For anyone who thinks this is a joke, or that the Z80 can't do anything useful: http://www.symbos.de/
Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
11–20 of 93 posts
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#12I'm a computer science major in my senior year and I've always been interested in contributing to a big Open Source lowel level software project like this. However, I lack experience working on Operating Systems so have struggled with getting started. Would this be a good place to try getting involved?
xv6 is probably the smallest and simplest kernel you can study: http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/6.828/2014/xv6.html
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#13Now I really need to finish building my Z80 machine!
Sometimes I think more Z80 computers are available in 2014 than in 1994 or 2004.
I have a
http://s100computers.com/My%20System%20Pages/Z80%20Board/Z80...
almost ready to bring up in my infinite spare time. And a console IO board and memory board.
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#1440k? Why is everything so bloated these days? The last 6502 machine I had only had 32k in total.
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#15When I first read this, I thought this was meant to be a sarcastic statement on SystemD haters, but this is for real? I would assume this is all geared to scratching some kind of retro computing itch?
Cox seems to be on some kind of emulation and retro computing binge as of late. His G+ postings are all about Z80 and the computers that used that CPU.
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#16I'm a computer science major in my senior year and I've always been interested in contributing to a big Open Source lowel level software project like this. However, I lack experience working on Operating Systems so have struggled with getting started. Would this be a good place to try getting involved?
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#17Yes to all your questions, Mr. Cox.
Godspeed.
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#18I half expected him to throw in something like "Just a hobby, won't be anything big and professional like Linux."
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#19When I first read this, I thought this was meant to be a sarcastic statement on SystemD haters, but this is for real? I would assume this is all geared to scratching some kind of retro computing itch?
It could also be an exercise in open computing, hailing back to an era before legal attacks and ubiquitous surveillance.
Being released in 1976, the Z80 architecture is well known and unencumbered by patents. It's also simple with fixed instruction timing, meaning it can be well tested, leaving few places for a back door to hide. The original hardware probably predates any surveillance programs (edit: and the silicon is being publicly reverse engineered by enthusiasts). There's a satisfying feeling of control, when in charge of a computer that is simple enough to understand in its entirety.
A Z80 won't be the fastest computer, but it might be useful for some tasks. Updates to the Z80, starting with FPGA cores, will be faster than the original, and might form a basis for enthusiasts to develop further. Let's face it, ARM's roots are in Z80 era processors.
Re: Alan Cox announces Fuzix OS
#20Jokes on you, Lennart just announced 8-bit systemd.