Is it possible to have one version single core, and then slowly migrate the software to multi-core? You could dual boot either version.
Of course you could have 2 separate OS's and dualboot between them (like you always could)...
All of this is bull****. If current amiga ng os systems can't do smp then say goodbye and reboot to ng/2
I think this is the plan for the MorphOS Team. At least they have
said they will migrate to another CPU architecture and that they are working to make the OS 64-bit (on a virtual machine for development purposes). Possibly SMP etc as well while they're at it, who knows?
It would be nice not to have to resort to UAE.
When you start incorporating things like SMP you don't have much of a choice, you need a sandbox for the legacy. Problem isn't the new/existing/still maintained applications (they can be adapted), problem is the old Amiga apps whose whole existence and ability to function requires the environment to be and behave in the Amiga way, and that is not compatible with SMP. If you are to move to x86/ARM you will also face little/big endian incompatibility. UAE is a quick and nice option IMHO. Works for OK AROS AFAIK. Indeed it's not the same as what we have today, but in order to move forward (x86, x64/64-bit, memory protection, possibility of going SMP etc) with all the benefits that may bring, I think this is a cheap price to pay.
at the point all three systems will want to go for those extended features that will likely set them on the same level of backward compatibility aros is now, namely uae. lets face it.
Funny thing is that if AROS would also go this "NG/2"-route, then a 68k "distro" of this version/branch of AROS would also have to use UAE for legacy Amiga 68k apps, even when running on a real 68k Amiga! (Not that there are a great deal of 68k Amigas with multiple CPU's :lol:, but the "NG/2"-differences in the OS itself would require it)