Author Topic: ES/1 and ES/2 development hardware  (Read 4964 times)

RickCHodgin

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ES/1 and ES/2 development hardware
« on: December 04, 2017, 10:49:03 pm »
I'm planning to purchase this system to continue development on:

    VIA EPIA-M910 for US$250.

If anybody has a different machine they'd like me to do development on please let me know.  I'll be placing the order before Christmas.

RickCHodgin

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Re: ES/1 and ES/2 development hardware
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2017, 02:39:50 pm »
My goals are to get ES/2 working well on this lower-end system, so that it will really zoom on faster computers.

If any of you would like to purchase this machine, then you can become testers for me throughout ES/1 and ES/2 development.  The first pre-alpha release is planned to be ready sometime early next year (James 4:15).

The first versions of a pre-ES/2 kernel (codenamed "Al-x" (pronounced "Alex")) should ready several months after that, and will include a basic environment to test and stress the various kernel components.  This will include developing all of the features that OS/2's kernel supports today, plus extensions and allowances for those abilities it does not provide for.  The stress testing will be comprehensive and rigorous.  At that point, Al-x will be a stand-alone kernel in and of its own right suitable for branching off into any new OS that people want to design from that base.

And then after I get to that point, focus will be made to provide the full API interface necessary to let the existing OS/2 binaries boot and run natively as they do in OS/2 today, but when running in the ES/2 kernel.  My goal is 100% compatibility, 100% support of all existing software, 100% ability to run on any PentiumPro-or-later CPU.

I would like to ask for developers to come on board and help me when I get to the point where I'm developing Al-x and ES/2.  I know together we can achieve that which will give us a real and powerful open source 64-bit OS/2 future (through ES/2).

Note:  I am doing all of this because the Lord has blessed me with these abilities, and I am giving the best of what He first gave me back to Him.  I am doing it expressly and purposefully in His name, striving with great passion to do it right, and to do a fantastic job at all points.  My goal is nothing less than the best I have to offer.  No shortcuts.  No half-thought-out ideas.  And I'm not above admitting where I've made mistakes, back-tracking, and coming back and doing it right.  I want eyes on what I'm doing so people can help steer and guide me.  I am one man and I can make mistakes, but with many working together it's much harder to make mistakes over the long haul.

Note:  Please consider helping in a like manner.  Even if you don't know low-level software development, if you have a desire to work on a project like this, and a desire to learn, I can teach you.  I'm more than happy to put in the time for serious individuals.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2017, 03:00:42 pm by Rick C. Hodgin »

RickCHodgin

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Re: ES/1 and ES/2 development hardware
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2017, 09:05:49 pm »
To be clear and succinct:  My goals are to create the Al-x kernel as a stand-alone kernel.

Once created it can serve as a springboard into any other operating system people want to develop.

I will create a fork off Al-x which will then be used to create the ES/2 kernel, which I intend to be a fully compatible kernel with OS/2's kernel.  I'm currently looking through much literature to get a comprehensive view of what the kernel requires.  I am finding a lot of documentation, and even a lot of documentation on internal data structures, so it's looking like it's going to be possible.

My goals are (1) get Al-x working stand-alone.  (2) Port Al-x to es2krnl, and get OS/2 booting with the ES/2 kernel.  (3) Begin writing replacements for all of the OS/2 programs one-by-one.

Part of (1) will include working on base compilers and assemblers to allow compatible ES/2 binaries to be built for (3).