86 with the Intel 8088 of its Nec V20.
Therefore, I'm keeping track of the programs and software collections I run across online.
I include a list here, which I'll revise and expand with more entries. On the V20-MBC I tested only a small fraction of this software, so some programs designed for vendor-specific CP/M-86 versions or machines may not run on the device.
Repositories and collections
Old BBS archives, repositories, personal websites, and CD-ROM collections are good starting points. CP/M-86 software in executable form is usually in a section under general CP/M resources.
I found these repositories and websites:
- CP/M-86 Software Repository: utilities, editors, games, programming languages and tools, and more. Some programs run only on the iBM PC or IBM's version of CP/M-86.
- Walnut Creek CP/M CD-ROM: the collection has a CP/M-86 section featuring mostly tools and communication programs.
- Digital Research Binary Files: programming languages, development tools, and various versions of CP/M-86.
- oldcomputers-ddns.org: development tools, utilities, application programs.
- Gaby's Homepage for CP/M and Computer History: utilities.
- Commercial CP/M Software: programming languages and tools, application and business software grouped by category. The packages that run on CP/M-86 are noted in the descriptions and are available under several categories.
Programs and utilities
Some applications are provided for download from their own websites or distribution archives:
- Pirx Commander: a two pane file browser similar to Norton Commander. The official annoucement provides some more details.
- CP/M Kermit: CP/M-86 port of the Kermit communication program.
- CP/M-86 Hacking: tools and utilities, most of which run on the V20-MBC. Sources and binaries are available.
Source code
Some software that works on CP/M-86 is distributed in source form with no prepackaged binaries. It's usually available at general CP/M repositories, in sections specific to the programming language or environment it was developed with such as Turbo Pascal or BASIC. This code may need some tweaks to run on CP/M-86.
For example, the Walnut Creek CP/M CD-ROM has a Turbo Pascal section.
CP/M-86 Miscellaneous Ports is a collection of C and Unix tools ported to CP/M-86, such as yacc.
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