OS4 vs MOS vs AROS

[BigBenAussie]

Can someone explain what the difference would be to a developer?

Is it hard to make your code work on all three?

Is it a matter of their software architecture being significantly different?

And if so, can't some bright person, and I know there are a lot out there, come up with a code library or API that doesn't break any of the platforms?
MOS, AROS, OS4 or even OS3.9 68k Classic. I know there is an Amiga Foundation Classes effort going on. Are they shooting for that?

Isn't that something we want too or are we absolutely determined to make a clean break? If so, why?

Or would such a thing relegate you to the lowest common denominator?

Maybe for some developers that wouldn't matter. Depends on what you are doing, but certainly smart developers could turn off certain app features if one of the OSs doesn't support it.

Isn't OS4 and MOS just a port of OS3.9 with a nicer front end? If not, what's different? They must have the same software architecture stuff present for 68k programs to work.

The obvious thing going for AROS is that PC hardware is much much cheaper, thus you would get more bang for you buck, and as a result you would expect certain apps to be faster right? What I mean is that PC hardware will ALWAYS be available in higher configurations to Amiga PPCs. It would be most amusing if Amiga software on a PC ran faster than on a PPC based Amiga. Or would that be disasterous?

Excuse me if I am wrong, but isn't AROS based on Linux? Doesn't that mean it has access to Linux software natively?

I guess this sounds absolutely stupid but assuming AROS was based on Linux couldn't it be marketed as another flavour of linux? It might gain some acceptance if it was considered something of a KDE or GNOME replacement + it runs Amiga stuff. Sorta a Lindows done Amiga style.

[Hooligan_DCS]

Is irony a good chosen word when you look at that screenshot? I dont even know what the default theme for MOS is  All i have seen has some sort of OS3.9 & OS4.0 copied themes? Whats up with that? Its like skinning windows xp so that it looks like Mac OSX, if you do that, just buy Mac OSX

I run Ferox skin daily. Frankly OS4 look is horrible due to grey inactive windows which I can't stand a bit.

Care to point me to OS3.9 skin too, as I haven't bumbed into one so far. Thanks.

Do you guys really miss OS4 so much?

Out of interest: if your task is to put OS4, Aros and MorphOS to the same screen, your method would have been... what?
I chose to use OS4 skin on Ambient and run Aros-demos.

And no, I don't miss OS4. That was over a year ago

[adam]

BigBenAussie wrote:
Excuse me if I am wrong, but isn't AROS based on Linux? Doesn't that mean it has access to Linux software natively?

You are wrong.
AROS is based on Amiga-OS.
I was sure that was obvious for all.

There is a libc which can provide a bridge to Linux ports, but having direct native Linux executables support needs to have a compatible segloader.

AROS kernel parts from Linux would be dangerous as it will taint the AROS kernel with the GPL nightmare. Having libs, laying outside of kernel is possible anyway.
In this very project, everyone should stay away from Linux sources and use BSD sources insteed.

olivier

[Trezzer]

Hooligan: Lucky you can change the inactive colour then, eh?

[Hooligan_DCS]

Hooligan: Lucky you can change the inactive colour then, eh?

I don't know if it's possible just like that. It might be that I would have to change all of the graphicscomponents from grey to darkblue by hand.

Besides, I am more than happy with the Ferox-skin.

[BigBenAussie]

@adam

I got this apparently, wrong idea, from the AROS website faq I read months ago.

I looked again and it is under the FAQ heading:
Why are you using Linux and X11?

Apparently it is NOT obvious to all.

To me this implied they were using Linux as a base and as such could have initiated Linux software.

Can you understand why I might think that?

Although I was pleased to read there is a native version of AROS too.

[downix]

@BigBenAussie

There's a project out there, called the OpenAmiga project, that is focused on the similarities between the three platforms, showing what is necessary to deliver a source file that will readily compile across all 3.  

MorphOS is a clone tho, and not a direct port.  It has a lot of enhancements to the API's, closing a lot of problem areas found in the AmigaOS.  Also, has a new front-end called Ambient, and has MUI a native component of the system rather than an add-on.  

[BigBenAussie]

Hmmmm. The OpenAmiga.org website is a little scarce of content and according to history it started at least 3 years ago. Are they making any progress or is it in a holding pattern until OS4 comes out?

[bloodline]

BigBenAussie wrote:
@adam

I got this apparently, wrong idea, from the AROS website faq I read months ago.

I looked again and it is under the FAQ heading:
Why are you using Linux and X11?

Apparently it is NOT obvious to all.

To me this implied they were using Linux as a base and as such could have initiated Linux software.

Can you understand why I might think that?

Although I was pleased to read there is a native version of AROS too.

Ok...

You can run AROS on top of Linux, Think of this the same as running UAE on Linux (or any Emulator)... except without the need for any CPU/Hardware emulation. This is great for the devs as they can test something if it crashes, but reopen AROS again :-)

The "Main" version of AROS is the Native one, where AROS actually runs the machine itself. This is what you find on the AROS Live CD, and the one most users prefer. since playing with Linux is less than fun.

I don't think Openamiga is that old... maybe a year at most. Anyway, it lists the common aspects of the three Amigoid systems. Any developer can follow those guidlines for common OS components.

[adam]

BigBenAussie wrote:

Why are you using Linux and X11?

Consider X11 as another gfx card, X11.hidd is its driver, in order to show some gfx on "linux-hosted" version, with systems running X11.

As bloodline said, linux is the development environment (as AROS is not able to recompile itself at the moment).

[cycloid]

if apps were available for MOS and OS4 in one installer then that'd be great (and even PPC AROS if someone finally desides to have a go). recompiling software sucks big time and in the 21st century i dont want to and dont believe i should have to (which is why linux sucks, though i still use it as a server because windows sucks more. though i have to say, what's with linux where you have to set your network IP/gateway/sharing/name/group settings in 5 different places to get it configured FFS!? ), i just want to double click and play away. as for which i think is the "winner" i have no opinion because i cant get aros to run (it just crashes after the bootloader) and i dont have the cash to by the custom hardware required for the other two. i'm certainly never ever going to get both an A1 and a MOS box so like i said, cross platform software would solve my (!THE NON TOO TECHY END USER!) problem

[KennyR]

You don't have to compile everything from linux. You can download binaries packaged in .deb or .rpm format for your kernel and CPU. Maybe AROS will have that some day too.