Anubis, Icaros, and XAmiga...

[DrZarkov]

...I do not mention Amithlon, because it's discontinued.
But what are the differences, advantages/disadvantages?

Anubis is supposed to become a Linux with Amiga look & feel, and an integrated emulator. There is xamiga, which already is a Linux with integrated emulator (e-uae). And there is icaros as a stand-alone Amiga replacement. But in fact, it is a kind of new OS with a strong Amiga look & feel, which can run ported software, but old software also only via an emulator.

So what does make sence to use? Xamiga is a succesor of Amithlon (kind of). But how good is it? You hear nothing about it in any forum... Icaros does not work on my PC (IBM Thinkpad T23), so I can't give it a try. And last but not least Anubis. Currently it is only vapourware. But will it be more than any other Linux-distribution with an Amiga-emulator?

[cicero790]

xamiga:
Have never tried it.

Anubis:
EDIT
An os under development.

Icaros:
EDIT
An os which I use and like.


 

[dammy]

Anubis: An Amiga os nextgen for x86 that will have memory protection, benefit from linux vast driver collection. Only the kernel is based on linux the userland will be amiga. Its no linux distro. It have vast potential in the future.

I'd say ARM version is a fairly safe bet at this point in time.  Maybe PPC too.

Dammy

[mongo]

cicero790 wrote:

Anubis:
An Amiga os nextgen for x86 that will have memory protection, benefit from linux vast driver collection. Only the kernel is based on linux the userland will be amiga. Its no linux distro. It have vast potential in the future.

Linux is only a kernel. Anubis is a Linux distro, just possibly one that won't be compatible with any of the other ones.

[bhoggett]

mongo wrote:

cicero790 wrote:

Anubis:
An Amiga os nextgen for x86 that will have memory protection, benefit from linux vast driver collection. Only the kernel is based on linux the userland will be amiga. Its no linux distro. It have vast potential in the future.

Linux is only a kernel. Anubis is a Linux distro, just possibly one that won't be compatible with any of the other ones.

It's arguable whether anything built on a Linux kernel is a "Linux distro". Amithlon was built on a Linux kernel, but you'd really be stretching a definition to call it a Linux distro.

As for Anubis, we won't know much until it becomes reality (talk is cheap and plentiful, but without product you can actually run it's just hot air). I think describing it as something with "vast potential" is a mite optimistic.

[ferrellsl]

Actually Amithlon is a Linux distro with an API translation layer running on top for AmigaOS (v3.9 and below).  Sort of like what the WINE project does to allow MS applications to run on top of Linux.  I see the Anubis project as an extension or modernization of what Amithlon was doing.  If I interpret all the vague info about Anubis it will be a Linux distro with an API translation layer for OS4 applications and some form of 68k sandbox for old 68k apps, almost certainly a modified version of UAE.

I think that once people see through the smoke and mirrors surrounding Anubis they'll see that there's already a system out there that does this almost transparently.  It's called MorphOS.  Only difference is that MorphOS is a commercial product and Anubis will be free.

I agree that there's too much hype surrounding Anubis.  The AmigaOS scene is already too fractured as it is to support yet another Amiga-like OS.  The big-3 (OS4, MorphOS, AROS) have enough trouble with maintaining resources (aka programmers/developers) for the Amiga community to go off on another OS tangent.

[bhoggett]

ferrellsl wrote:
Actually Amithlon is a Linux distro with an API translation layer running on top for AmigaOS (v3.9 and below).  Sort of like what the WINE project does to allow MS applications to run on top of Linux.

Like I said, that's stretching the definition of "Linux distro". Have you tried compiling and running Linux applications on Amithlon? Or even alongside Amithlon?

There's a big difference between "Linux kernel" and "Linux distro" and while both are liberally referred to as "Linux" (depending on context), this ambiguity is often abused by advocates trying to make a point.

[m0ns00n]

Please stop speculating about Anubis. Here are some facts from the source!

Q: Anubis can be argued to be a linux distro in that it uses the linux kernel?
A: True - but even though that is said, it will be the most unique linux distro in this case, not having much in common with any other distro out there

Q: Anubis is like Amithlon?
A: False. Anubis has nothing to do with AmigaOS other than look and feel / ideas. It will not run your Amiga apps without an emulator (neither does Windows)

Q: Anubis will have an AmigaOS API layer?
A: False. We dont care about source compatability. We are developing new APIS, even though there might be ideas inspired from Amiga

Q: Anubis, based on Linux, will be nothing new. Boring.
A: False. Anubis is new in that it uses many Amiga concepts not seen on Linux in this form. For instance, we use the same kind of file system structure as AmigaOS, with assigns, volumes and paths like "Anubis:Libraries/" and "Devices:"

I some times wonder So much speculation when in reality, nobody, except me and two or three others know anything beyond what is on the Anubis website. What almost shocks me (if it werent for the fact that Im not a teen any more and know people behave this way) is that many of you *just pull fantasies out of thin air* and act like you know what you are talking about. Please do not fool yourselves.

ferrellsl: Please just consider Anubis nonexistant until we release Milestone 1. Discussions and speculation before that is just silly.

others: Vaporware, hot air, whatever. Please don`t insult us by assuming that we have promised something we can not deliver on. Until Milestone 1 is released, just call Anubis an ongoing development in the first phase. This is not vapor.

Please read this and let it sink in:

Anubis is an Amiga inspired OS in early development based on the Linux kernel which has new APIS and reinvents the wheel
Anubis is an Amiga inspired OS in early development based on the Linux kernel which has new APIS and reinvents the wheel
Anubis is an Amiga inspired OS in early development based on the Linux kernel which has new APIS and reinvents the wheel

Hope this is clear now

[ferrellsl]

I will certainly continue to think of Anubis as non-existent, now and for a very long time.  All that exists now is a very vague web site and a few words about how great it will be to have another Amiga-like OS based on the Linux kernel.

Nothing new about it.  MorphOS does the same thing that Anubis is intending to do, so yes, you're reinventing the wheel.  MorphOS may be based on a different kernel but it does the same thing that Anubis is hoping to do.  And it not only runs OS4 applications, it also runs MorphOS native-apps.  And yes, it's a commercial product and not free but it's available now, but good luck finding hardware to run it on.  I'd like to know if Hyperion or the MorphOS crew will be porting to x86 anytime soon.  If so, I'll buy from whichever company reaches the market first.  I like OS4 and MorphOS equally, although MorphOS does appear a bit more polished.  It may never happen so if Anubis sees the light of day, I might actually use that instead.

If Anubis is intended for the x86 then I do see it having a distinct advantage over OS4 and MorphOS.  You simply cannot get high-end hardware anymore to run OS4 or MorphOS and porting OS4 or MorphOS to x86 won't be trivial.  The PegII and A1 are no longer produced and the SAM is ridiculously overpriced.  My PegII will continue to be just a hobbyist toy and conversation piece until someone ports OS4 or MorphOS to x86.  AROS has made huge gains lately and I may move to that as my alternate OS if more hardware drivers are written and a decent office suite gets ported....a wordprocessor and spreadsheet program would suffice.

[zylesea]

@ Ferrellsl

Could you please inform yourself about MorphOS and Anubis before posting or stop to post FUD intentionally.
MorphOS does not use API wrappers to achieve Amiga compatibility. The genuine MorphOS API includes a AmigaOS 3.x compatible API set, but there is *no* wrapper, no translation layer for AOS 3.x stuff present. It is just 100% MorphOS.
Well, to be precise, there is one API wrapper available for MorphOS to directly run OS4 binaries: OS4Emu.

[persia]

Icaros and XAmiga actually exist.  Anubis AKA Arix does not...

[DrZarkov]

So Anubis is just another try to make an Amiga-ish system, after p.OS, AtheOS/Syllable, and the more successfull Morphos?

[ferrellsl]

@zylesea

I'm not spreading FUD.  I stand by my comments.  I have MorphOS 2.2 and I also have AmigaOS 4.1, both running on my PegII.  I stated that MorphOS runs OS4 apps.  If you misunderstood then please re-read my post.

I don't care what you call it....call it an API emulation layer, OS4EMU, whatever......it all comes down to the same thing.  A computer with a non-AmigaOS kernel with the ability to run OS4 applications or its own native applications.  I never said in ANY of my posts that MorphOS has a translation layer for OS3 applications or that it runs OS3 or less.

[ferrellsl]

@DrZarkov

You are correct.  It will probably be a long time, if ever, before we see Anubis actually running.

[dammy]

You are correct. It will probably be a long time, if ever, before we see Anubis actually running.

You could just watch and see what developes here.  Imagine, a OEM that is helpful for developing an OS, who would have thought?

Dammy