4 ms·

Roll your own toy UNIX-clone OS

130 points by yawniek 18y ago

nice tutorial on how a simple x86 OS works

jcromartie 18y ago
I would be more interested in building a small practical operating system based on Linux, but with new user interface components (i.e. building your own configuration, terminal, and GUI portions). I want a new Apple II.
gaius 18y ago
This is great!
kaens 18y ago
Well, I know what I'm doing in my free learning time now. Thanks for sharing, this looks awesome!
- indiejade 18y ago
  Very nice tutorial(s). He links to Google, saying "There are plenty of resources out there if you know where to look." But here is something that takes the concept a bit further, already having done a bunch of "weeding" : http://www.zentu.net/oss/?q=forum/10 http://www.zentu.net/oss/?q=forum/10. BTW. If you or anyone else happens across some tools/etc. that aren't listed in that directory, please submit them! I think all the ones JamesM's tutorial mentions are in there somewhere, plus are there quite a few more. Haven't been focusing so much on this aspect of my project, esp. not promoting it, but I think it's still useful -- namely for researching options that a perfunctory Google search that might not capture efficiently. Anyone is more than free to add a link relevant tutorials, wikis or forums at the directory.
  - yawniek 18y ago
    heres another list with some links i found via google http://www.rohitab.com/discuss/index.php?act=Print&client=printer&f=41&t=31873 http://www.rohitab.com/discuss/index.php?act=Print&clien... movitz looks interesting too.
davidw 18y ago
Looks cool, but how is it different from Minix? Minix is a pretty nice system for learning, and very clean.
- raffi 18y ago
  This is smaller. Its probably more comparable to Nachos. Minix is a full featured UNIX with many features TCP/IP, Posix support, etc. That said, I'd rather learn (or possibly teach) from this code over Nachos.
  - likpok 18y ago
    Minix is also a microkernel, which is a whole different can of worms.
- deleted 18y ago
  [deleted]
notaddicted 18y ago
He mentions in "The Screen" You could also have a scout at the linux0.1 code - that has an implementation of vsprintf which is quite neat and tidy. You could copy that function then use it to implement printf() here are the goods: http://oldlinux.org/lxr/http/source/kernel/vsprintf.c?v=0.11#L92 http://oldlinux.org/lxr/http/source/kernel/vsprintf.c?v=0.11...
malkia 18y ago
There is also movitz - a Common Lisp running on the metal - http://common-lisp.net/project/movitz/ http://common-lisp.net/project/movitz/
- DaniFong 18y ago
  That's pretty cool. Do you know if anyone's tried using that for embedded systems? It's been in the wild for a while. I know that Rodney Brooks developed L, a common lisp for embedded systems, but that was a more than a decade ago (http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/712056.html http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/712056.html)
  - meredydd 18y ago
    There's a project called Hedgehog Lisp that's been used "in the wild" for embedded sensor systems. It's bytecoded, but the interpreter gets down to 20kb. It's not CL; it's got its own set of special forms and predefined functions, but it's a real Lisp: http://hedgehog.oliotalo.fi/ http://hedgehog.oliotalo.fi/
zaius 18y ago
I've got no problem with the C code, but the assembly is a little beyond me. Anyone know of a good x86 asm primer?
- maximilian 18y ago
  I would try just looking at the x86 manual by Intel. Just looking up the different operations might be all you need.
- newt0311 18y ago
  Art of assembly. A google search should bring it up.
abless 18y ago
Sigh, reminds me of the good old times... http://www.osdever.net/ http://www.osdever.net/ for more information

130 points by yawniek 18y ago

nice tutorial on how a simple x86 OS works

I would be more interested in building a small practical operating system based on Linux, but with new user interface components (i.e. building your own configuration, terminal, and GUI portions). I want a new Apple II.

gaius 18y ago

This is great!

kaens 18y ago

Well, I know what I'm doing in my free learning time now. Thanks for sharing, this looks awesome!

indiejade 18y ago
Very nice tutorial(s). He links to Google, saying "There are plenty of resources out there if you know where to look." But here is something that takes the concept a bit further, already having done a bunch of "weeding" : http://www.zentu.net/oss/?q=forum/10 http://www.zentu.net/oss/?q=forum/10. BTW. If you or anyone else happens across some tools/etc. that aren't listed in that directory, please submit them! I think all the ones JamesM's tutorial mentions are in there somewhere, plus are there quite a few more. Haven't been focusing so much on this aspect of my project, esp. not promoting it, but I think it's still useful -- namely for researching options that a perfunctory Google search that might not capture efficiently. Anyone is more than free to add a link relevant tutorials, wikis or forums at the directory.
- yawniek 18y ago
  heres another list with some links i found via google http://www.rohitab.com/discuss/index.php?act=Print&client=printer&f=41&t=31873 http://www.rohitab.com/discuss/index.php?act=Print&clien... movitz looks interesting too.

davidw 18y ago

Looks cool, but how is it different from Minix? Minix is a pretty nice system for learning, and very clean.

raffi 18y ago
This is smaller. Its probably more comparable to Nachos. Minix is a full featured UNIX with many features TCP/IP, Posix support, etc. That said, I'd rather learn (or possibly teach) from this code over Nachos.
- likpok 18y ago
  Minix is also a microkernel, which is a whole different can of worms.
deleted 18y ago
[deleted]

notaddicted 18y ago

He mentions in "The Screen" You could also have a scout at the linux0.1 code - that has an implementation of vsprintf which is quite neat and tidy. You could copy that function then use it to implement printf() here are the goods: http://oldlinux.org/lxr/http/source/kernel/vsprintf.c?v=0.11#L92 http://oldlinux.org/lxr/http/source/kernel/vsprintf.c?v=0.11...

malkia 18y ago

There is also movitz - a Common Lisp running on the metal - http://common-lisp.net/project/movitz/ http://common-lisp.net/project/movitz/

DaniFong 18y ago
That's pretty cool. Do you know if anyone's tried using that for embedded systems? It's been in the wild for a while. I know that Rodney Brooks developed L, a common lisp for embedded systems, but that was a more than a decade ago (http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/712056.html http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/712056.html)
- meredydd 18y ago
  There's a project called Hedgehog Lisp that's been used "in the wild" for embedded sensor systems. It's bytecoded, but the interpreter gets down to 20kb. It's not CL; it's got its own set of special forms and predefined functions, but it's a real Lisp: http://hedgehog.oliotalo.fi/ http://hedgehog.oliotalo.fi/

zaius 18y ago

I've got no problem with the C code, but the assembly is a little beyond me. Anyone know of a good x86 asm primer?

maximilian 18y ago
I would try just looking at the x86 manual by Intel. Just looking up the different operations might be all you need.
newt0311 18y ago
Art of assembly. A google search should bring it up.

abless 18y ago

Sigh, reminds me of the good old times... http://www.osdever.net/ http://www.osdever.net/ for more information