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Most OS developers here create an OS for the PC (ia32/64). Has anyone ever created an OS for a different platform? For example, Atari Falcon/Lynx, Amiga 68040, various PPC computers, GP32/2X, Dreamcast, something else?

Personally I'd like to develop, besides PC (it's a nice platform to start with, I agree), on some different platform, something powerful enough (200+ MHz, 64Mb+ RAM, etc.) to actually have some nice programs running, fully documented (including the hardware), and not to expensive (say 250 EUR max). But up till now I haven't really been successful in finding such a machine. Anyone have any pointers or tips?


JAL

May be u can make up your own virtual machine ... with ur own specs ...
That way the cost (in money) is around 0 EURO .... ...

You could look for an second hand macintosh (powerpc) and dev for that, or search the forum for the various ARM threads.

I have written a hello-world kernel for the megadrive/genesis once, but it doesn't even get close to the 200mhz. Nonetheless interesting if you like distributed programming (with the extensions, it has 5 CPU cores, a GPU, and all the proprietary docs have been leaked ). I also have a HPPA machine (for free) but so far it has only given me headaches and no useful results. You can also do homebrew on semi-recent consoles. The dreamcast and gamecube (or wii in gamecube mode) spring to mind. The gamecube however has CD protection so you need to get around that as well (phantasy star online, devkit, modchip, etc). Documentation for these machines is less complete, but there's working code (I have some homebrew 3d demo's for the GC, including source)

Obviously I haven't got time enough to produce a working kernel for each imaginable architecture .

I have ported my OS to the gp2x (which is ARM based), it is booted from a sd card at start up, it users a mod bootloader so if you press the start button on booting, it loads the image off the sd card (eg: DexOS). But if a image is not found or you do not press the start button, it loads linux as normal.
So the gp2x should fit your requirement's.

SandeepMathew wrote:May be u can make up your own virtual machine ... with ur own specs ...
That way the cost (in money) is around 0 EURO .... :D :D ...

Hah, but I already did that :). Made my own emulator of a non-existing 16 bit 80s home computer. Made up the CPU, the hardware, everything. Never finished coding the BIOS though, I'm not much of an assembly hacker.


JAL

Dex wrote:So the gp2x should fit your requirement's.

Yeah, I considered the gp2x. The only thing that held me back is that is hasn't got any decent communication on board. No on-board WiFi or network card, and no powered USB for external WiFi or network cards. Or are there workarounds for that nowadays?


JAL

The DS is an option. There is an entire homebrew library, and I found it easy to get a dev environment started.

Alboin wrote:The DS is an option. There is an entire homebrew library, and I found it easy to get a dev environment started.

Yeah, also thought of that, but is it possible to flash the thing and kick everything existing out?

I would have loved taking on the V.Flash, but there's little to none information about it. Although it also lacks any communication hardware or interface ports or whatever.


JAL

You should take a look at this: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/produc ... ts_id=8511
Its ARM based, but it has a number of cogs, to add things like ethernet, usb, Camera, wifi, bluetooth, gps etc.

Dex wrote:You should take a look at this: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/produc ... ts_id=8511
Its ARM based, but it has a number of cogs, to add things like ethernet, usb, Camera, wifi, bluetooth, gps etc.

Mmmm, looks promissing, I'll take a more indepth look. Thanks.


JAL

given your alias, I would try MIPS. It has an instruction called "jal" (jump and link"

JamesM wrote:given your alias, I would try MIPS. It has an instruction called "jal" (jump and link" ;)

<g> If there's a nice MIPS box somewhere around, I'll give it a try :)


JAL