OSDev.org

http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18746 wrote:

Dex wrote:We had a 512byte compo on the fasm forum many moons a go .... maybe we could have another one here ?

Troy Martin wrote:We should lay down some rules though ....

The Second 512-byte OS Contest
(The first was at http://board.flatassembler.net/topic.php?t=2164)
We're having some serious poll issues, the poll options are doubling and disappearing O.o
Rules:

• Entries must be in by Jan. 6th, 2009 at midnight PST (GMT-8)
• Winner is decided by public vote on Jan. 6-9th, polls closed 10th and winner is decided
• Must be your own code
• MUST fit in 512 bytes (including 0x55 0xAA)
• You don't need to keep the previous filesystem and BPB intact
• Must have some kind of interface

Code your OS, .zip it up, PM it to me, and I'll post it here. Any questions on the rules or anything, post here!

Entries:

• Troy - |)emOS, a tiny little one-letter command shell: http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 24#p145124
• inflater - TinyD0S, a minature DOS-EXE launcher: http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 60#p144953
• zeroflag - A limited BASIC-like interpretive language: http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 72#p144972
• E (01000101) - Fallout 3 terminal interface clone: http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 38#p145238
• Zenith - Snake game: http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 34#p145234
• Dex - CD player with alarm clock: http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 78#p144776
• jbu - A little OS with sector handling of some kind: http://buje.free.fr/512b/k05.zip
• cippo: BrainF**k interpreter: http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 75#p145349
• Jacobbus -"Jacqeline" (looks like a monitor of some kind): http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 29#p144829

Jan 3rd?! that's really soon.

also, it needs to be a OS that fits in a bootsector correct? so does that also mean no GRUB?

[edit]criteria for winning?[/edit]

No GRUB allowed. Must fit in the boot sector.

Basic criteria:

• Fits in 512 bytes
• Has boot signature (dw 0xAA55)
• More functionality, the better
• Please note that the entries will be judged by the public

E, I'm expecting long mode in a boot sector from you

lol yeah, I'm probably going to do 64-bit, but then again, with limited space, I may not be able to produce a feature-rich bootstrap in long mode lol.

Bet you can fit at least a pmode keyboard driver in a sector.

lol yeah,
so I'm assuming I'll be seeing 186-compatible code and BIOS trickery? =)

That much too short a time, you need to give at least a month or two.

Hell yeah!

Dex: A month? for writing 512 bytes of code? My entry's almost done, just got to think of something to fill up 50 bytes with...

a month max... this is a contest and should put the pressure on people.
I've spent about 20 minutes on mine and I've already filled ~100bytes, so I doubt it would take anyone such a lengthy period of time.

I agree that 4 days is a bit... short lol.

I vote 1 week, even though I wont be entering

-JL

The trick is
1. Thinking what you want to code.
2. Than coding it, it should fill say 1.5-2k.
3. Than you optimize, it to fit into a boot sector eg: 512bytes.

If you can code it in a short time, than it will not WIN, you need to show what you can do, if you can just code it in 3 days, its will not show anyone anything other than you know ASM.
For example, try fiting a working tetris game in 512bytes, which is not easy, but it only came 5th in the last compo and that was by the coder of FASM.
Plus the more that enter it, the better, the word will take more than a week to get round.

excellent point on getting the word around.

I vote 1-2 weeks.

By popular vote the due date is a week from today. Midnight PST, January 6th, 2009.

thanks for getting the word around troy, i will work on mine tonight

Nifty, that makes it three people so far!