newb questions, hit the hardware or not?

[OlafS3]

I want to write some programs in assembly (please don't suggest a HLL as I won't use one) on my A2000. I want to do file I/O, some graphics on a HAM6 screen, and perhaps audio as well. Now the question is how to go about it. Looking at bits of source code and documentation that I've been able to find, the method of disabling the OS and accessing hardware registers directly seems to be very clear. But, can OS calls still be used for file I/O in this case? And where could I learn to open a custom screen and play audio the OS-friendly way anyways?

I would also discourage to directly hit the hardware. There are a couple of new cores for FPGA in development (FPGA Arcade and the Apollo core are examples, but I also know of at least two others). If you want that your software runs everywhere it is a safer bet to use the OS.

[OlafS3]

would it not be better to have standard libraries for that with versions for the different target platforms? When I worked on building up Aros Vision I did a lot of search (in both web and aminet) and found a lot of libraries that are dedicated to offer fast graphics hiding what platform you use (partly supporting ECS,AGA and RTG). SamuraiCrow knows one of those (and the owner has permitted to make changes on it). If adapted it would make life a lot easier. The 68k codebase is huge and we should make use of it as far as possible. We should have a set of portable libraries covering all important areas like graphics, sound and so on so that developer do not have to care about implementations/optimizations for a certain core (and it would be possible to port it to AROS/MorphOS/AmigaOS too).

[OlafS3]

There are many. Not sure about publicly released
ones but I know of several that are in various states of finish.

yes there are quiet a lot... but many long forgotten (if they were ever used)

example is this:
http://aminet.net/package/dev/misc/gms_dev

the author allows it to be patched. AGA works (and propably ECS). RTG could be supported too if someone makes the changes. The problem is it seems not be used very much. Years of work in it but everyone reinvents the wheels. We should use it, perhaps make a documentation about the state, recommendations when to use and so on, get permissions and sources where possible and start to improve these libraries, make includes/modules for different languages. That would help development a lot more than many other ideas.

[OlafS3]

You're right, I haven't. Doesn't mean it's impossible.


Obviously. A system is always more than the sum of it's parts.


I have some interesting things I've been wanting to do for a long time now. One of which is a new, written from scratch, modern GUI system for 68k Amigas. Another one is a new OS.

What are those assignments you have in mind?


Wouldn't have it any other way

A GUI system sounds interesting. Or you look at the existing systems and improve one of them? Partly sources are available.

I think we all talk of different things. "Realworld applications" like a word processor are difficult to develop just in assembler. Efficiency is very important and most developer would need much longer in assembler than in a high level language. Also you often have debugger and similar and outside amiga world you even have configurable components that make life much easier. Another problem assembler is not portable what is important for some projects and you have the problem to find another similar skilled developer if f.e. the main developer leaves. There are obviously much more developers with experience in C than in a certain assembler. That many people wrote in assembler many years ago was because of the lack of system ressources and not because most people liked it. And as I said I am right now aware of a number of different cores for FPGAs that are in development. It is not predictable if all cores are all identical (from dev view) so if you are a game developer hitting the hardware in assembler you have to test it on every core available (and UAE) if you want to be sure. Or you just make it for one core with the risk that it will not run everywhere. That might be ok for hobby development but is a no-go for potential commercial development. And if someone works on a application he will certainly not hit the hardware and use the OS.

[OlafS3]

Sorry, but no. I want my own system that's more modern than what's available now for 68k. The idea is to start from scratch, and use the OS for user IO. And yes, that means it would only run on it's own screen.


It's a hobby for me.


I'm interested in writing Amiga software. If someone wants to run Amiga software, let them use an Amiga (or an emu)!

Ah ok

if you do not care if other people can run it then go

GUI system is something like intuition or triton for me, a library to create a GUI for applications and tools/utilities. If it not runs everywhere (or it is at least not certain that it works) noone else will use it.