Robert Szeleney updated upcoming SkyOS 5 with an accelerated VMWare graphic driver, a port of the Links text/graphics web browser (fully supported by OSNews.com) and some development fixes.
Accelerated VMWare Graphic Driver for SkyOS 5
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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there is no stoping him…..he is like a machine
He hasn’t slept since he started it!! ;B
Anyway is their a prebuilt SkyOS image for VMWare?
Also has Robert ever produced a LiveCD of this OS?
Is their a Bochs download of this OS floating around on the web?
I am kindy busy, that is why I am asking these question. I would like to be able to just launch the OS instead of installing it.
Amazing, Robert.. Simply amazing..
I was talking to him some other day, and he told me that he works just 2 or 3 hours a day in SkyOS..
And there’s a live CD from SkyOS4
http://skyos.org/downloads/ins4a.php
I use VMWare and would like to try SkyOS just for fun. Should I wait for SkyOS 5 before trying to install it? When will SkyOS 5 be available?
I recently installed VMWare on my Red Hat 9 Linux host. The guest operating systems I have installed so far include Windows 2K , Windows NT 4.0, PC-DOS 2000 and Red Hat 8. If I add SkyOS would it be able to to network with any other OS on my virtual network in any meaningful way? Is it worth bothering with?
You can use SkyOS 4.0 with VMWare already. All virtual hardware is supported by SkyOS. (VMWare graphic is not accelerated with SkyOS4.0, but works fine with the VESA driver).
Furthermore, the virtual USB UHCI controller as well as the virtual networkcard (AmdPCNet32) is fully supported.
When configuring VMWare to use bridged networking you can fully use the network. (e.g. Browsing, Telnet, FTP, Samba,…)
Thanks ESCOZ.
Hi Robert, about the line “You need a formatted FAT12/16/32/VFAT or Ext2 Linux partition” in the following link.
http://skyos.org/downloads/ins4a.php
Is this for when I do a HD install or just a place to keep my data?
Just to let you all know, we just delivered some very necessary parts of the new GUI to Robert, so we (on the GUI dev team) should be seeing the new GUI soon (which means screenshots of the new implemented GUI shouldn’t be too far off from that).
Glancing over the features i noticed skyOS has a registry.
Is it implemented the same way as a windows registry?
If it is, what makes you think you won’t end up with the same mess windows ended up with. I mean, now you people are still the only developers working on it and i bet you clean up the registry after yourselves, but what if less skilled/conscious developers start writing stuff for skyOS
If it isn’t, then what’s so different about it?
Wow, Robert, are you perhaps part of a Siamese twin?
Anyway, the improvements keep comming and comming and comming… Like I said in a previous thread: SkyOS seems to be moving out of the hobby os zone.
Didn’t you people figure it out? Robert spawns a dozen instances of himself when he codes, to get more done concurrently
One man with a clear vision and plan and how to implement it can do far more then many heads talking and bickering over what to do.
Does SkyOS support adding your own filesystem attributes? What about journalling? I didn’t see either explicitly mentioned, though perhaps I missed it.
Also, is there or will there be a bootable CD for SkyOS 5? Something that I can install on its own partition in a multi-boot setup? I hate burning my own iso’s – I just seem to have bad luck with it. What about getting ahold of cheapbytes.com and selling the CD there? Be good advertising, too.
Thanks.
What is the advantige of this ClosedSource Hobby-OS?
There existing Linux, *BSD, HURD, AtheOS/Syllable, MenuetOS, OpenBeOS and a lot of more OpenSource OperatingSystems.
But what is the advantige of this ClosedSource-OS to the OpenSource ones?
And why have Robert decided to make it not OpenSource?
I’m happy, that the Syllable-development is so fast. And since Syllable exists, there is not only one developer, who is working on the AtheOS-kernel.
(But I personaly prefer OpenBeOS)
Cheers!
Ginsi
1. He could sell commercial licenses of parts of source code that he wrote, similar to how SCO sells commercial Unix licenses (I’m not making a SCO joke here, I’m quite serious)
2. Brad had said earlier: “One man with a clear vision and plan and how to implement it can do far more then many heads talking and bickering over what to do.”
“And why have Robert decided to make it not OpenSource?”
Robert didn’t because it’s HIS work, and he doesn’t want others to mess with it, without his conscent. This way he ensures that SkyOS stands for a good product, and, he avoids poeple “talking and bickering” what to do next.
I think, no, I KNOW he made the right descision on this one.
I think, no, I KNOW he made the right descision on this one.
Err… When Atheos author decided to stop further developpement (lost interest in it), the community around Atheos was very glad that the source was available freely.
Also why should an independant developper make an application for a hobby OS that is closed source ? A single person can just kill the whole OS and all the other peoples who have invested time and efforts into developping drivers or applications will have nothing left, the OS being pulled under their feet.
Impressive, very impressive. It seems like in some instances you have gone above and beyond the other Hobby OS’s out there. I wish you the best of luck and keep up the good work. I cant wait until SkyOS 5
I think people have a bad memory of the Windows registry.
All a registry is, is a list of settings. In a way, Linux has hundreds of little registries.
It is how you deal with the settings that can make or break the settings file.
Lets hope SkyOS does a better job of cleaning and backing up the registry than some other OS’s.
Mutiny
Robert just keeps going….I’m not thinking of using SKYOS on my main system (ATI RADEON 7500, M_Audio Soundcard, etc..) but on my aging dell laptop, it just might do the trick.
One question: how hard is it to get a driver written for SKYOS? I’m asking because the laptop has a maesto-2e with the es1869 chipset, I think.
Geez, does this guy ever sleep?
Victor.
Robert [hasn’t open sourced SkyOS] because it’s HIS work, and he doesn’t want others to mess with it, without his consent. This way he ensures that SkyOS stands for a good product, and, he avoids poeple “talking and bickering” what to do next.
I think, no, I KNOW he made the right descision on this one.
Robert doesn’t open source SkyOS because he doesn’t want other people to take advantage of his hard work. IMO it is a fairly selfish and egotistical decision, although it is his decision to make.
If he were to open source SkyOS, he wouldn’t lose control. He could accept patches or not accept them. He could enforce a strict ‘patches must give copyright to me’ policy if he chose (so he might revert back to a closed source license and go commercial at a later date). He might not accept patches at all even if it was open source. He’d still be in control of his codebase.
Refusing to open source something is not a matter of personal control. It’s a matter of a developer feeling that his work is his and his alone (ie fear of a fork) and/or a future plan of commercialising that work. This is also the case for other similar freeware projects (eg http://www.simutrans.com). Some people embrace the community that supports them, others choose not to.
Choice is a fine thing.
> Robert doesn’t open source SkyOS because he doesn’t want
> other people to take advantage of his hard work.
yeah.. So why should I support his work, testing his OS and helping him finding bugs? I mean.. Tomorrow he could decide to sell his OS and I don’t want to help him becoming richer; no thanks.. We already have Microsoft (and that’s enough, I think!)
Sorry for my bad english
Open sourcing SkyOS might actually slow development down, because he doesn’t have to deal with planning, meetings with other developers and waiting for someone to finish something. And he doesn’t have to bother with getting familiar with other people’s code and reviewing it.
Of course even if he’d open source it, he could still keep ultimate control and ignore what others are doing to it.
Therefore, such as it is now, I don’t see much benefit in open sourcing it with such startling development speed. He should as he does now spend time continuing OS development, supporting developers with his developer studio and betatesting and get other people to port/write applications.
Then it could really turn out to be the most successful hobby OS of all time.
Open sourcing SkyOS might actually slow development down, because he doesn’t have to deal with planning, meetings with other developers and waiting for someone to finish something.
Absolutely not. He can just make a tarball of his sources and put it on download publicly, and keep coding just the way he does now. Because the source is public doesn’t mean you have to work with other peoples, or even that you have to listen to them.
Absolutely not. He can just make a tarball of his sources and put it on download publicly, and keep coding just the way he does now. Because the source is public doesn’t mean you have to work with other peoples, or even that you have to listen to them.
Check out the next paragraph, I wrote. 🙂
OK, the first paragraph wasn’t clear enough, but I wanted to state that open sourcing SkyOS with the intent of letting others contribute to the core OS would slow core development down. Of course he could ignore contributions, but then what would be the point of open sourcing the thing.
Oh, well. If it wasn’t clear enough, I hope it is now. 🙂
A simple statement: Open sourcing SkyOS would lead to ‘unstandardization’ (if that’s a word). And we all know what that means…
The only thin that worries me, and it’s not not being able to look into the sources, is what happens if they get lost? It would be a shame and it happens so easily (harddrive crash, fire, accidental delete/format/data corruption)… but if off-site backups are taken, I couldn’t care less if it’s open-sourced or not. I just don’t wanna see these fabulous efforts wasted by a single point of failure…
My 2 eurocents.
I don’t think that the source will ever get lost. I am making automic backups every day on 4 different harddisks. (2 complete backup drives and 2 incremental backup drives).
Furthermore, each weekend I burn a DVD with the complete development tree. (~ 6GB).
2 harddisks/1DVD is at home, the other 2 harddisks and DVD in my office.
Additionally, the entire source is on 2 web servers (updated weekly) and two project members have the source too.
So I really don’t know what must happen that I will lose the entire source. 🙂
To the best of my Knowledge SkyOS doesn’t do anything *NEW*, why the push to open it up then?
There are plenty of open source OS’es out there that are more advanced than SkyOS, many that have OpenGL, USB, <insert your favorite whizz-bang here> support.
If you want to learn about those things or use them, check out places where they already are free/open. In many cases you will probably find that the *BSD/Linux/Syllable/freedos/OBOS implementation would be more mature, and probably more port friendly than their SkyOS counterparts.
Basically I feel it comes down to this: All the people pushing to Open up SkyOS source don’t really have a good reason. Its more of a philosophical stance than anything else, and it wouldn’t really add much to all that is out there.
If you want to play with the source of a Desktop OS try Syllable, OBOS, ReactOS, etc. They have their source already in the open, they are *Community* projects.
I look at the BeOS as a perfect example as to why I would hesitate supporting a closed source OS. Be had a great product, and was developing a cult following. However, because of their commercial endeavors, they could not keep it going. Now, the OS is stalled (don’t start on Zeta). Had they open sourced it, things like OBOS would be much further along than they are now.
If for some reason, down the road, Robert decides he has had enough, or financially, or physically cannot work on the project anymore, anyone using it will have been left out in the cold.
I don’t fault Robert for doing it…that is his choice. But I am more likely to give my support (testing, evangalism, money) to something like OBOS, where I know, even if Michael were to drop off the face of the earth, the project could continue on, in one form or another.
There will never be any guarantees that Robert would not drop this at some point or another. And if he does, the project could very well drop with him.
Give him a break! It his work! Maybe he just wants to test his programming skills and see whether he is capable of writing an OS all by himself, and the community that interested in his work can voluntary report bugs and feedback…
Good luck to you Robert!
Give him a break! It his work! Maybe he just wants to test his programming skills and see whether he is capable of writing an OS all by himself, and the community that interested in his work can voluntary report bugs and feedback…
If that is his goal…then why should I bother wasting my time to help him out… or to evangalize for him?
If that is his goal…then why should I bother wasting my time to help him out… or to evangalize for him?
I would, if it turns out the side effect of testing his programming skills gives us a good and useful OS.
“If that is his goal…then why should I bother wasting my time to help him out… or to evangalize for him?”
Because you get to use a new, fresh OS? If it is such a burden for you simply choose to not “help him out” or “evangalize” it…
>yeah.. So why should I support his work, testing his OS >and helping him finding bugs? I mean.. Tomorrow he could >decide to sell his OS and I don’t want to help him >becoming richer; no thanks.. We already have Microsoft
>(and that’s enough, I think!)
>Sorry for my bad english
What’s wrong with helping somebody become richer? You don’t think the high standard of living we enjoy today has resulted from shunning those who have become financially successful? Want to see what happens to people who share your point of view? Let me tell you the story of a country that was called the Soviet Union.. oh wait you probably already know that one. If it’s a good piece of software, make use of it. Who knows – maybe it will increase your productivity and market value.
Congratulations to Robert on his latest success – and all the best to him!
All these last posts can be answered by my first post.
If I help him out, and he decides to stop, what do I get out of it? I get the BeOS…
I have no problem with what he is doing…that is his choice. But I am going to tread very lightly, as I don’t want to have happen to me, what happened with the BeOS. I created User Groups…I bought the software, I spent plenty of time spreading the word, and at the end of the day, it is all for nothing.
Could you sound anymore like a ColdWar-era cartoon? I haven’t thought about my “productivity” and “market-value” for a couple of days now. I’m actually insulted that anyone would try to define my actions in terms of how it affects something as empty as “productivity.” I’m insulsted that you’d actually even consider attaching a “market-value” to a human being. There really is more to life…
> If that is his goal…then why should I bother wasting my
> time to help him out… or to evangalize for him?
It sounds like you’ve already made your decision not to support SkyOS.
But to answer your “Why should I support this?” question:
Maybe you shouldn’t. I’m sure he could manage with one less tester. :-p
But to answer your “Why should I support this?” question:
Maybe you shouldn’t. I’m sure he could manage with one less tester. :-p
Make that at least two testers. And probably quite a few more. Not to mention all the driver and app developers who are not going to be inclined to develop for an OS that could disappear with the flip of a switch.
Adam
Yes, I highly doubt more testers are needed who will whine about the source.
SkyOS is closed source. You’re going to have to deal with it. We want everyone to download it (or buy it!) and try it out and give us feedback. But its going to stay closed source. If you have qualms with that fact and just cannot come to terms with it, then there are plenty of alternatives.
Could Robert decide not to work on SkyOS anymore? Sure. But he has been working on SkyOS since 1996, and all signs point to him being very serious about making SkyOS a force to recon with. You argue that closed source projects inevitably lead to failure and loss of OS. Well, I can think of two companies off the top of my head that beat that generalization: Apple and Microsoft.
And hey, I bought BeOS Pro 5.0 and the BeOS bible! No one was more pissed off then me when they closed, but it happens. BeOS wanted to keep their source closed. That’s their prerogative. Robert and I have talked AT LENGTH about SkyOS, open source, and licenses and all of that stuff, and in the end, I believe he is making the right decision for SkyOS. There are plenty of OSS OS’s out there to choose from, so we’re making one that isn’t. We hope EVERYONE tries it out and lets us know what they think of it and what needs to be fixed and worked on.
We’re currently building our software dev. team, whose first goal will be to make drivers. We already have enough members to get started on that task. Obviously there are people interested.
I’ve never said that I would not support him… only stating my reservations.
To Mr. Anonymous, if you are going to complain about my posts, do it with your real name, I could easily post my concerns Anonymously, I choose not to.
I wish all the best to the SkyOS team, and if they produce a product that rivals other OSs, I will certainly try it out, I will just make sure that I understand the motives and long-term vision of said team before doing so.
Having purchased BeOS 3.1, 4.x, 5.0 Pro, Be Dev Manual, Formed a user group, held meetings, etc, I am going to, as I stated, tread lightly.
To Robert and Team, do not take my comments that you are doing things all wrong, just stating the facts (IMHO) surrounding support of Closed Source OSs.
With what I’ve seen I now don’t want to ever touch SkyOS, whether it be open source, closed source or tasty red tomato source. Please think about why someone would develop such antagonism.
You obviously have not followed any Hobby OSs. You should see the arguments on things like the OBOS mailing list.
Call me crazy if you will, I am a firm believer in work experience being more valuable than a college degree. That said, given the free time I’d like to get involved with SkyOS or another OS, or start my own. If you’re a programmer and you love what you do, what’s the harm in helping someone else? It’s not like you lose EVERYTHING. You still get to keep something that no one can take away: The wonderful experience of coding, whatever knowledge you pick up along the way, the opportunity to talk with other developers and share ideas. Professional programmers have to be able to work in teams and cooperate to get things done. It takes people skills, and lets face it, the majority of geeks don’t have people skills.
Take this as an opportunity to work on not only your programming skills, but your people skills and organizational skills, time management, etc.
Ok, now you may laugh at me 😀 (lighten up folks).
Well we’ll certainly miss you Anonymous.
So when/where can we download a SkyOS 5 VMWare image – and make sure it works with VMWare4 otherwise it’ll just go the way of Plan9 (which no longer works due to *requiring* the VM3.2 BIOS!)
As of now, our “business plan” consists of making a quality operating system that people like to use.
Does it involve commercialization of your operating system? Or is it going to remain as a no cost system?
Thanks for the post on the drivers. You taking requests? I’m okay with the vesa graphics, but I have 2 soundcards, the Maestro ess1869, and an M-audio which is based on the most recent Envy chipset. I can’t live without the sound, but I can’t code worth a damn.
Also, as an MBA, I gotta love such a simple and straight forward mission statement:
“As of now, our “business plan” consists of making a quality operating system that people like to use.”
That’s just classic. Ought to be an example in business management textbooks. Maybe you guys should give Redmond a ring and let them borrow your business plan, or at least use it as a model!
We haven’t quite started on the drivers yet (working on some other things first), but we’ll definitely work on getting as many hardware components supported as we can, and sound cards are pretty high up on the “to do” list for drivers.
Glad you like our business plan.
We don’t exactly know what the future has in store for us business-wise at this point, all we know is that we want to make something that works well and looks nice.