It has been a long time since the news has been updated, but that doesn't mean that development on A2osX has ceased in the last 4 years! We've actually had quite a number of releases over this time. In general, stability has been greatly improved but there have also been additions like BASIC.FX which is a ProDOS BASIC.SYSTEM environment which supports a number of ProDOS FX extensions (RamWorks III and extension commands for starters).
As far as where things are going now, development is underway on Kernel 1.0 which will finally bring support for breaking past the 128KB barrier of the //e series by supporting RamWorks-type memory cards. In the past, RamWorks boards were supported but would only allow for /RAM type storage. With Kernel 1.0, up to 8MB of RAM can now be used for code and applications! Early builds of the new kernel are expected in 1H 2024.
With current builds and all going forward, the distributions are only shipped with [ProDOS FX](ProDOS.md) by default. While 2.0.3tc is still available and can be used with A2osX, the recommendation is now to use FX because of the filename case handling in addition to the number of under-the-hood improvements that FX offers. Both FX and 2.0.3tc's clock tables have been updated for 2024.
We are currently looking for volunteers to help with flushing out the C libraries! A C89-compliant compiler is available, however, the API needs some work to be compliant and can result in changing the kernel's APIs too, so "the sooner, the better" as the saying goes. Want to help? Reach out on the Slack server!
Finally, we are always looking for people to help! A project as complicated at A2osX requires a lot of testing, but we always need help with creating new applications, libraries, and documentation. If you have some applicable skills, let us know!
A2osX Version 0.93 Release Candidate has been finalized. Media for this release, based on Build 193x are now available. Future STABLE and BLEED builds will be based on work to complete 0.94. Work has already started to make the A2osX API fully C compliant. This will allow a new CSH shell and CC compiler to be added to A2osX as well as an enhanced web server (*httpd*) that can serve active server pages formed by user created CSH scripts. In addition, Double High Graphics Resolution (DHGR) and Mouse drivers are being finalized which will allow developers to create games and new user interfaces for their A2osX applications.
The A2osX team is proud to announce the availability of two new versions of ProDOS, one with a very minor tweak and the other a major update/overhaul. There is ProDOS 2.03tc which is an 8 byte patch to ProDOS 2.03 to update the year table to support years through 2023 and ProDOS FX, a **F**aster and e**X**tended version, that adds many new features including lower case file, directory and volume name support. These new versions are already being included in the latest **Stable** media and will become the versions of ProDOS supplied on all future media. The team added a new Document to our repository that covers these and other publically available versions of ProDOS and their use with A2osX.
A2osX now act actually has for quite some time supports lower case in file, directory and volume names as long as this capability is available in the version of ProDOS you are running. Consult the new **[A2osX and ProDOS](ProDOS.md)** document for more information and a table on which versions of ProDOS provide this capability to A2osX.
The *EDIT* utility has undergone a major update. We need your testing and feedback. Please make sure to open issues on any anomalies you discover.
Kernel/Shell rewrite to move more things to AUX freeing main mem. with 2 tty used to be 22K free. Now. 26.5K with 1TTY 28.4K. of course with 8 TTY 17.5K
Speaking of changing the number of virtual TTYs, A2osX has been enhanced to now support up to 8 virtual terminals on the console, configurable with the KCONFIG utility. Consult the User Guide for more information. Note that with 8 virutal TTYs defines, available main memory drops to 17.5K. Open Apple 1 through 8 is used to be switched between the virtual terminals, Open Apple-0 is still used to access the A2osX Console (displays system errors and information) and Open Apple-9 is reserved for future use of DHGR (Double High-res Graphics).
A new bell option (**Echo \a**) has been added to the *echo* command in the shell (*/bin/sh*) to ring a bell on VT-100 connected terminals (via the SSC driver or the TELNETD deamon). The bell has no affect on the console.
Multiple bugs have been address from issues posted on GitHub including updates to *cut*, *format*, *sh* (for internal command), *nscutil*, *ping*, *wc*, and many more. Users can check the status of issues or create new ones for A2osX on **[Github](https://github.com/burniouf/A2osX/issues)**.
A great new networking utility, *httpget* is now available which can be used to access/post to web servers. This utility can be used in combination with services like IFTTT to send tweets from A2osX, or send message to apps like Slack.## Latest News 2019-12-05
Media have been updated based on Build 1694. This version fixes issues with Piping of commands, adds new READ functionality. Please note, KM.NSC is no longer loaded by default on any media. If you have a No Slot Clock in your system, you should move the file KM.NSC from ./SYS/KM into ./SYS which will make it load on boot.
Starting with Build 1675, the SH(ell) command **TIME** has been removed and the **DATE** command will now return both the Date and Time. Additionally, if DATE command has been updated to support options for returning formatted strings with just the portions of the date and time you desire. Consult the Shell Developers Guide for syntax.
Created STABLE images with Build 1669 with improvements to TCP networking. There is also a new DEBUG 140k disk image. See the media guide for more info.
Updated A2osX Release Candidate based on Build No 1650 is now available and can be found in our **[Media directory](.Floppies)**. In addition, a new disk image **TDBOOT** has been created that is preconfigured to automatically load Uthernet2 driver, start network services and launch the TelnetD server process (hence name TD for TelnetD Boot).
Major updates have occurred to the kernel and many of the A2osX API's to support a greatly enhanced shell that boasts significant new scripting capabilities since 0.92. Also added is the the ability to redirect input and output, including errors, and the ability to pipe (|) the output of one command or operation to another (i.e. **ls \* | more** ). A2osX now provides for multiple virtual terminals as well as users/terminals via TCP (through TELNETD) and serial devices (through a SSC driver).
As great as the changes to A2osX itself, we are also please to report that great strides have been made in terms of documentation. While much of it is in draft form, there is a new **[Users Guide](User%20Guide.md)**, **[Developers Guide](Developers%20Guide.md)**, **[Shell Developers Guide](Shell%20Developers%20Guide.md)**, **[Technical Spec](Technical%20Spec.md)** and **[Command Guide](Command%20Guide.md)**. See the **[Documentation](#documentation)** Section below for more details.
Major updates have occurred to the kernel and many of the APIs to support an enhanced shell with support of many new scripting capabilities, the ability to redirect and eventually piping output. Current kernel also supports multiple virtual terminals as well as TCP (via TELNETD) and serial (SSC driver) terminals.
My loneliness has been cured, new resources have signed onto the project. I welcome Patrick Kloepfer who is helping with product management, recruitment, testing and feedback.
It defaults to cooperative mode ('P'olling mode). For this, no particular hardware needed (except 65c02 and 128k, of course!)
If you want to enable preemptive mode, all you need is a "tick" source to get 'V'BL or 'C'lock Mode.
(see below for supported hardware)
Then you must explicitly ENABLE it using KCONFIG utility. (see screenshot below)
You can monitor the kernel state on the 'SYS' screen (OA-1, or SHIFT-OA-1 on french keyboards) and look at the upper right corner, you should see a blincking 'P', 'V' or 'C', showing you the current kernel state..
If you enabled preemptive mode, you should see an additional blinking 'S', each time the kernel switch from one PS to another.
Reminder :
+ (SHIFT)-OA-1 : Kernel SYS Screen
+ (SHIFT)-OA-2 : Console Screen (Shell...)
+ (SHIFT)-OA-3 : DHGR Screen (if loaded)
For now, only SBIN/BIN executables are "switcheable".
Roadmap is as follow:
+ Check all BIN/SBIN sources to make them preemptive compliant, most of them are NOT.
+ Add a way to make LIB also interruptible and reentrant.
+ Add more supported hardware for system clock.
+ ...and still hoping finding few contributors.... :-(
## News 2017-11-08
Kernel 0.9.1 stable enough to resume building.
+ KM.APPLETALK module not crashing anymore
(Undocummented AtInit function, had to go further in official ATINIT disassembly)
+ Improved Command Line editing and history.
(SUPPR key is emulated with Ctrl-X using //e keyboard)
+ New DevMgr enumeration strategy, now including /RAM and other virtual Block Devices
+ Math API (Hacked from APPLESOFT ROM ;-)
+ CSH Script engine within Shell (In progress)
## News 2017-09-22
(once Kernel 0.9.1 stable enough, BOOT & DEV will be updated) __(done!)__
**0.9 has been archived, next Kernel Version is 0.9.1**
+ More Standard C API compliance __(done!)__
+ API Cleanup, many functions still use shared space __(done!)__
| //c,//c+,IIgs Mouse port | 50/60 Hz | Working | Supported at Kernel level, no conflict with GUI's Mouse.DRV (not required to be loaded), requires setting "Machine Timing" properly in KConfig Utility |
| IIe Mouse Card | 50/60 Hz | Working | (same as above) |
| ThunderClock Plus | 64 Hz | Working | gave up fixing this faulty H/W, thanx to JACE emulator! |
| Super Serial Card | ? | Idea, from EtchedPixels | #31 |
| MockingBoard | ? | Idea, from Michael | |
| GOES Irq Card | ? | Idea, from Oliver | #34 |
| ... Any Other suggestion ? | | | |
## !!!HELP NEEDED!!!
Thanx a lot for all positive comments i read here and there, but i definitively need contributors & testers.
Anybody wants to join this project ?
If you're interested on contributing, please send a message with your skills and in which area you are interested to work on (Network, Kernel, device drivers for additional hardware support, GUI, graphical resourses, command line tools....)
This is some sort of "last hope call", some of you were right, this project is really huge!!!
Anyway, i'm convinced that a small team of developers could reach "version 1.0" with GUI & network support in few months....i'm working on it for...4 years now, spending the most of my free time fixing hardware to test this code instead of...writing it!
Well, let me know if you can bring "fresh blood" to this stuff...
