| The LoseThos 64-bit PC Operating System x86_64, preemptive multitasking, multicore, open source |
LoseThos is simple. It runs on a standard 64-bit PC, nothing exotic, and compiles and runs
native x86_64 code -- no byte code or interpreter, anywhere. It's purpose is for users to have
fun programming. Nervous about no memory protections? You'd be shocked if you knew
how many embedded devices operate just fine with no protections. Don't write programs that
malfunction. At the worst, you reboot. Takes 2 seconds plus BIOS start-up time.
Curious why it's 640x480 16 color?
Curious why no memory protections?
It's a live CD, so you can test drive or install. You might need the alternate CD.
Unregistered version includes:
LoseThos never executes code not written by me except a couple BIOS config calls. It's
100,000 lines of public domain code with no GPL restrictions, written by me over the last 6
years, full-time. It was written completely from scratch with no code as a starting point.
It's a "supplemental" operating system because you'll want to dual boot with another operating
system, since you can't access the Internet and because it's not really suited for usage other
than screwing around writing programs. It's really good for that, though -- lots of fun. It does
not depend on other code for anything. You can put it as the sole operating system on a
computer and disconnect the network. For those of you with fierce operating system cult
loyalty, relax, it's not a zero sum game. I promise it will never have networking or run in any
mode besides 640x480 16 color. It competes for mind-share, that's about it. It's a less-is-
more situation, to some extent.
The registered version also includes:
native x86_64 code -- no byte code or interpreter, anywhere. It's purpose is for users to have
fun programming. Nervous about no memory protections? You'd be shocked if you knew
how many embedded devices operate just fine with no protections. Don't write programs that
malfunction. At the worst, you reboot. Takes 2 seconds plus BIOS start-up time.
Curious why it's 640x480 16 color?
Curious why no memory protections?
It's a live CD, so you can test drive or install. You might need the alternate CD.
Unregistered version includes:
- 64-bit x86 Kernel with Multicore support.
- 64-bit Compiler/Assembler, flavor of C/C++
- Source files and the command line window can have graphics, links, icons, trees,
colors, margins -- everything is seamless and uncluttered. No resource, object or
executable files. - 64-bit pointers. Single address space across all tasks and all cores.
- Highest CPU privileged mode at all times. No off-limits instructions. No time lost
changing modes. What? You need a nanny? - Switches tasks in half a microsecond.
- CD/DVD reading and writing, ISO9660 file system
- 640x480 16 Color VGA Graphics
- Boot loaders for CD-ROM or hard disk
- Keyboards & Mice
- Hard Drive, Support for FAT32 and LoseThos native file systems, File compression
- Graphics Library
- Tools/Utilities including Profiler
- Demos and Documentation
- Games
- Bible and hymns
- All source code included, including 64-bit compiler! Only compiles natively -- you can't
use gcc. Instead, boot LoseThos to compile.
LoseThos never executes code not written by me except a couple BIOS config calls. It's
100,000 lines of public domain code with no GPL restrictions, written by me over the last 6
years, full-time. It was written completely from scratch with no code as a starting point.
It's a "supplemental" operating system because you'll want to dual boot with another operating
system, since you can't access the Internet and because it's not really suited for usage other
than screwing around writing programs. It's really good for that, though -- lots of fun. It does
not depend on other code for anything. You can put it as the sole operating system on a
computer and disconnect the network. For those of you with fierce operating system cult
loyalty, relax, it's not a zero sum game. I promise it will never have networking or run in any
mode besides 640x480 16 color. It competes for mind-share, that's about it. It's a less-is-
more situation, to some extent.
The registered version also includes:
- LTZ utility for uncompressing LoseThos files from Windows or Linux. (Not needed for
normal operation -- You normally boot LoseThos and it compresses or uncompresses
files automatically, on the fly.) - Dictionary
Strategical decisions that made it small and simple:
Low line count and simplicity are the goal, with it small enough for someone to get their head
around, being unintimidating. That's one reason I'm thinking of doing all the programming
myself -- not accepting contributions of code -- and limiting my ambitions for LoseThos
hardware and featurewise.
Small resource use is not really a goal. You don't get a cookie for reducing a 64-bit machines
RAM below 512 Meg. I can run it on 32 Meg or less, but who cares. I can delete the Bible
and cut the install size, too. Low user program line count is the ultimate goal (No, not with
pseudo simplifications which actually make it more complicated.)
"Hello world" takes one line -- statements can be placed outside a function like a script file:
computer users programmed and tinkered. Programs were in magazines. I had a book
which literally told what every address location was used for. Linux is intimidating.
Promises:
Not Promised:
Low line count and simplicity are the goal, with it small enough for someone to get their head
around, being unintimidating. That's one reason I'm thinking of doing all the programming
myself -- not accepting contributions of code -- and limiting my ambitions for LoseThos
hardware and featurewise.
Small resource use is not really a goal. You don't get a cookie for reducing a 64-bit machines
RAM below 512 Meg. I can run it on 32 Meg or less, but who cares. I can delete the Bible
and cut the install size, too. Low user program line count is the ultimate goal (No, not with
pseudo simplifications which actually make it more complicated.)
"Hello world" takes one line -- statements can be placed outside a function like a script file:
- coutln "Hello World";
- GrBitMap *base=GrAlias(gr_persistent_base,Fs);
base->color=RED;
GrLine(base,100,100,300,200);
GrDel(base);
computer users programmed and tinkered. Programs were in magazines. I had a book
which literally told what every address location was used for. Linux is intimidating.
- 640x480 16 colors. Period. Forever.
- No Security. Everything running in highest privilege level. No networking. Making a
Titanic is orders of magnitude more complicated than making a 2 second boot time.
Unlike a mainframe, on a home system, other users are not affected. LoseThos is for
users doing their own programs and every programmer has locked-up a task before
and had to kill it. Rebooting is quicker. - Pure 64-bit. No legacy support.
- One platform architecture.
- Update whole screen at 60 Hz -- doesn't mess with rectangles telling what's changed.
It's optimized for full screen games where keeping track of invalid rectangles does not
help. - All intermediate values in compiler are extended to 64-bit when fetched and only 64-bit
computations are done intermediately. No type-checking. - One editor/word processor/browser thing for command-line, source code,
documentation browser, dialog forms, everything. - One Font, 8x8.
- No child windows. One window per task. Buttons and stuff are widgets, not child
windows. Tasks can have child tasks with their own windows, though. - Threads = processes = tasks, no distinction (One memory map, duh! All cores, even.)
- One memory map for everybody -- virtual set equal to physical.
- One language and compiler for command-line scripts and code.
- No object files. Whole files are processed almost exclusively, allowing for compression.
- All tasks have a heap and a symbol table. Think of the scope as that of environment
variables in other operating systems. As text is typed at the command line or you run
programs by #including them, the symbols go in the table. If a symbol is not found, the
parent task's is checked. The father of all tasks has the API symbols you'll need
waiting in it's table. No need to #include headers. No need for namespaces --
scoping occurs automatically.
Promises:
- LoseThos will always run everything in kernel mode, ring 0. All programs will have full
access to memory, I/O ports, instructions, etc. Yes, this means you can crash LoseThos
very easily. Yes, this means no security. - LoseThos will always "identity map" virtual memory. (Virtual addresses are the same
as physical.) - LoseThos will never have networking.
- LoseThos will always have one video mode, 640x480 by 16 colors, unless this mode
might become unavailable on computers in the future. You can assume the screen will
be the same for everybody. There's plenty of CPU for very little screen to update -- only
1/37th the power needed for a 1600x1200x24 bit mode. (Compare video memory size
to judge needed work.) - The LoseThos operating system will be free, but I might sell applications or support, or
possibly do adware. - LoseThos will be 100% open source with all source included, unless device drivers or
something can only be included with non-disclosure agreements. - All function args and returns will be 64-bit -- no plans for C++.
- LoseThos documents are not for printing -- they're dynamic and intended for the
screen. There will always be just one font, a fixed-width font, and I do not have plans for
Unicode, just ASCII. - LoseThos is not for multimedia. Games will be created by programmers, not artists --
calculated sounds and images. Who has time to twiddle pixels all day and who has
voice actors and owns a 1930's radio show recording studio!
Not Promised:
- LoseThos is subject to change and backward compatibility is NOT guaranteed,
however, changes are a pain for me, too. It's mostly done. You are far safer working
with MAlloc compilation than static binaries because I can add members to classes,
reorder members in classes, add default args to existing functions, change #define
values, etc. all without breaking compatibility.
Trivial Solutions Corporation
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