PortixOS: Version 0.4 debug pre-release 2

inflater · Post by **inflater** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:04 am

Hi all,
i have added something new to PortixOS and fixed few errors.

New things:
- PXLDR has now a simple boot menu
- Added system settings:

80x50 text mode, some new fonts for 80x25 text mode, CMOS - remove password, PortixOS now supports keyboards like "Microsoft Natural" or compatibles, and something more

Fixed things:
- Enabled the DIR command (it is buggy, but works

)
- Fixed my dirty English spelling

The download link is still the same, it is a overwritten ZIP with new version:

http://portixos.ic.cz/portixos_debug_EN.zip

Please write here your comments, because my English (and therefore German) language is not good

and I'd like to correct the grammar errors.

Thanks for comments!
inflater

inflater · Post by **inflater** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:02 am

Future releases of PortixOS 0.4:

-Keyboard driver with Slovak character set
-Better "DIR" command
-A simple terminal (supporting COM1 or COM2)
-Some FAT12 support

PortixOS 0.5, 0.6 and so on:

-Full FAT16 support
-SVGA graphics mode
-PS/2 mouse driver
-USB support (dunno where to find manuals for real mode)
-Still real mode

inflater

Dex · Post by **Dex** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:39 am

You can get usb for dos pascal code here: http://freenet-homepage.de/dieterp/

Combuster · Post by **Combuster** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:32 pm

Time for a test report.

I can be brief about this: runs like a charm.

One technical thing: when typing dir, it displays 8 characters of garbage before showing PXLDR BIN

Also, you might want to consider putting up an epilepsy warning for that screen test of yours

inflater · Post by **inflater** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:11 am

Thanks for comments !

Yeah I know that that DIR command is a little buggy and displays a garbage *without* PXLDR.BIN... Also, try to create a file with more than 11 characters (including file extension) and you will get a bigger garbage than this. I dunno why that first problem exists in the OS... I didn't change the code for displaying directory contents, it worked perfectly until some build of PXLDR was released and bang!...

I can be brief about this: runs like a charm

Wow, thx

This is the magic of real mode

- no GPFs, no triple faults, no page faults etc.

EPILEPSY WARNING: After selecting real mode, please close your eyes for at least 10 seconds for potential danger of epilepsy.

inflater

inflater · Post by **inflater** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:23 am

PortixOS 0.4 buglist:

-DIR command is very buggy
-System is not optimized to run on with MDA,HGA or CGA adaptor
-System will behave strange if you try to press ENTER when writing a space character in command line, like this:

PortixOS > _

-Don't try to run the system on 80286 or worser because the code uses too much functions that are not present in these processors. Are you somebody using these prehistorical PC's ?
-Any key combinations, like SHIFT+ALT or CTRL+A can be incorrectly recognized (except CTRL+ALT+DELETE, this works perfectly

)

That's all bugs I've found

inflater

inflater · Post by **inflater** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:18 am

It seems that the Slovak version of PortixOS on the web at http://portixos.xf.cz has a standard DOS 6.22 "Non-system disk" boot sector in Slovak language (should be BootProg). ...

Fixed now.

Shame on me, I fool... But everybody are making mistakes

- this was a big one.

But after all - there is no need to worry about this, i have cancelled the FAT development.

//EDIT: Removed the old topic named "PortixOS: Debug version 0.4", as it was the older version of PortixOS.
//EDIT 2: Home page has a link to a Wikipedia site, be sure to check it out

inflater

mystran · Post by **mystran** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:48 am

Download PortixOS: DEBUG version 0.4- English version

Current version: 0.4 - debug release

Is this the current version on the site, or is there a newer one to test?

mystran · Post by **mystran** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:56 am

My PC is magical. I can hear if it's calculating something... (when I bought it I was initially worried about it, but it's been working just fine for about 2 years now, it just makes a small sound when something's happening).

Your OS keeps my PC busy even when it's just waiting for keyboard input. If you've got interrupts working, and you've got some idle-loop somewhere, consider dropping "HLT" instruction in the middle of it. Doesn't matter much on desktops, but can save battery on a laptop.

Where'd you get the 2300 font from? I remember using similar font in Linux back in the 90s when I didn't feel confortable with X yet..

inflater · Post by **inflater** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:40 am

Is this the current version on the site, or is there a newer one to test?

It is the version with partial FAT support, a bit dated version. (The same as up above in my first post, from 27.12.2006). The newer version (RSFS file system etc.) I expect to release somewhere in August or September

Your OS keeps my PC busy even when it's just waiting for keyboard input.

It may, but the whole procedure for reading keyboard input is done by BIOS though. I plan to rewrite this, but this would take long time...

Doesn't matter much on desktops, but can save battery on a laptop.

Maybe...

- what laptop do you have?

Where'd you get the 2300 font from? I remember using similar font in Linux back in the 90s when I didn't feel confortable with X yet

I found them on internet, the ZIP file with some programs in it is called "BSLOFON0.ZIP", try searching on internet. You may find it on some slovak site, but If you have problems with it, just whistle.

//EDIT: The whole fonts in PortixOS are using Kamenicky code page, alias KEYBCS2 or CP859. Make sure if it is compatible with your code page, if your CP is using special characters before using CP859.

But you can find a PC-Latin 2 (CP852) in that archive too, for example, fonts "latin2.fnt", "latinc.fnt" etc.

inflater

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:51 am

mystran wrote:... it just makes a small sound when something's happening)...

Unfortunately this is the price we pay for smalelr transistors, more heat and therefore louder faster fans. I might invest in a nice water cooling system like i used to ue when i attempted (poorly) overclocking. My computer + DVD-ROM is often louder than the movies i am trying to play... and thanks to the fact that these twats have illegally taken my right to stick the data i have payed money on my computer to at least rid myself of the DVD noise, i have to settle for drowing it out with excessive loud movies lol

Candy · Post by **Candy** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:58 am

mystran wrote:My PC is magical. I can hear if it's calculating something... (when I bought it I was initially worried about it, but it's been working just fine for about 2 years now, it just makes a small sound when something's happening).

Any sufficiently advanced technology will be indistinguishable from magic - Arthur C Clarke.

mystran · Post by **mystran** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:00 am

Tyler wrote: Unfortunately this is the price we pay for smalelr transistors, more heat and therefore louder faster fans.

I'm not talking about fan-noise. It's about constant, or at least varies much slower. I'm talking about the noise that the capacitors on my MOBO make when processor is drawing power... or some such..

edit: it's much more quiet than the fan-noise, but I've got classically trained ears (from playing violin) plus I play around with audio signal processing and stuff, so something doesn't need to be loud for me to hear it.

inflater · Post by **inflater** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:00 am

I see the forum is still empty...

inflater

distantvoices · Post by **distantvoices** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 10:07 am

@mystran: Well --- for me it's the exact opposite: being hearing impaired, I couldna care less about any noises. An oliphant could fart behind me, I wouldna perceive it -- except of my nose shutting down all sniffing activity due to shock.

Have a nice hoppy easter hollyday.