OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical > Hardware
The last nail in OS/2's coffin
Eugene Tucker:
I started with OS/2 2.0 in 1992. And have heard of it's demise pretty much since then. Yet I am still running it on two computer and I do have a third license for Arca OS 5.1. If I listened to the negative I would have been out of using it years ago. but here I stiil am I guess an old stubborn man. Nothing lasts forever. but this operating system has really beaten the odds. I used to do everything in Arca OS but now it is rather limited, but I still like using it. Intel will go where fiances and the market carry it along with AMD. Quantum computers are on the way and the old CPU designs are going to fade out too. Until then since my path is not a whole lot longer I will use and support Arca OS. signed Old Stubborn Coot
Martin Iturbide:
--- Quote from: Digi on January 23, 2024, 03:57:00 am ---
--- Quote from: Martin Iturbide on January 22, 2024, 03:19:40 am ---The crazy/drunk idea will be to grab a 64bits open source multi-kernel and make OS/2 run interpreted (not emulated) from it.
--- End quote ---
http://osfree.org/ - The beginning has already been made. As I understand it, most of the Dos* functions have already been implemented.
--- End quote ---
Hello Digi.
My only issue with OSFree is that they had done a great job, but I don't have the technical skill to see it's progress to promote it. My idea would be that OSFree should make some binary releases to replace close source source components of OS/2.
What I would want for OSFree it is for some of his open source code to became streamline inside ArcaOS to replace IBM binaries. It can be little by little, it can be only start by replacing "ver.exe", whatever. We need to replace IBM binaries for open source alternatives, and mainstream that binaries (with the source code).
Digi, if OSFree has already open sourced all Dos* functions, I think we need a way to have some DLLs compiled and try to replace the IBM's DLLs on ArcaOS to test how they work. If you want to write me, or create a new thread, we can do some testing of what OSFree has and with some brave users try those binaries to replace old close source ones.
Regards
Lars:
--- Quote from: Roderick Klein on January 23, 2024, 10:20:06 am ---
--- Quote from: Lars on January 22, 2024, 02:28:43 pm ---If you want to delve into the details:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/articles/technical/envisioning-future-simplified-architecture.html
Currently, this is only a proposal. But it gives a very good idea of what Intel thinks is no longer needed.
--- End quote ---
Its expected this will indeed be long term thing to happen. I understand the legacy bit takes up 12% of the space in CPU.
I read an article (I do not the have link handy) of one of the main AMD tech engineers and he said the proposal was every interesting.
However the engineer indicated the changes proposed are "very, very, very, very complex to make".
The other thing that this would imply is (the way I understand it) is that NO current VM would work anymore
to run legacy OS. Its the CPU that provides the virtualization support to hypervisor.
Roderick
--- End quote ---
Correct. Virtualization of OS/2 (and likewise: DOS and Windows 16-bit) will not be possible once x86-S is introduced. Only emulation will be possible (with a huge performance impact, of course).
Dave Yeo:
--- Quote from: Lars on January 23, 2024, 05:18:53 pm ---Correct. Virtualization of OS/2 (and likewise: DOS and Windows 16-bit) will not be possible once x86-S is introduced. Only emulation will be possible (with a huge performance impact, of course).
--- End quote ---
This raises the question of how virtualization works currently with a 64 bit system running 16 bit code. My understanding is that in 64 bit mode, 16 bit software doesn't work.
As for emulation, with JIT compiler, performance can be pretty good. The PowerPC OS/2 was supposed to run DOS/WinOS2 well, as well as some versions of NT such as the Alpha port.
I doubt that anyone will actually do it but possible.
Roderick Klein:
--- Quote from: Dave Yeo on January 23, 2024, 05:42:16 pm ---
--- Quote from: Lars on January 23, 2024, 05:18:53 pm ---Correct. Virtualization of OS/2 (and likewise: DOS and Windows 16-bit) will not be possible once x86-S is introduced. Only emulation will be possible (with a huge performance impact, of course).
--- End quote ---
This raises the question of how virtualization works currently with a 64 bit system running 16 bit code. My understanding is that in 64 bit mode, 16 bit software doesn't work.
As for emulation, with JIT compiler, performance can be pretty good. The PowerPC OS/2 was supposed to run DOS/WinOS2 well, as well as some versions of NT such as the Alpha port.
I doubt that anyone will actually do it but possible.
--- End quote ---
I do not know how this works, but the CPU does not swtch to legacy mode. You will have to ask a CPU expert.
Roderick
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