OSDev.org

Hi!
I'm looking for a very basic OS being able to put a single pixel on screen. It should also support screen resolutions and multitasking. I don't want to play with assembler, programming IDT, IRQ, etc.

Greetings

So, you're looking for an OS to act as a base for yours? Well, you can just use linux with SDL if you need. Or, look at the OS projects list on the wiki. HOWEVER, make sure you read the licences before you go building on somebody else's work.

Can I use linux 0.1(or 1.0, I don't remember) with SDL? Is there an SDL for it?

SDL wasn't invented that then.

But is this linux version able to put a pixel on screen? To work in graphical mode? Or I should write VGA driver by myself?

And of course: can it be compiled on linux

What task are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to do something in particular, perhaps as part of a project? Are your goal just to make an operating system because you want to? Are your goal to play with operating systems to learn more about them? Perhaps to modify an existing operating system?

And no. Ancient Linux versions can't run SDL because it didn't exist back then and ancient Linux versions probably wouldn't be able to run it. thepowersgang suggested that you use a modern Linux environment with SDL (for instance) to write a full-screen application able to "write pixels to the screen".

I want to make a hobby os, only for me, not for publishing. Does linux 0.1 has vga drivers(or vesa)?

s/has/have/, and any video support in the first release of linux is text only.

HeliumPL wrote:I want to make a hobby os

I see a contradiction.
Do you actually want to develop an OS, or fork other's project, make yet another linux distribution, or indeed want to write a graphical shell / window manager?

Multi-tasking is a core feature of an OS, if you:
1. don't know how it work: you should really spend time on it as it affect very much OS design choices.
2. too lazy to implement it: you may spend a few days for a round robin scheduler, and rewrite it later.

Either way, you should not skip the multi-tasking part if you're going to develop an OS.

Hobby OS? Is your goal learning or making something you can use yourself? Perhaps http://linuxfromscratch.org/ will satisfy you need for control and teach you about "how an operating system works".

LFS? There is too much work. I just want an OS which I would be able to print pixels Not only to learn sth but mostly to have fun. I don't want to play in building an os from scratch. I understand some of its mechanics because i was writing some in the past.

So I want an OS which will be able to print a pixel. Then I'll write some functions to draw a rectangle, square, fill screen etc. Linux is a too big toy here. A mini kernel with vga and multitasking supportwould be enought.

HeliumPL wrote:So I want an OS which will be able to print a pixel. Then I'll write some functions to draw a rectangle, square, fill screen etc. Linux is a too big toy here. A mini kernel with vga and multitasking supportwould be enought.

You definitely don't need an OS for that. SDL is able to draw a pixel. OpenGL is able to draw triangles and lots of pixels.

If you want an OS for just a graphical mode, look at DOS.

So you take the bare bones tutorials, which should get you an operating freestanding environment. Then, you add to the bootsector a BIOS call to set a common resolution and write functions for graphics.

What you will need (from the wiki) :

• Start with some of these tutorials to get a running environment: http://wiki.osdev.org/Bare_Bones
• And then take one of these tutorials (those about the VGA first) to write screen handling routines: http://wiki.osdev.org/Category:Video

PS: I'll try to make you such a little OS as an example. I'll post when it'll be done.

Here's the sample OS. It has a poor resolution and basic routines, but it's the most basic I can do without the BIOS.
Here's a sample screenshot