Is OSDev a disappointing/discouraging hobby?

[Kevin]

Look, I haven't even started coding at all. [...] If I can have advice on how this can be overcome, that would be great?

That's easy: Stop talking, start coding.

And by that I don't mean coding an OS, but programs appropriate for whatever level you are on and that you feel like doing. I used to start writing a lot of games (and almost never finished any, but finishing isn't required for learning something new), things I could actually make use of like a vocabulary trainer or a DOS shell (because command.com really sucked), some web development for the homepage I had back then (including a complete forum), etc. There are so many options for things to hack on, and most of these are projects that you can extend almost endlessly.

Just pick one and finally get started.

[AMenard]

Wow, cool.

I am afraid that I am too "newbie" for OSDev. Sure, it sounds like a cool hobby to try to get into, but, like someone else posted, I tend to gain lots of theory on topics but fail to put into practice. Look, I haven't even started coding at all. I'm afraid I won't have the mental resources to figure out how to code a complex program or bugs, let alone an OS design.

If I can have advice on how this can be overcome, that would be great?

Oh don't worry, you'll be able to code bugs independently of your mental ressources

[mac]

Wow, cool.

I am afraid that I am too "newbie" for OSDev. Sure, it sounds like a cool hobby to try to get into, but, like someone else posted, I tend to gain lots of theory on topics but fail to put into practice. Look, I haven't even started coding at all. I'm afraid I won't have the mental resources to figure out how to code a complex program or bugs, let alone an OS design.

If I can have advice on how this can be overcome, that would be great?

Oh don't worry, you'll be able to code bugs independently of your mental ressources

Were you being sarcastic?

[AMenard]

He said:

I'm afraid I won't have the mental resources to figure out how to code a complex program or bugs, let alone an OS design.

I replied in jest (the smilley should give you a hint):

Oh don't worry, you'll be able to code bugs independently of your mental ressources

Everybody who code write bugs. If you're a coder there are three things in life you can count on: Death, Taxes & Bugs in your code.

[mac]

Still sucks that I am only stuck with an AMD x64 computer.

Well I guess there is a way around that *heads to Google to find answer*

[Kevin]

Why does that suck? That's the architecture that more or less everybody else is using in their PC, too.

[onlyonemac]

Why does that suck? That's the architecture that more or less everybody else is using in their PC, too.

Doesn't make it a nice architechture to work with, or an easy architechture to start out on. I infer that he is wanting a certain affordable ARM device, and I don't blame him.

[mac]

Shouldn't the recommendation for beginners be x86 though?

[Rusky]

There are certainly a lot of tutorials for all the old x86 PC stuff- BIOS, PIC, PIT, PS/2 input, etc. But x64 CPUs will still run all that stuff just fine, so if you want to start with that it's not really a problem.

[Nutterts]

Some parts when dealing with ARM devices are easier but my experiance is that documentation for a specific SoC can be lacking or simply non-existant.

[onlyonemac]

Still sucks that I am only stuck with an AMD x64 computer.

Well I guess there is a way around that *heads to Google to find answer*

Shouldn't the recommendation for beginners be x86 though?

Why the contradiction? You do know that x64 CPUs will behave identically to x86 CPUs unless told to do otherwise?

[Brendan]

Hi,

Still sucks that I am only stuck with an AMD x64 computer.

Well I guess there is a way around that *heads to Google to find answer*

If you only have one AMD x64 computer; just use multiple different emulators to emulate multiple different (AMD and Intel) x64 computers. That way you don't have to worry as much about those "only works on one computer" bugs.


Cheers,

Brendan

[onlyonemac]

If you only have one AMD x64 computer; just use multiple different emulators to emulate multiple different (AMD and Intel) x64 computers. That way you don't have to worry as much about those "only works on one computer" bugs.

Instead you get "only works on emulators" bugs, which for me have been more of a problem in the past.

[Kevin]

Shouldn't the recommendation for beginners be x86 though?

But your processor is an x86 CPU.

The term "x86" basically includes everything from 8086 (which more or less corresponds with Real Mode) to i386 (adds Protected Mode) and x86_64 (also called amd64 or x64; adds Long Mode). The newer x86 CPUs are compatible with older ones. If you want, you can still run your x64_64 CPU in Real Mode or Protected Mode and then it behaves like the older CPUs.

[mac]

Then, thanks for clarifying that. I thought all along that they were backwards-compatible.