[net.micro.mac] A real Multitasking MacOS

DMB@PSUVMA.BITNET (10/14/86)

   OK Guru's let's have it! What is envolved with a multitasking O/S for the
Mac? No snide remarks to the effect that it can't be done, let's assume it
can but will be slow.
------------------------------------------------
Process Swapping - What needs to be saved
   All registers. General Purpose/Status/etc..
   Code Segments - either in memory or on disk
   Protection registers for each segment
   Priorities, other status information
   Segment map table,other location tables
   .........
   .........

Screen management
-> Many Solutions, one may be
  Menu Bar is for the system only (task info,system services,launches,etc)
  Processes run within subscreens (we know them as windows)
  Each process has it's own "system window" including menubar
  Current Process window is NOT updated on task switch
  Screen Dynamics are handled by user commands (mouse clicks, etc.)

Other Considerations
   All I/O should be Asynchronous - increase device demand by putting
     processes to sleep if waiting for I/O
   Is there memory protection in the hardware for segmented addressing?
   .............


   What else/ what problems/solutions,etc.



                                          dave