Make a case for x86 Amiga OS

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If there was an x86 based Amiga OS, I would port/develop applications for it.  I am software developer by trade and it wasn't even until Apple went Intel that we started getting customers that owned Macs.  They still need to run windows and a dual booting MacBook is a sweet thing.  

Also, by going to x86 based Amiga, we could get a Java JVM for it and that would open the flood gates of applications and tools to use.  Amiga OS working with a good implementation of Java would be a very desirable.

I agree I would at first limit to a subset motherboard and processor for initial driver support... but once its moved to x86, I think the sheer number of people wanting something new and original to work with could move the OS to a really influential install base.

Do all that stuff for AROS!!!

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AROS is just the base package name. The idea is that the distributions can have whatever name the maintainer wants.

If you want "AmiOS" or "workBench 7", simply build and distribute one

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I spent months making my Gentoo Linux behave like AmigaOS so I can have a decent OS on X86, and all this rant about AROS is temting me so badly to try it again...
So before I hit another wall (I tried it years ago) please tell me:

-Does AROS even boot on EFI-based machines? I've two X86 Mac Minis here that would be nice AROS machines.

-Does it support Nvidia 9400 graphics? Or would I have to use VESA modes for this one?

-Does it support Intel HDA sound? I believe it does, but I'm not sure.

regards

Yeah, the EFI boot issue is a problem with the Grub version we use to boot AROS... I've moaned about it in the past, as I lack the knowledge to fix it myself

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Ask he who started the thread.  I am just following a theme, which is porting AmigaOS to x86.  I believe that the better discussion is porting to x64.  I could advocate AmigaOS or not AmigaOS.

In a modern context, x86 means x64 and x86-64.

And I have to agree that this is a mute point now, AOS4 is what it is now. Those that have it, I'm sure are very happy let's leave them be. The rest of us have AROS, which already supports x86 (And yes, it has an x64/x86-64 build too) and PPC with various people looking into bringing the ARM and 68K ports up to speed...

IcAROS is a great distribution, almost anyone can use it. I thing everthing is good here

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Well, I should try it, where should I ask and donate to get it booting in EFI machines?

Just ask on aros-exec.org

If I wasn't so bogged down in iPhone code, I'd try and have a look myself!

Michal did say that the EFI actually provides all the services that AROS currently relies on GRUB to provide... So if might just be a case of building an AROS build that uses the EFI to load the exec.library etc...

-Edit- hmmm, did a bit if checking, and it looks like GRUB2 is in use by Ubuntu now... That might be a quicker and simpler way to go!