Syllable, AtheOS Archive

The first development release of Syllable Server is available. It provides a text mode Linux environment, but also contains a preliminary graphical environment built on the framebuffer device, with DirectFB and SDL on top. The planned graphical environment from Syllable Desktop is not included yet. The installation procedure is short, but is still manual - and resembles the installation procedure for the old AtheOS. Included are tools such as a graphical web browser, a file manager and an editor. One thing Syllable Server is designed for is to function as a light-weight virtualisation platform for running other operating systems (or multiple instances of itself). The QEmu virtualisor/emulator is included, and the KQEmu Accelerator kernel module is integrated into the system. There's a screenshot of Syllable Server running on Syllable Desktop, installation and usage instructions, a torrent (preferred), and an installation package .

Syllable's resident graphics designer Ruud Kuin has published the first issue of his Syllable Development Newsletter . This new project is a continuation of the SDN magazines by Michael Saunders that were popular around two years ago. The first issue contains five main articles and five smaller ones, for a total of eleven pages, by six contributors. Subjects range from a developer interview to the first part of a programming tutorial series. It is accompanied by an archive that conveniently collects software that was released recently: three pieces this time.

Kelly Wilson ported the Gnash Flash player clone to Syllable , enabling the playing of Adobe Flash content. It uses the Boost C++ libraries, the SDL and Anti-Grain Geometry libraries for graphics rendering and FFMPEG for multimedia decoding. Work on the player is continuing to add the FreeType library and make the player native to Syllable, so it can be integrated in the web browser. Also, on some Adobe Flash news, an upcoming update will be supporting native h.264 videos, HE-AAC audio support, as well as hardware accelerated, multi-core enhanced full screen video playback.

The first development build after Syllable 0.6.4 is here, with the new USB and scanning subsystem. The project was contacted by the Python project concerning support for the upcoming Python 3, so far resulting in an upgrade of the Syllable Python port to the latest release version 2.5.1. Also this weekend, Syllable got a new window decorator in Vista style , 7-Zip, UnRAR and UnACE.

Kristian Van Der Vliet ported libusb to Syllable, which gives applications direct access to USB devices. Libusb will allow Syllable to support devices such as scanners, digital cameras and digital audio players. The SANE scanner package has already been ported. Kernel support for libusb has already been checked into CVS and Builder packages for libusb, SANE and libgphoto2 will follow shortly. Also, there are new ports of Bochs (screenshot) and DOSBox (screenshot). More screenshots here.

For the first time, the Syllable project has published translated versions of the Syllable 0.6.4 Live CD. Besides the regular English version, ten other languages are available: Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Magyar (Hungary), Polish, Russian, Spanish and Swedish. Other translations are currently not complete enough. The Spanish version is available from a new Syllable community website for Latin America. Also, Flemming Sorensen ported Battle for Wesnoth this weekend (screenshot), a fantasy strategy game.

Flemming Sørensen created the new Live CD for Syllable 0.6.4. It needs 64 MB of memory. New is the availability of a BitTorrent download. If you are contemplating what to develop for Syllable: Arno Klenke made a new release of the sIDE integrated development environment. The included Sourcery code editor needed to be recompiled to run on Syllable 0.6.4. Also, Kristian Van Der Vliet recently rewrote all Syllable documentation.

Syllable 0.6.4 has been released. "Syllable 0.6.4 contains many new features, enhancements and bug fixes from previous releases. Highlights of this release include a new version of ABrowse; the web browser has been re-written using the WebKit engine. A new version of Whisper, and the Contact address book is now included. A large number of usability and user interface fixes, largely curtesy of Anthony Morphett. New drivers for the SysKonnect Yukon1 network cards & ACPI CPU management and updated drivers for Radeon, GeForceFX, SiS and Trident video cards, HD Audio, Intel & VIA SATA controllers and Realtek 8169 network cards. The usual clutch of bug fixes and enhancements."

Kaj de Vos made two big announcements at SylCon 2007. The first was a new web browser, based on a port of WebKit. The second is Syllable Server, which will bring together the Syllable GUI with the Linux kernel to create a server operating system that compliments Syllable on the desktop. Syllable Server is not based on any existing Linux distribution and will look and feel as much like Syllable as possible.

"Brent has put the Syllable User's Bible (SUB) back online, hosted on Syllable.org. Feel free to check it out, and email Brent with improvement suggestions. SUB's design hasn't been integrated into the main Syllable.org design yet."

The Syllable team has released Syllabe 0.6.3. This release includes a 'cleaner, fresher looking desktop', USB cd-rom drivers, gigabit ethernet drivers, improved media support, initial printing support via CUPS, automatic GRUB installation, as well as many other new drivers and bug fixes.

Kristian Vander Vliet, aka Vanders, has been working on a document that explains how to port drivers to Syllable. This document first starts off as a primer on how to write drivers for Syllable. Then the document shows how to port a driver from Linux to Syllable. Kristian chooses to focus on network drivers and ported the broadcom tg3 driver from Linux while writing this document.

"Arno Klenke has completed the first version of a new audio framework for Syllable. The new system is inspired by ALSA, which makes it more Object Oriented, streams oriented and more flexible. Parts of the stream handling have been 'pushed up' into user-space as part of the media server. The first version supports Intel ICH and Via VT82xx AC'97 chipsets and the new HD-Audio standard."

Syllable 0.6.1 is the latest incarnation of the operating system that "will be a reliable and easy-to-use GPLed operating system for the home and small office user" as their website states. That's quite a noble cause most other alternative operating systems never claim to be able to market to non-technical audience one day. Even getting Syllable up and running is pretty easy: fully-working VMWare images and a LiveCD images are provided for free download. Apparently, Danes are the primary downloader of the Syllable LiveCD, given the primary language in which the LiveCD page is by default.