Programmers wanted

[Iggy]

In a search to find new qualified coders with experience with Amiga related OS' to write for MorphOS, several of us in the MorphOS community have decided to offer assembled MorphOS systems with Morph2.7 and (if the programmer is qualified) a free key for the OS (a 111 euro value).

If you are an experienced Amiga programmer, please respond and list any projects you might feel capable of undertaking.

this project covers several countries, so I would encourage people regardless of location to respond wit their proposed ideas.

[ChaosLord]

I would love to port Total Chaos AGA over to MOS to create Total Chaos MOS (or Total Chaos CGX).  Some MOS users have been wanting the game on their machines for years and asked me to port it over.  I even did some of the porting already (in a theoretical way since I have no way to test anything).  But there is only so much I can do theoretically.  I need a real machine to test things on and find bugs and implement wild exciting new MOS-only features.

My goal is, after porting the existing game over, to then do a complete rewrite into 16 million color mode.  Then to rewrite again to increase the resolution to 1280x1024.  If MOS machines cannot do that then I would be forced to port to 1280x960 which would be a ton more work but still possible.

I already have huge stacks of 16 million color gfx ready to go to replace the old 256 color AGA gfx.  Just need some high speed 16M color hardware.

So I need a machine with FAST gfx.  Not some run down slow clunker

I have been coding AmigaOS since 1986.  (In 1985 I only sold Amigas).

MOS FTW!

[krashan]

Then to rewrite again to increase the resolution to 1280x1024.  If MOS machines cannot do that then I would be forced to port to 1280x960 which would be a ton more work but still possible.

MorphOS itself handles full HD (1920 x 1080) and more. The rest just depends on gfx card used and monitor. BTW making the game to automatically adapt to any resolution may be not a bad idea. Most displays are able to scale up, but some older (and smaller) ones can be not able to scale down (or it looks awfully).

So I need a machine with FAST gfx.  Not some run down slow clunker

Even an Efika with Radeon 9200SE outperforms any classic Amiga with any graphics board by factor of ten.

[ChaosLord]

Someone I was talking to had a mac mini that could ONLY do 1280x960 even if the gfx card could do more (due to limitations of built in monitor).

But you are saying I can just write the game to do 1280x1024 and MOS can automagically scale it down to 1280x960 if needed?

[krashan]

Someone I was talking to had a mac mini that could ONLY do 1280x960 even if the gfx card could do more (due to limitations of built in monitor).

I would say that this is a monitor problem, not Mac mini problem. I've read MorphOS can be run in 2048 x 1536 without problems (of course not on every gfx board and monitor).

But you are saying I can just write the game to do 1280x1024 and MOS can automagically scale it down to 1280x960 if needed?

No. There is no automagic scaling in MorphOS, only scaling in monitor. When you send 1280 x 1024 image to 1280 x 960 monitor it will either contract it vertically (distorting aspect ratio) or contract it in both dimensions and add black vertical side stripes (to keep the aspect ratio).

[ChaosLord]

I can't remember what mac it was but it was one with a forcibly built-in monitor.

[Golem!dk]

Someone I was talking to had a mac mini that could ONLY do 1280x960 even if the gfx card could do more (due to limitations of built in monitor).

That sounds like an eMac, on a mini you get to pick your own display.

[ChaosLord]

That sounds like an eMac, on a mini you get to pick your own display.

Yes!  Mac Mini sounds way better than eMac!

[Iggy]

OK we've got ChaosLord interested.
 
Now how about other Amiga coders. Remember as MorphOS is 3.1 compatible (with a LOT of other goodies added) it is a very easy environment for an experienced Amiga programmer to adapt to.
 
This offer of hardware is now valid for several continents and the first systems are ready to be shipped.
 
All you need is experience and a good project and you get the hardware and software FREE!
 
Come on folks! Aren't there any programmers left in our community? Wouldn't you like to experiment with the BEST NG OS currently available for the Amiga market?
 
Just contact us and relay what you'd like to create.
 
We intend to support talented programmers by eliminating their cost of entry.
 
It benefits the coders and the MOS community.
 
Take care all.
Jim

[ChaosLord]

A lot of coders are only interested in classic system coding.  Others might be interested in MOS but they already have an MOS or OS4 machine.  Others might be vaguely interested but they have no room to set up another machine.

My entire apartment is dedicated to computers so I always have room for another machine

I hope it is easy to network MOS to my existing A1200T+Windoze XP machines network so I can copy stuff over quickly and easily.

What editor would I be using on MOS?  Does CED exist for MOS?  I have a registered GoldED CD from several years back but I donno if it has an MOS exe on it?

As a professional MOS developer, Do u recommend developing code natively on the MOS machine or do u recommend crossdev from a windoze xp box?

I already have 3 Total Chaos MOS betatesters lined up!  Woohoo!

[Iggy]

Coding under MorphOs is all a matter of personal choice. Believe it or not, if you wanted to treat it like an Amiga and write 68K code it would run fine. Many coders use C, others use Python, there are literally a multitude of choices.
Its all vey Amiga like only better.
 
And as AOS4 and AROS grow, cross porting should allow all three NG OS' to benefit.
 
Just tell me what project you'd like to work on and I'll run the idea past the MorphOS development team.
 
We have hardware to give to talented programmers, but we can even apply to the MOS developers for OS keys. If they like your project, then the entire system is FREE!
 
Sp let me know what's on your mind and lets get it done!
 
And BTW - Where are the rest of you guys? I KNOW therews taslent out there. Wouldn't you like to use your skills on an expanded 3.1 compatible OS?
 
IF so, contact me at iggybeans@comcast.net listing your programming experience and your proposed project.
 
Its time for new software and we can do it!

[NovaCoder]

Sorry no free time, otherwise I'd give it a go....it's certainly a good initiative.

[krashan]

What editor would I be using on MOS?  Does CED exist for MOS?  I have a registered GoldED CD from several years back but I donno if it has an MOS exe on it?

Yes, there is native version of CED. There is MorphED (a bit limited version of GoldED) in the MorphOS SDK, as far as I know GoldED works too. There is also some new programmer editor in the work, but we will have to wait until MorphOS 2.8 for it.

As a professional MOS developer, Do u recommend developing code natively on the MOS machine or do u recommend crossdev from a windoze xp box?

I only develop natively. Even on 500 MHz machine GCC 4 is fast enough.

[ChaosLord]

I have decided I need to sort of ease into it.  So could I use my SASC compiler on MOS hardware temporarily?

What about the SASC debugger (CodeProbe, CPR)?  Does it work under MOS?  How about the breakpoints and graphical single stepping thru the source code?

[krashan]

I have decided I need to sort of ease into it.  So could I use my SASC compiler on MOS hardware temporarily?

You can, but of course SAS/C will generate m68k code, which will be ran under transparent emulation, so you won't get the full PPC speed (but something like virtual 68060 running at 200 - 500 MHz depending on the real computing power of the PowerPC processor in the machine).

What about the SASC debugger (CodeProbe, CPR)?  Does it work under MOS? How about the breakpoints and graphical single stepping thru the source code?

I guess you should ask kiero ("kiero" on #morphos at irc.freenode.net). AFAIK he uses SAS/C on MorphOS for compiling 68k programs.