9 ms·

Show HN: ExDOS 64-bit version source code release

39 points by omarrx024 11y ago

Hi! I'm just posting to announce the release of the source code of the 64-bit version of my hobby OS, ExDOS. My site is here: http://exdos.co.nf/ and my source code is on GitHub: https://github.com/omarrx024/exdos64 It's licensed under GNU GPL v3 and has many improvements over it's old 32-bit version. This one has a truly functional ACPI driver on real hardware, a window-based GUI, a real disk driver independent of BIOS, and some other things.

nekopa 11y ago
https://github.com/omarrx024/exdos64 https://github.com/omarrx024/exdos64 Maybe someone could change this to a Show HN?
- dang 11y ago
  Sure, we've added that to the title.
brudgers 11y ago
Related: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10045254 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10045254
- omarrx024 11y ago
  That OS is also developed by me, but it was 32-bit and had design issues. So I redesigned it and rewrote it in 64-bit and here it is.
  - brudgers 11y ago
    Thanks, That was my guess. I posted the link to add context and because the progress since is pretty awesome.
  - anta40 11y ago
    any long-term plan to add 32-bit compatibility, probably?
analognoise 11y ago
This is amazing, good work! Can I ask what references you used to figure out how to write certain pieces of this? There is a torrent of information online, but you've probably got a very good (curated) set of links or books that you recommend.
- omarrx024 11y ago
  Well, I've never read a real book about OS development. But I can recommend the OSDev Wiki and Forum, and of course the specifications of everything you need. I've used Intel's Development Manual Volume 3 as reference, as well as ACPI's specification, and some others.
TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
Reminds me of MenuetOS.
- mixmastamyk 11y ago
  Would be cool to have a tiny OS run in the boot manager.
vmorgulis 11y ago
Very cool! It (almost) runs on copy.sh V86 emulator: https://copy.sh/v86/ https://copy.sh/v86/ I see the boot process with dots (like linux) and after I have the following message with a red background (if that can help): ExDOS64 version 0.01 built 26.03.2016 ===================================== Boot error: CPU is not 64-bit capable... The last lines of the Javascript console: [CPU ] mode=real/16 paging=0 vm=0 iopl=0 cpl=0 if=1 cs:eip=0xF000:0x0000FFF0 cs_off=0x000F0000 flgs=0x202 ss:esp=0x0000:0x00000F32 log.js:13:9 [CPU ] far return eip=0x0000CB01 cs=0xF000 stack_adjust=0x0
- striking 11y ago
  Looks like v86 doesn't support 64bit stuff, and ExDOS doesn't support not being 64bit.
- omarrx024 11y ago
  It clearly says "Boot error: CPU is not 64-bit capable..." which means your CPU is not 64-bit. The V86 emulator doesn't support 64-bit mode and so can't run ExDOS.
ams6110 11y ago
According to about page on his website, the author is "a 14-year old computer hobbyist." Quite impressive!
guilloche 11y ago
Very impressive. Maybe it can be used in unikernel with freestanding applications. Some Suggestion: do not focus on GUI at first, since it will not be usable soon as desktop OS anyway. I could imagine that a barebone ExDos to manage multiple unikernel ExDOS virtual machines as web services is quite useful. Any comments?
ludamad 11y ago
Is it able to run user-created programs? And if so, with what tools?
- omarrx024 11y ago
  Not yet, because I am rewriting the multitasking subsystem.
groovy2shoes 11y ago
Looks really cool. One thing, though: > tiny > RAM: 64 MB required, 192 MB recommended. That doesn't seem particularly tiny to me. I have an old Pentium II box with 32 MB of RAM that runs the latest release of OpenBSD with X, and I don't consider OpenBSD particularly tiny, either. At risk of sounding like a crotchety old man, these are sad times to be living in when 64 MB is considered tiny.
- astrodust 11y ago
  Classic DOS barely took up kilobytes of memory. I think that qualifies as "tiny". Megabytes is downright bloated by comparison. Considering this is written in assembly, what is all that memory used for?
  - yincrash 11y ago
    Well, for one thing, it's a graphical OS.
    - groovy2shoes 11y ago
      What does that have to do with anything? Windows 3.1 had a minimum RAM requirement of 1 MB. The base model of the Apple Lisa 2, which featured a graphical OS, had 512 KB of RAM. It's possible to have graphics without requiring so much RAM.
  - tracker1 11y ago
    Well, graphics rendering can take up many MB on its' own...
  - omarrx024 11y ago
    Because I don't have a proper heap yet. And so everything takes up 2 MB pages.
- nekopa 11y ago
  In all fairness, I think tiny in this case refers to the fact that the OS is only 200kb. From the openBSD install guide: OpenBSD can be installed in as little as 512MB, but using that small of a device is something for advanced users.

39 points by omarrx024 11y ago

nekopa 11y ago

https://github.com/omarrx024/exdos64 https://github.com/omarrx024/exdos64 Maybe someone could change this to a Show HN?

dang 11y ago
Sure, we've added that to the title.

brudgers 11y ago

Related: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10045254 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10045254

omarrx024 11y ago
That OS is also developed by me, but it was 32-bit and had design issues. So I redesigned it and rewrote it in 64-bit and here it is.
- brudgers 11y ago
  Thanks, That was my guess. I posted the link to add context and because the progress since is pretty awesome.
- anta40 11y ago
  any long-term plan to add 32-bit compatibility, probably?

analognoise 11y ago

This is amazing, good work! Can I ask what references you used to figure out how to write certain pieces of this? There is a torrent of information online, but you've probably got a very good (curated) set of links or books that you recommend.

omarrx024 11y ago
Well, I've never read a real book about OS development. But I can recommend the OSDev Wiki and Forum, and of course the specifications of everything you need. I've used Intel's Development Manual Volume 3 as reference, as well as ACPI's specification, and some others.

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago

Reminds me of MenuetOS.

mixmastamyk 11y ago
Would be cool to have a tiny OS run in the boot manager.

vmorgulis 11y ago

Very cool! It (almost) runs on copy.sh V86 emulator: https://copy.sh/v86/ https://copy.sh/v86/ I see the boot process with dots (like linux) and after I have the following message with a red background (if that can help): ExDOS64 version 0.01 built 26.03.2016 ===================================== Boot error: CPU is not 64-bit capable... The last lines of the Javascript console: [CPU ] mode=real/16 paging=0 vm=0 iopl=0 cpl=0 if=1 cs:eip=0xF000:0x0000FFF0 cs_off=0x000F0000 flgs=0x202 ss:esp=0x0000:0x00000F32 log.js:13:9 [CPU ] far return eip=0x0000CB01 cs=0xF000 stack_adjust=0x0

striking 11y ago
Looks like v86 doesn't support 64bit stuff, and ExDOS doesn't support not being 64bit.
omarrx024 11y ago
It clearly says "Boot error: CPU is not 64-bit capable..." which means your CPU is not 64-bit. The V86 emulator doesn't support 64-bit mode and so can't run ExDOS.

ams6110 11y ago

According to about page on his website, the author is "a 14-year old computer hobbyist." Quite impressive!

guilloche 11y ago

Very impressive. Maybe it can be used in unikernel with freestanding applications. Some Suggestion: do not focus on GUI at first, since it will not be usable soon as desktop OS anyway. I could imagine that a barebone ExDos to manage multiple unikernel ExDOS virtual machines as web services is quite useful. Any comments?

ludamad 11y ago

Is it able to run user-created programs? And if so, with what tools?

omarrx024 11y ago
Not yet, because I am rewriting the multitasking subsystem.

groovy2shoes 11y ago

Looks really cool. One thing, though: > tiny > RAM: 64 MB required, 192 MB recommended. That doesn't seem particularly tiny to me. I have an old Pentium II box with 32 MB of RAM that runs the latest release of OpenBSD with X, and I don't consider OpenBSD particularly tiny, either. At risk of sounding like a crotchety old man, these are sad times to be living in when 64 MB is considered tiny.

astrodust 11y ago
Classic DOS barely took up kilobytes of memory. I think that qualifies as "tiny". Megabytes is downright bloated by comparison. Considering this is written in assembly, what is all that memory used for?
- yincrash 11y ago
  Well, for one thing, it's a graphical OS.
  - groovy2shoes 11y ago
    What does that have to do with anything? Windows 3.1 had a minimum RAM requirement of 1 MB. The base model of the Apple Lisa 2, which featured a graphical OS, had 512 KB of RAM. It's possible to have graphics without requiring so much RAM.
- tracker1 11y ago
  Well, graphics rendering can take up many MB on its' own...
- omarrx024 11y ago
  Because I don't have a proper heap yet. And so everything takes up 2 MB pages.
nekopa 11y ago
In all fairness, I think tiny in this case refers to the fact that the OS is only 200kb. From the openBSD install guide: OpenBSD can be installed in as little as 512MB, but using that small of a device is something for advanced users.