Smallest Operating System!

MicrOS · Post by **MicrOS** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:10 pm

Hi!!!
I'm new here so let me introduce myself.
I'm Jose, 18 years old and I know how to program since I was 12.
I wonder, how small can a simple operating system be??
I'm interested on creating a very very small operating system,
and later on
How small do you think an OS with A GUI may require??
Thanks!

Bobalandi · Post by **Bobalandi** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:57 pm

It depends, an os can be pretty small, depending on what you want it to do, for example, a simple (eg. Hello World) OS can fit on a floppy drive, with much extra space. It also depends what you code it in, and the way you code it, as far as a GUI, you may want to wait before getting your hopes up.

MicrOS · Post by **MicrOS** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:12 pm

Yeah, I know that, indeed,
But by example, I'd like to program a DOS with a File System, and the capability of running small programs or an interpreter such as Basic.
What do you think is the smallest I can get?

Bobalandi · Post by **Bobalandi** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:14 pm

you could probably fit it in under 1.44mb regular floppy size, dos originally booted from a disk, but it will take a lot of work.

MicrOS · Post by **MicrOS** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:19 pm

LOL
Indeed, I want sthg smaller that 10 kb!!
Do you think it's possible?
My dream would be 4 kbs!

Bobalandi · Post by **Bobalandi** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:24 pm

I'd highly doubt that. At least at this point in time, 4kb seems almost impossible (for a dos clone), but really, if you look at it, 1.44 mb is pretty small, and you could definitely make under that.

MicrOS · Post by **MicrOS** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:27 pm

Well, I dont want a DOS clone. I dont also care about the 1.44, actually I'd install it on a 3 gig hdd computer, so that's not the point.
I just want a tiny tiny tiny thing
LOL

Bobalandi · Post by **Bobalandi** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:31 pm

Either way, 4kb, it's just not possible at this time, if ever, period. You want tiny, the smallest linux distro is 512mb, and it's regarded as tiny, I mean to have a successful and working operating system, would not only take years to make, it would have to be at least 100mb

MicrOS · Post by **MicrOS** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:33 pm

I'm going to do a less than 10 kbs one.
I bet so! =)
I've got very very clear objectives, and won't rest till get it.

Bobalandi · Post by **Bobalandi** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:39 pm

I mean it is possible, but all it will be able to do is have basic io, and maybe if you can fit it a small filesystem, but the required apps to make it useful to you would definately push it over 10kb, and what's the use of having a 3gig hard drive if you are only going to use 10kb?

elderK · Post by **elderK** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:39 pm

Well, Of course it is possible.
Look at our history ...
Look back at the 60s or indeed, even the 70s.
Hell, look at the 80s.

Its all possible.
It just depends on you

Your skill, your vision,

Specifically, your determination.

~Z

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:43 pm

Hi,

Bobalandi wrote:Either way, 4kb, it's just not possible at this time, if ever, period. You want tiny, the smallest linux distro is 512mb, and it's regarded as tiny, I mean to have a successful and working operating system, would not only take years to make, it would have to be at least 100mb

That depends on how you define "successful and working". For an embedded system where "successful and working" typically means it can run one predefined application from ROM then 4 KB is probably more than enough, but for something like a generic desktop OS you'd need at least 3 MB just for the GUI's background picture...

@MicrOS: Why not just do a 3 byte ".die: hlt; jmp .die" and pretend it's an OS? The other 4093 bytes are probably just a waste of time, because nobody will want to run the OS anyway...

Cheers,

Brendan

Bobalandi · Post by **Bobalandi** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:43 pm

But still, he stated, he has 3gigs and this sounds like it's going to be a personal os, so why 4kb?

lukem95 · Post by **lukem95** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:57 pm

i dont think its practical to try and write an os that small, it would have no point to it.

my os: protected mode, vfs, dynamic heap, memory management, semi-working flat elf relocation, timer, keyboard driver, and paging.

this is by no means designed for size, plus it still sucks, and its 34kb in a flat binary format. This isnt including my ramfs that i load as a module... OR my bootloader (Grub)...

MicrOS · Post by **MicrOS** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:06 pm

zeii wrote:Well, Of course it is possible.
Look at our history ...
Look back at the 60s or indeed, even the 70s.
Hell, look at the 80s.

Its all possible.
It just depends on you
Your skill, your vision,

Specifically, your determination.

~Z

That's what I'm doing, and then, after that a GUI interface over it.
I just want to learn!!
The gui has to be smaller that 10 kbs
I'll get it!!
And maybe the OS will only have a FS and Managment.
It'd be quite simple but'll be able to work as a note keeper and so!!
(Even thought some may think of it as useless)
Anyone or anyhing will make me desist
=)