Anyone thinking of restarting their OS? Starting afresh?

JamesM · Post by **JamesM** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:19 am

I've been thinking about it. This would make the third restart and I'm determined to make it better than ever!

If anyone else is thinking about restarting their OS project (sorry, I'm really not interested in first-time coders) and fancied working together on a project, please post here or PM me and let me know!

I'm not interested in throwing my ideas upon you, in fact I have no plan whatsoever as to the design of my restart so if someone wanted to join forces we would come up with a plan together, taking both our viewpoints into account.

Just an idea. Anyone interested?

JamesM

AJ · Post by AJ » Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:30 am

I know this is not exactly what you are looking for but how about this for an idea?

I have partially created CBoot - it's a second stage boot loader which, at the moment, takes over from GRUB and launches a 32 bit or 64 bit kernel, passing over an information structure (in much the same way as GRUB). I'll upload the latest version to my web site later today (the one on there at the moment is months out of date. CBoot uses v86 mode to switch video modes and accepts a large variety of command line parameters controlling output video mode and debug options - there is even a command line console which pops up if there is a kernel load error.

CBoot can also directly load 32 and 64 bit elf kernels directly to higher memory before it launches them (my Kernel is linked at 0xFFFFF00000000000 in 48 bit virtual address space).

I would be very interested in re-starting CBoot to make it more 'customisable', and I would love to lose the condition that it must currently be loaded by a multiboot compliant loader (i.e. make it self standing). I would like the output status to be much better designed and to have better documentation, so that it is actually a real contender to be a GRUB replacement for modern kernels.

If you would be interested in starting off by doing something like that before you actually tackle your kernel, I'll PM you the current binary and CBoot reference document so that you can see it in action.

I should warn you that I am completely self-taught and am not an IT professional, so the coding style would pretty much be in your hands if you wanted

Cheers,
Adam

AJ · Post by AJ » Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:47 am

OK - CBoot latest version is now downloadable from my site (link below - see 'Downloads' on the side bar) and the CBoot reference document is also downloadable from the same location (as a linked .rtf).

For CBoot, you can either download the binary file and then manually edit your GRUB menu.cfg or download the full disk image with sample kernel(suggested). At present, I have commented the kernel out of menu.cfg so that CBoot throws an error and brings up it's (limited) debug console. You can re-enable the kernel loading by un-commenting this line from the menu.cfg file.

If you enable the kernel in this way, changing -cli:error to -cli:postload in menu.cfg will bring up the debug console anyway. You will then notice the additional command 'exit', which leaves the CLI and continues attempting to boot the kernel. Of course, changig back to -cli:error means that CBoot will just go straight on to loading the kernel silently.

Cheers,
Adam

JamesM · Post by **JamesM** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:13 am

Hi Adam,

Yes, you're right, that's not quite what I was after. I'm really more interested in the 'higher up bits', or the higher level stuff than bootloading, and making them more efficient (i.e. tasking etc). Sorry, but I don't think a bootloader is something I want to go into just at this moment

As a sidenote, I'm looking to work in C/C++ with a preexisting bootloader (e.g. GRUB).

AJ · Post by AJ » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:28 am

No problems!

JamesM wrote: As a sidenote, I'm looking to work in C/C++ with a preexisting bootloader (e.g. GRUB).

How about using CBoot?

Cheers,
Adam

JamesM · Post by **JamesM** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:51 am

Possibly!

ucosty · Post by **ucosty** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:56 am

JamesM wrote:I've been thinking about it. This would make the third restart and I'm determined to make it better than ever!

Out of curiosity are you restarting your work becuase aren't interersted in your original goals, you have hit a roadblock in development caused by your design or because you have learned something (or lots of things) that make your original design seem broken/unworkable?

JamesM · Post by **JamesM** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:01 am

The other option, which is because I feel that since starting my current development I've learned a lot more about design and testing, and I feel that I can do a better job in a shorter time.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:24 am

I used to have a serious issue with restarting. If a single Source file seemed badly written, my folder structure didn't suit me anymore or i thought i could rewrite anything more efficiently i'd go back to the drawing board. My last project actually had me swallow my pride and just keep on trucking, though, the design was of course, perfect.

Unfortunately the need never completely disapears and i would like to start again. Especially considering both the other developers have disapeared, one to the Army, and the other to America, and i am never one to write code that only takes one person. Could be fun to discuss ideas with someone who didn't learn OSdev from me at the begining of the project.

I hope you have some idea of direction though

, feel free to message me about it.

packet50071 · Post by **packet50071** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:02 am

I am not a new coder but a new os dever

I am restarting my OS cause I am gona take a different take at it

i want my cpu to control real hardwares ( like a robot ) - it takes in no input for starting - no keyboard no mouse - no monitor. but if the cpu is connected to one of those thing it will take advantage of those thing in any way possible (that is using it in a way that its not commonly used.)

So if u want to join me pm me

JamesM · Post by **JamesM** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:37 pm

Sorry, but I'm looking for developers with OS experience as well.

I'm currently starting a project codenamed "pedigree" (the first beer we could agree was awesome), with Tyler.

If anyone else has experience and would like a hand in both the design and implementation stages, please do reply.

JamesM · Post by **JamesM** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:06 am

The OS is now being done by Myself, Tyler, and bluecode.

crazygray1 · Post by **crazygray1** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:22 pm

I just restarted in asm. I realized how badly I sucked at C when none of my code would compile. I'll just stick with what I'm good at.

inflater · Post by **inflater** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:47 am

I haven't developed PortixOS now. Just had my notes on the school report closed for this half-year (one B and all other As, note that F doesn't exist here), and the second half-year is not very much important. Plus, first state exams will come in 6. February. I just hope I the "selection interview for the secondary school" will come without additional exams

...

On the topic: My fiddling with C can't be just called "OS development"

As long I've kept the asm sources, I'm slowly starting afresh too... with my own kernel.

piranha · Post by **piranha** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:25 pm

I just did that, started with basic MM and interrupts (and other basics), now I'm getting HD access and implementing SFS.

-JL

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Anyone thinking of restarting their OS? Starting afresh?

Anyone thinking of restarting their OS? Starting afresh?

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