AROS enlighten me

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XDelusion wrote:
OK call me retarted, but I still am not clear on this whole AROS thing. I have burned ISO's and all that jazz, and at most I got to a command line prompt and that was it, so I didn't get a chance to really play with it. I have read through the pages and know it is supposed to look and act like Work Bench, but beyond that I am clueless. Is this sort of like WINE, where it can somehow make Amiga Apps run in a new OS that can run on X86 hardware, or is it something else all together? I keep hearing mixed stories, one is that yes it is, but then I read about Quake being ported to it and stuff like that, and I wonder, why Quake would need ported if it already runs on Amiag OS!?!? VERY CONFUSED, please inform me.

 Also while your at it, I need to know my those DAMN ISO's don't boot half the time, and if so why there is no GUI.

sounds like you are using some old ISO there...
Try the one on my site: www.ahsodit.com/aros/

OK, to answer a few questions.

1. AROS is basily AmigaOS rewritten from scratch using the C programming language.

2. Using C means we can compile (turn it into CPU macvhine language) it for any type of CPU we choose.

3. The current AROS builds available are for the x86 CPU (other than the 68K that the old Amiga's used to use).

4. Running AROS on your PC, means that an OS almost identical to AmigaOS is running your PC :-)

5. Amiga programs have to be recompiled to run on the x86 CPU, since it speaks a different language to the 68K.

6. Should you choose to compile AROS for the 68K CPU (the one the Amiga uses), it will run on an Amiga computer and run the Amiga programs with the need to recompile them.

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XDelusion wrote:
Ok thankx, I'll download that ISO when I goto bed. One more question, no wait!! 2.

 1.Is AROS as compact and resource friendly as Amiga OS was? I recall my Amiga 500 having 1Mb RAM at one time, and it still multi-tasked, and the OS fit on a half density floppy, can Aros compete with that since it is in C?

2.What is required to run it inside Linux? Just the kernal or do I have to run that gawd forbidden X server?

1. Yes. the whole thing even fits on to one floppy :-)

2. I don;t bother withthe Linux version, it's genearlly of most use to the AROS developers as it provides a safe environment in which to design and build AROS.


-Edit- my Pic is about 6 years old... so maybe I have traveled in time or something :-D

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4pLaY wrote:
Hehe well "just a recompile" is a big word! you cant just "recompile" if the code is in 68k ASM or AMOS etc! if its however written in C its easier some appz only need a recompile but some might need adaption but for Games i would think most are written in such a manor that it bangs the hell out of the hardware so thats a no go! secondly you need to get a hold of those sources .

Just to add to 4's statement, AROS can only run Amiga software that is OS leagal, and that need the custom chips simply can't work, becuase they are not there on your PC.

To recompile one requires the "source code". Also as 4 said, 68K asm source code is next to useless... C is the only really portable language.

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Terminills wrote:
@bloodline

AROS can only run Amiga software that is OS leagal, and that need the custom chips simply can't work, becuase they are not there on your PC.

if I throw some spare custom chips on top of my PC ... will it work then?   :lol:

seriously tho I'm all for using AROS full time once it's ready.   I got plenty of spare pc parts for an aros only machine...  Speaking of that is there already or going to be an AROS port of VNC?

I've heard of VNC, and it certainly seems like a very cool idea!!!

Once we get a TCP/IP stack we shall look at it some more :-)



PS:

if I throw some spare custom chips on top of my PC ... will it work then?   :lol:

Sure why not  :-?   :-P   :-D  :lol:

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XDelusion wrote:
Oh well, I guess there is always UAE for AROS.

There is indeed :-)

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:lol:

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Terminills wrote:
Oh yeah here's another question how are the pci card drivers handled?   Custom pci library or an Openpci wrapper?

Custom pci.device... soon to be replaced with openpci

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sephiroth111 wrote:
question, do you think they could create a transparent emulation layer so that m68k programs could work?

that would be awesome, running an old program on a new computer...

Well, Transparent emulation probably won't quite be possible on the x86 version (the two CPU's have a serious difference... the Byte order) but I would hope to hide at least 90% of it from the user...

The UAE JIT should be usable on AROS since it is a 68k-->x86 Emu.  :-)

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Prod wrote:
btw, the source language is irrelevant, if you want something
recompiled you just download some cheap script that converts the
source to whatever you like and recompile.

Err.... :-?  :-?  :-?  :-?  :-?

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that_punk_guy wrote:

Prod wrote:
btw, the source language is irrelevant, if you want something
recompiled you just download some cheap script that converts the
source to whatever you like and recompile.

Ummm....  :-D assembler isn't source, it's damn near the finished product, and too hardware-specific to port without many human-hours of work.

Exactly...


Anyway since I'm now a cult member, I feel a change of Avitar is needed :lol:


PS: can any one guess which film I've just been to see? :-D

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that_punk_guy wrote:

bloodline wrote:

Anyway since I'm now a cult member, I feel a change of Avitar is needed :lol:

What is that?

 :-D

That would be my...um.. Secretary ;-)