As the Syllable project predicted many years ago, version 3 of the REBOL programming language has finally been open sourced, under the Apache 2 licence (screenshot on Syllable Desktop). Also, the alpha version of the high-level Red programming language, supporting Syllable Desktop, has been released, by now in version 0.3.1 (screenshot, demo program, video at the Science Park in Amsterdam).
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Member since:2010-06-09
You only have to start Syllable once to experience that it's not Linux. Why don't you give it a try?
Syllable's concept has always been to be an excellent base to port existing open source software on. Syllable is a complete stack of its own: kernel, driver framework, application server, multi-media server, user-space toolkit, and a collection of native apps. Around that skeleton, by now more than 99% of the code is ported. How do you suggest we arrive at end-user functionality if we would reinvent the wheel for everything?
Member since:2011-05-12
I'm planning to give it a try. My attempt this morning failed, but that's apparently because VirtualBox and Syllable isn't a great match.
With regards to reinventing the wheel, there is a wheel and if too much stuff is just ported you end up with another wheel and then I wonder why bother if there already was a fine wheel. In this case the first wheel is called Linux.
Maybe I should try Syllable first, because now I see all these open source projects that are also on Linux, giving me the impression it's all the usual suspects running on a different kernel.
There have been and are a number of "operating systems" that are just the Linux kernel, GNU stuff and then some small twist. If Syllable presents me with a bash shell and vi I will get a Linux feeling.
But okay, maybe I should try it first.
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2011-05-12
Yes, I do, but Linux filled a space: a UNIX like system on home computer hardware. Minix wasn't up for it and real UNIX wasn't either.
A new operating system, like Syllable, needs to (IMHO) offer more than just being fast on an old computer. For a computer to be useful you need applications and if these are just Firefox, OpenOffice and the usual others I wonder why not just install Linux.
What I personally would like to see is an operating system that operates in a new and original way, with it's own original software. Sure stuff can be ported too, but in addition to original software. Microsoft Office for Windows and for Mac are different yet somewhat the same.
Syllable has its own kernel and file system, that's a nice thing for starters. But for a user that's behind the scenes stuff, if all it does is run Firefox it might as well be a Linux distribution.
I wonder also if the goal, to be a fast user friendly desktop OS, is a realistic one if you can't sync your iPhone to it, run the latest version of Flash, use all the features of a desktop printer or do other modern things.
Considering the competition in that area of Windows, OS X and Linux it will never capture much of a user base.
Apparently it once started as an AmigaOS clone. If they'd stuck with that it would have been a more unique goal. Still a small following, but it would not be in the same pond as Windows, OS X and Linux.
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Member since:
2011-05-12
I'm just wondering about the "why" of Syllable.
If you read its description it might as well be a Linux distribution. Apparently it will fine on old hardware, but even dual core machines are joining the pile of discard.
But Linux runs fine on old hardware too (just like *BSD) and Linux has a much broader software selection, support, acceptance. DOS, NT4, Win95/98 are also operating systems that work fine on a Pentium based PC.
I like operating systems, but I like them more if they are somewhat unique and with Syllable I'm just seeing a lot of stuff that's common in the Linux world getting ported. So you'll end up with a kind of Linux clone that is missing a lot of stuff that a real Linux install does have.
Once you start porting system stuff I think you need to wonder if you are still creating your own operating system or if you are just copying.