asd@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Kareth) (03/23/89)
Ok got's some questions here.
- Can whoever said they had a Mirror Technologies drive for their Apple
please send me your satisfaction, how much it cost, where'd ya get, and
anything that might be of importance.
- Is there a program out there that can create 3200 color pics (IIgs)? It's
nice having a program that can display these pictures but I'd like to be
able to create some. Also related, is there a program that can display the
GIF pics that have more than 16 colors (like convert it into a 3200 type and
display it)? Since 3200/256 can be displayed, I'd think it would be
possible to view these pics in their normal number of colors on a IIgs.
- Is there anything that could prevent one from creating Unix for a
Apple II (not gs)? or Apple IIgs? I'm not concerned with lack of
compilers, speed of cpu, etc, I am mainly concerned with IF it is possible,
and/or IF it is possible but would require much too effort. Right now,
I figure the IIgs would be easiest to do this on. With the MemoryManager
and stuff built in ROM, you wouldn't have to mess around with creating
your own routines for managing memory (like on any non-gs II).
So is it
possible?
possible with extreme effort (not worth it)?
not possible at on a non-gs II? on a gs? or at all?
I am CONSIDERING developing Unix for the Apple. I think it would be
possible. Correct me if I'm wrong (as I know you will).
Specifically,
A2/UX:
runs under GS/OS for full support of various file systems, gs tools, etc.
compatible with ProDos & GS/OS programs (that might be a major pain with
the way some programs can hog memory and disable interupts)
compatible with Unix programs
supports multi-tasking (it's not gonna run a bunch of multiple compiles
in the background, sure, but it should be able to do some multitasking)
Better support for multitasking could come when/if Mensch comes out with
his computer-on-a-chip multi-wiz-bang-slam-into-hyperdrive chips.
(covered back in an Open-Apple sometime ago)
runs Korn shell (for the unelightened, this is a Bourne shell with ither
VI or Emacs history/line editing. it's a nice shell) or maybe tcsh
(csh with Emacs history/line editing) but I probably would go for Korn
if this project comes to fruition.
The above leaves out every non-gs person (not a good thing) but right now I
think that only the gs has the tools to cope with it. At least that's what
I'm thinking.
So folks, call me stupid/insane/hopelessly deranged/or a mindless idiot for
thinking about actually considering to undertake upon this project. Is there
any technical reasons why such a project can not be undertaken and maybe even
succeed? Comment away.
Kareth.
--
asd@mace.cc.purdue.edu
xasd@vm.cc.purdue.edu / XASD@PURCCVM.BITNET (?)
Be excellent to one another! -Bill & Ted.gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn ) (03/23/89)
In article <1946@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> asd@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Kareth) writes: >- Is there anything that could prevent one from creating Unix for a > Apple II (not gs)? or Apple IIgs? I'm not concerned with lack of > compilers, speed of cpu, etc, I am mainly concerned with IF it is possible, > and/or IF it is possible but would require much too effort. Right now, > I figure the IIgs would be easiest to do this on. With the MemoryManager > and stuff built in ROM, you wouldn't have to mess around with creating > your own routines for managing memory (like on any non-gs II). This is a project I consider doing from time to time. The 8-bit Apple II is simply too small to support anything like a modern UNIX implementation. The IIGS has enough memory capacity, but isn't particularly well suited for several reasons, including: (a) most peripherals are not controlled by interrupts (b) lack of MMU means that user-mode processes can easily corrupt or crash the system There is also the problem of affording the UNIX license. It is infeasible to personally reconstruct all the UNIX software from scratch, and only a fairly rich individual could afford to license the sources. (Actually, APG could sublicense them at $2000 apiece, barely within range of affordability, to government contractors, but I don't think there is any official interest in Apple IIGSes.) I think the best that can be hoped for, if Apple doesn't take on the task themselves (fat chance!), is to port MINIX or perhaps XINU to the IIGS, and even then some compromises will have to be made. Probably the ProDOS file system (or hopefully HFS by then) would continue to be used instead of a true UNIX filesystem, alas. That rather crimps the style of several UNIX system utilities, and on it goes. The result would be something notably better than the god-awful BASIC and FINDER environments, but not a sufficiently deep exploitation of the best UNIX principles to keep many of us happy.
lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden) (03/24/89)
I thought that in Minix, the file system was maintained by a separate process. If this is the case, then, like FSTs, one could have a prodos filesystem and a unix file system. -- Larry W. Virden 674 Falls Place, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 (614) 864-8817 75046,606 (CIS) ; LVirden (ALPE) ; osu-cis!n8emr!lwv (UUCP) osu-cis!n8emr!lwv@TUT.CIS.OHIO-STATE.EDU (INTERNET) The world's not inherited from our parents, but borrowed from our children.
Geva_Apple-Maniac_Patz@cup.portal.com (03/26/89)
Frankly, though I would love to see UNIX on my //c, I'd sooner eat my own nose than try to port UNIX across to it! On the other hand, have you considered porting MINIX? Yes, it's not EXACTLY UN*X, but you avoid licensing troubles (and FEES!!!) and it WAS written with smaller machines in mind. %%%% Geva %%%%