Amiga OS4 on old (PPC) Macs

[arnljot]

I'm not 100% sure if it's been mentioned allready here, but there is one problem with the whole happy pink fuzzy feeling of getting OS 4 on iMacs and the like:

As far as I know OS 4 is only sold as stand alone software in the DCE/Phase5 classic flavour. The other versions were sold bundled with hardware as OEM.

This means that even though someone leaked/developed a OS4 for mac patch/drivers there would be no fundamental legal way new users could benefit from this. In other words, it would require a pirated copy for me who never has had a A1 or similars to run it on a newly aquired Mac.

I think this is why it will be a long wait for us to see it on MAC or Playstation3.

Atm the whole thing is in a "legal limbo". When it gets sorted, or either party makes a bold move outside the court room, then it might happen...

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Then on the other hand:
I do like to dream and speculate and "what if".

Dream:
OS4 released as new SKU for Mac, Efika, SAM and PS3
And news of a OS4.5 with OpenOffice and Firefox.

Speculation:
HVOF states in their counterclaim that they now own the IP to OS4 as the original IP holders went bankrupt.

This should in theory leave HVOF to do whatever they like now, as the court has ruled against any orders to deny HVOF to continue business.

So my speculation would be that HVOF is seriously considering to release OS4 for SAM "when it's done". But that legal counsel is advicing against it, because they are "yellow"
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I do not know who is right and who is wrong in the court case. It's not within the scope of this thread, so I'm just focusing solely at HVOF and OS4 to the extent it's possible on the matter of "Mac+OS4" without getting into the quaqmire which is the lawsuit.
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[arnljot]

Methuselas wrote:
I'd almost be tempted to start a bounty for some code guru to "liberate" OS4 from its hardware dependencies......  :roll:

If there was a bounty: Are there coders with the skills? Most of the good ones are maybe busy with Aros, and we'd want to keep it that way?

And the OS4 skilled coders would maybe betray their relationship with Hyperion if they solved such a bounty...

But I'd sponsor this bounty with a few coins... And surely if I knew that it wouldn't detract skills from the Aros pool

[arnljot]

bloodline wrote:
A better, simpler, idea would be to modify PearPC to run AOS4... :-)

Yes I agree, but what is more likely:
a) UAE gets PPC emulation to allow 68k+WarpUP, 68k+Powerup and OS4?
b) Someone writes the Uboot + drivers that's needed for PPC Macs to run OS4
c) PearPC is modified to run OS4

I'd say b, with 0.1% more likeliness over c.

I'd most of all like to see a made real. But Tony is a busy guy, and has is own focus and priorities which he is entiteled to. And from what I understand from statements from him is that a is not much likely as he doesn't understand the PearPC code that good, and thinks that there are other things that is more important to put into UAE (like better CD32 emu and different cartrigdes etc)

Also I've tried PearPC, it's not a very mature virtualization product. A lot of fiddling in ascii files etc. So for the puritst, like me - I think something that would run on real hardware would be most fun.

Though, the case for PearPC is that then one would have a bounty with a future for OS4 as Apple doesn't make PPC Macs anymore.

[arnljot]

I don't think AROS should divert their limited resources away from the milestones they've already set.

I think the way forward for OS4 is to get the legal issues sorted out. And meanwhile expand to new hardware.

Who ever wins the court case is (to me) almost irrelevant. If Hyperion wins they'll for sure continue the work they've already started and partially proved they're able to do. A bit more uncertain with AINC, but if they win it will be a catalyst for the community and to AINC to do more definitive moves for a future platform. Maybe it would be fantastic news for AROS and MOS? Who knows...

So even the MAC OS4 kernel is tainted fruits, I'm glad its out in one way: It inspired a few folks. But I think that the way forward for us should be emmulation/virtualization (PearPC or own open firmware for macs "faking" an AmigaOne).

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On a side note I'm glad that AORG is one of the few forums where we can spend time discussing OS4 without being labled as futile/stupid (ref EAB) or lacking geenes (ref Moo Bunny)

I couldn't help but try to explain myself on EAB:
http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=383422&postcount=46