Author Topic: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS  (Read 11553 times)

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Offline ACagliano

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A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« on: April 12, 2010, 07:49:05 pm »
I am planning on using Axe to try to write a small OS program for the calc. Try is the key word. Any suggestions, ideas, comments? Anyone willing to help?


And, anyone know where the code for the calc game XSnake4 can be found. I plan on using it in my game design tutorial. I will contact the designer for permission if necessary.

Offline willrandship

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2010, 08:39:14 pm »
Go for it!

I'm afraid I won't be much help for development as I don't have a calc of that kind available. By the way, don't cut yourself down! if you want to make an OS, determine the features you want, get some more, and plan what it will look like first. After you have a plan for what it will look like, then you start coding, and you'll have something worth coding for.

*Will steps off of his soapbox

So, for my suggestions.

For any decent OS, it must have the following capabilities to be of much use:

Program Launching
ASM Support
A nice GUI
A method of organization (it doesn't really matter what)

Some other, probably harder features

Built in Program editor
Notepad
separate files/tabs for programs
Picture support
Text files
Changing program names
Locking memory (Not sure if this is possible on 84+, but it came in really handy on the 86)
data editor (for matrices, strings, that kind of thing)
Calculating/graphing

With the second set of features, you could use this with the Start-Up app and never even see the Calc home screen!

Offline ACagliano

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2010, 08:48:40 pm »
For any decent OS, it must have the following capabilities to be of much use:

Program Launching- yes
ASM Support- yes
A nice GUI- similar to mirage
A method of organization (it doesn't really matter what)- i'll try

Some other, probably harder features

Built in Program editor- not very intricate, though
Notepad- i'll try
separate files/tabs for programs- i'll try
Picture support- no way in Version 1. Maybe in subsequent releases.
Text files- see notepad
Changing program names- i dont know how
Locking memory (Not sure if this is possible on 84+, but it came in really handy on the 86)
data editor (for matrices, strings, that kind of thing)- it is possible, but i dont know how.
Calculating/graphing- i'll try

Other features not mentioned that i plan on:

1. Password protect
2. Program encryption
3. Select- Run OS from RAM or Archive.


And, if someone could write an OS patch COMPATIBLE WITH ALL TI-83+ and 84+ CALCS AND OS VERSIONS  or a hook into Offscript that loads the OS on startup, without Startup App, that would be cool

Offline {AP}

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2010, 08:59:50 pm »
Definitely a nice thought, but I'm kinda noticing that this is your 3rd project and none of them are very close to completion.

It's not really a problem, I just suggest that you kinda try to not start too many projects. I do this too and end up not getting anything done until I scrap all but one project completely.

Just my 2 cents, take it or leave it. =)

Offline ACagliano

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2010, 09:03:36 pm »
oh. yeah. I scraped Blast Antivirus but forgot to alter my signature. You can see what I'm actually at work on. In a few minutes.
« Last Edit: April 12, 2010, 09:03:56 pm by ACagliano »

Offline Eeems

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2010, 10:00:07 pm »
Well...hmm...program renaming would be as easy as altering the program header or making a new program and transfering the old data before deleting the old one.
Deleting would be changing one byte in the header too i believe.
/e

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2010, 11:18:34 pm »
Mhmm my question is how do you manage to create an OS in Axe if it can,t even create 8xu files? Wouldn't the software be more of a sub-OS system or maybe a shell/kernel type program? Plus to compile OS files Axe Parser would need to be for the computer I think.

It seems nice, though, I would like to see what can someone come up with in terms of shell/kernels/sub-system OSes with Axe Parser. If in any case, the software won't end up useful as much as Mirage or DoorCS, for example, I would like to see at least one or two softwares of that type written in Axe just to see how far Axe can be pushed in terms of calc managment. It would also show Axe can do more than games, too. :)

Offline willrandship

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2010, 11:33:00 am »
He's actually creating a shell, not a TI-OS Replacement.

Sounds good! It never occured to me to have Password Protection, as no one really tries to use my calc behind my back. (they don't know hiow :P)

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2010, 11:38:12 am »
He's actually creating a shell, not a TI-OS Replacement.
I guessed so but it didn't seem clear in his post. Quoted from his first sentence (I did not find the mention of a shell in the rest of his post:
Quote
I am planning on using Axe to try to write a small OS program for the calc.

As much as I expect him to mean shell, not OS, I was still not totally certain.

Password protection would be cool, altough it would be cool if it would remain intact even after a RAM Clear occurs (even during execution of a program directly from the shell, or execution of the shell itself)

Offline ACagliano

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2010, 12:23:46 pm »
I'll probably use the Axe "add byte to end of program data" command to place the password into the program itself, rather than a variable, where it could be deleted by a RAM clear. Plus, because they become locked and converted to bicode, it'll be hard to crack.


OH, and yeah. I meant shell. Sorry.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2010, 12:25:35 pm by ACagliano »

Offline Quigibo

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2010, 04:24:25 pm »
Hey, I wrote an OS in TI-BASIC one time with a start menu, games, notepad, paint, and some other stuff.  So its certainly possible.  But realistically, I don't think you'll be able to do program launching from a program since it would need to copy it over it's own code, destroying the shell.  It pretty much has to be an application to do that.  I like the idea though, there's still probably a lot you can do, certainly much more than BASIC.
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Offline Eeems

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2010, 04:26:25 pm »
well he could use basic Builder to package it as an app and do that.
/e

Offline Quigibo

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2010, 04:30:44 pm »
But all the app does is copy it to the ram and run it.  Just by the nature of how absolute jumping works, there's no way it could be converted to an app unless it was actually being emulated but I highly doubt that becasue then it would be unreasonably slow.
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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2010, 04:48:11 pm »
Well Ion was not an app and still worked well, right? The only issue is if the password is stored inside the shell main launcher and that shell is located in the RAM, then say bye bye to your password if you get a RAM Clear.

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Re: A new (probably pretty bad too) OS
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2010, 05:03:41 pm »
Well, if I have the hex, I can package it as an app for you.