Author Topic: Reminder about OS/2 VOICE IIRC speaktup in about 18 hours  (Read 19536 times)

Roderick Klein

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 653
  • Karma: +14/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Reminder about OS/2 VOICE IIRC speaktup in about 18 hours
« Reply #15 on: February 19, 2018, 10:37:04 pm »
Hi,
About memory. While, from my limited understanding, the i386 architecture is limited to 4 GiB address structure (minus overhead for kernel, pci devices and such bringing it closer to 3GiB), it allows something like a terrabyte of virtual memory (48bits). So in theory can for example run 3+ 2GB programs with the only downside being lots of swap file thrashing.
In practice, our kernel (and device drivers), originally designed at a time when 16 MiB of memory was a lot, use lots of 32 bit, often signed, variables and even 16 bit, which gives practical limits in what OS/2 is capable of. For example I discovered the hard way that the system dies with a "swap file full" error when the swap file grows over 2GiB.
Basically we're really limited in the memory department due to design and without rewriting the kernel (and selected device drivers), that's the way it is.
This is what will kill our OS in respect to running modern applications in the new 64bit world. Already developers are not caring about 32bit.

In respect to security, most malware is now browser based, eg using JavaScript. Unluckily we always seem to be a year behind so our browser probably has unpatched vulnerabilities and this probably won't change if we switch to webkit excepting we'll have Chrome flaws instead of Mozilla flaws.
On the bright side, some of this malware expects a Windows (or Android etc) system and will fail on OS/2.

One idea I have heard at Netlabs is the idea that the GCC/LIBC libraries might be able to use the memory that the ArcaOS loader provides on machines with more then 4GB of RAM.  I understood it would not be easy.
But most likely easier then patching the kernel to support PAE. I have always understood this is pretty difficult.

Roderick Klein
President OS/2 VOICE foundation

Neil Waldhauer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1020
  • Karma: +24/-0
    • View Profile
    • Blonde Guy
Re: Reminder about OS/2 VOICE IIRC speaktup in about 18 hours
« Reply #16 on: March 03, 2018, 06:58:26 pm »
I have talked to potential OS/2 users, and our killer app is actually OS/2. Lots of curious people wanting to see something different.

This won't give us world domination over Android or iOS or the other minor operating systems, but it has the potential for a lot of sales compared to today.
Expert consulting for ArcaOS, OS/2 and eComStation
http://www.blondeguy.com

Dave Yeo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4775
  • Karma: +99/-1
    • View Profile
Re: Reminder about OS/2 VOICE IIRC speaktup in about 18 hours
« Reply #17 on: March 03, 2018, 07:51:14 pm »
The problems being that OS/2, or rather the WPS, is just different enough (things like dragging with the right mouse button) to frustrate people, along with a shortage of modern stable programs.
I'm finding that to do stuff like watch netflix, I have to reboot to Linux, and then get frustrated because things don't work quite the same.