Are you interested in old computers, maybe a vintage IBM ThinkPad or an old desktop? Or are you just curious about how operating systems like Linux or Windows actually work deep down? Then you might find RetrOS-32 absolutely fascinating!
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What is RetrOS-32?
Simply put, RetrOS-32 is a special project to build an operating system from zero. It's not like Linux or Windows or macOS that you use every day. It's being built by one person as a hobby project specifically for older 32-bit computers, using what's called the i386 architecture.
Think of it like building a car engine completely by yourself, piece by piece, rather than just buying one off the shelf. That's the spirit of RetrOS-32!
Building Everything from Scratch!
One of the coolest things about RetrOS-32 is the rule the developer has: "write everything myself." This isn't about copying code from other operating systems. It's about understanding how everything works by building it themselves.
This even includes writing a C compiler just for RetrOS-32! A compiler is a program that turns the code humans write into the instructions computers understand. Writing one from scratch is a big deal!
What Can RetrOS-32 Do (or Will Do)?
RetrOS-32 is still a work in progress, but the goal is to eventually have many features you expect from an operating system. This includes:
- Graphics: Showing pictures and having windows on the screen.
- Multitasking: Running more than one program at the same time.
- Networking: Connecting to other computers or the internet! This involves building all the complex network code.
- Filesystems: Organizing and storing files on a disk.
- Drivers: Code to make hardware like keyboards, mice, and network cards work.
The project has a detailed plan (a "roadmap") for adding all these features over time.
Running on Real, Old Hardware!
A recent exciting step for the project was getting RetrOS-32 to run on real, vintage computer hardware, like an old IBM ThinkPad.
While you can try it out easily using special programs called emulators, getting an operating system to boot and work correctly on physical machines is a significant challenge and a big achievement for a hobby project!
It's also been tested on other older machines like some Asus Eee PC models and Dell Optiplex computers.
Why Build a Hobby OS?
For developers like Joe Bayer (the developer of RetrOS-32), building an operating system is a passion project driven by the love of learning and creating.
It's about the satisfaction of building something complex and functional from the very bottom layer up.
As Joe mentions in the hackernews thread, it's "really liberating not having to worry about selling, marketing etc." It's about exploring ideas and "reinvent[ing] the wheel till new ideas come."
RetrOS-32 is shared openly for anyone to see and learn from, under the MIT License.
Want to Learn More?
If you're interested in this amazing project, you can find the code and more information on GitHub. You can even try running it yourself using an emulator like QEMU or a web-based one called v86, or by putting it on a USB drive or CD to boot on a real machine.
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