For DOS, I will typically install cygwin, and then put the cygwin binaries in my PATH. then anytime I drop to a DOS prompt I have a complete choice of linux commands from ls to scp and everything in between. It is pretty handy and I setup all my windows workstations with cygwin because it is just easier for me.
Cygwin does require windows to install itself, but I don't think it is possible to just run DOS without windows, so I am not sure what you are doing.