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Review of AtheOS 0.3.7
MAIC-32 writes: "OSNews features a very informative and detailed review of AtheOS, the promising 32-bit GPL Operating System. The article describes the installation process, the GUI (screenshots included), usage, internal design, developement and much more."
There are way too many OS's out there... How many are actually used for anything?
I'm a minister!
I've always found the AtheOS approach an intriguing one, and quite reminiscent of Windows. They build and optimize for the GUI, rather than the command-line kernel with a GUI built on top (like an X11 + *NIX approach).
It seems that one of the real growing pains for AtheOS is going to be that it's difficult to capture anything but local desktop users. It's not a good model for remote display; just like Windows.
At the end of the day, I think it'll be a great desktop OS, but it will have the same growing pains that Windows did with remote display and cross-platfrom compatibility.
A new OS is only interesting when it does something that has never been done before. There is no reason to choose AtheOS over any other OS right now.
AtheOS has had little to no coverage in the past, so it'll be interesting to see how much development increases over the coming weeks. Its nice to see its came so far with so little, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of this OS in the future.
mailto:<?=implode("@", array("chris", implode(".", array("php", "net"))))?>
Probably the best part about Atheos is that he ported Khtml (the konqueror rendering engine) to his OS for me atleast, and i imagine many others, a good browser is my number uno priority. Its good to see he ported such a sweet engine to his OS i can imagnie technically it would have been reasonably difficult Can we also stop with the "why another operating system?" comments? I bet linus heard all of the same drivel when he wrote linux, it didnt apply then, it doesnt apply now As far as im concerned, ill never critize anything i cant do better (its a stupid policy.. but thats me) and this guy has done alot better than most
Microsoft IIS is to webserving as KFC is to healthy eating
I'll be very tempted to make the switch from Linux just to be reminded of the good old days of the Amiga.
//Wegge
YAY for LINUX!!!!
She's french - like BeOS.
GNU and BSD are so huge it's difficult to contribute to them, so it's reassuring to see that it's still possible for one person to write a credible kernel. But with all the recent progress in CORBA, JVM, and CLR (the pseudo-JVM for .NET), it's a worrisome trend to see new interfaces that can be used from C++ but not from more robust languages (Eiffel, Python, Perl, Ruby, Ada...). And pressure on the GCC team against improving their ABI (because of all the underspecified interfaces that'll break) can't be good.
Am I the only one who noticed just how much the file browser (the picture showing how the screen looks if the correct font is installed) looks like X-Tree Pro for DOS?
I mean, I used to love it 10 years ago, but surely we've move on by now.
I think Slashdo editors should create a dedicated icon for AtheOS as it has now become more than a simple coding-exploit for sure.
At least an Os which looks like BeOS without implying dealing with a closed structure.
Trolling using another account since 2005.
Altogether, I wonder whether AtheOS is sufficiently different from Linux/X11 to attract much interest. If kernel, driver, and application development for it were orders of magnitude easier, I could see switching. But given that it seems to be built using fairly traditional software technologies, why would it be all that much better?
Time will tell, but I won't be an early adopter of this one...
The author doesn't want you to just use his OS. He's building it for himself, not for you or anyone else. He wont accept code (except bug fixes) into the main OS. He will only accept driver submissions.
Actually, 'Atheos' is Greek, roughly analagous to the word 'atheist'. IIRC, AtheOS's author didn't realize that, and the name wasn't designed to reflect anything, but the corrolation is there, nevertheless.
-- My work here is done. If you need me again, just admit to yourself that you're screwed, and die.
First off VA/OSDN post their news to newsforge.
Secondly OSNEWS is for ALL OS related news and info - VA only works with Linux.
The circle of trolling is complete. Our work here is done. Soon, the sky will boil away, as the stars wink out, one by one. As existence comes to an end, yes, we will chant, yes, our work here is done...
>VA only works with Linux.
So why did they change their name from "VA Linux" to "VA" ?
Alexis 'jeriqo' BRET
I have prepared a haiku for the pancake eating ninja:
I am a NINJA
I love the taste of PANCAKES
Covered with syrup.
- Yet Another Pancake Eating Ninja
Remember the reasoning behind only having one candidate from each political "party" run for an office? If you have 3 candidates, two with agenda A, and one with agenda B, even if there are a larger number of people who vote A, there is the distinct possibility that the candiate who's for B will get elected.
:)
I think it's better to support one candidate in the open source OS world and not several. Yes, this new OS *is* open and might have great features that could/should make thier way into Linux, but throwing support directly at the OS eventually will make the OS a contender for developers and more importantly users that Linux would garner otherwise. Which leads to that overwhelming market share thing Microsoft has going.
General Public License Operating System; Perhaps the author meant "An Operating System licensed under the GNU GPL"?
Regards, Tommy
Ah, it's nothing more than another attempt for a nerd to get laid; it's meant for chicks. From the atheos.cx page: "I belive this consistency is important so the user doesn't have to start from scratch each time she learns a new program to know."
Q: Where does the name come from? Are you aware that atheos means "without god" in Greek?
A: The name is short for Athena (the Greek goddess of wisdom) and OS and have nothing to do with atheism. I was not aware that "atheos" indeed was a word in any language when I named the OS but figured that out later. Just think of it as a name. It is not supposed to mean anything.
If we take your premise:
Can we also stop with the "why another operating system?" comments?
and add your premise:
[...] ill never critize anything i cant do better
We reach the conclusion: you can do better "why another operating system?" comments than these?
Go on then, prove it
__
Arse
I tried AtheOS about 6 months ago, and I was impressed. True, the install was very raw, but it was quick as a whip. I was amazed that this guy wrote the entire thing from scratch! He definitely has bragging rights for this puppy. I have tested practically every OS out there. I use Linux as my primary OS, I love Beos and QNX, and Atheos is truly impressive. It took 1,000 developers to fsck up windows, and ONE guy to make the amazing AtheOS Operating system. Evryone should at least try it out and show your friends!
If you're not a Liberal in your 20's, then you have no heart.If you're still a Liberal in your 30's you have no brain.
Ooh, hoist on his own petard. You'll notice that he's not "critizing" anybody's spelling, however.
...
yer i cant spell sue me moron
Microsoft IIS is to webserving as KFC is to healthy eating
No, Eugenia is Greek... See her web page!
What amuses me is that the Atheos crowd go out of their way to say "no, it's not like an amiga, it's just the default widget set looks like an amiga", then I go look at the API and libraries, and it's basically AmigaOS-in-C++, just as BeOS is...
Kurt Skauen started the project with the intent of making an Amiga clone. He says in the FAQ, however, that there isn't much resemblance these days besides the window borders. The article did call him an ex-Amiga coder, he must like the look.
This is one of those things that I keep meaning to check out. Maybe now I will.
Perhaps you should learn Greek before complaining.
Does anyone know if you can install AtheOS under VMWare on Windows? I have a VMWare machine at work that I am constantly "experimenting" with alternate things like this. I think if would be cool to play with, but I can't dedicate a whole machine to it.
KangarooBox - We make IT simple!
Ouch. Ufff. One little crack and I'm down in troll-land. sheesh. Hey d00dz! Hows the weather down here? Ya doin' alright? Hey, someones taco-snotter-script get into a loop on this article?
I like what this guy says. It's a hobbyist OS and he has no intent to compete with Windows for popularity, etc. IOW if AtheOS is missing a feature and he doesn't want to add it, it ain't going in. Cool! It's about time people stopped giving a crap about what others want.
:)
:)
I for one, though, think GUIs are evil, and I am releasing my own Linux distribution to address this issue. It's called Luddite Linux. Here are the features:
* No GUI
* No mouse driver
* No menu-driven apps
* The first distro will be released on CD-ROM but future releases will be released on punch cards.
* No mail apps. Only a weak minded fool uses a mail app. Telnet to your POP server at port 110 and learn the commands to read your email that way!
* No FTP apps. Why can't you just telnet to port 21 and download it? rz and sz are debatable so I put 'em in just because I like to err on the user convenience side
* No emacs. Has drop down menus. Use vi!
* I did include an assembler but no compiler. C is for script weeneez. Machine language is where it's at, baby
My new OS will be out Any Time Now[tm]
Thanks
CORBA, a crude RPC hack for objects, has set back distributed communications for 5 years. It barely interoperates between various products from different vendors, and has no standard security in real life (ignoring whitepapers and proprietary vendor-specific security hacks). CORBA's name service is a also complete joke and poorly designed. Also, adding, removing or reordering data members in CORBA structs will render the existing CORBA servers/clients incompatable without recompilation. This is in stark contrast to XML/SOAP which will process the information at hand without recompilation or deployment. If the CORBA consortium spent less time bashing COM and SOAP and spent more time redesigning their APIs to be more reliable, interoperable and easier to use - then maybe they might be taken seriously.
most operations under AtheOS will involve the command line (however, been a modern OS, AtheOS is GUI-only, it does not offer a fullscreen text mode)
"been" a modern OS is no excuse for *not* including something! If anything it should include *more* things. There are some people who like those full-text-screens. I don't think they are too hard to code.
And to those of you saying that the author isn't doing this for anyone but himself, I agree, that's a good reason for doing things however he wants, but please don't say it doesn't have a text-console because it's a modern OS.
--
Seeing is believing; You wouldn't have seen it if you didn't believe it.
Yes, AtheOS is a very good accomplishment but is far from what you make it out to be. Take time to look at the source files - over half are lifted from other operating systems, notably Linux. All the libraries are GNU libraries. To my mind what we are seeing with Atheos is a stripped down kernel for desktop use with drivers lifted and slightly modified from BSD and Linux.
Sorry, I'm not trying to ridicule the authors work here - it's quite an accomplishment, but AtheOS is unlikely to draw people who area already very Unix-centric, because of its GUI-based design rather than CLI-based system. I'm not saying that a GUI system is inferior, just that it's unlikely to draw people who already happen to have a preference for something different. It is also unlikely to draw the average desktop computer user because he or she will either have never heard of it, or wouldn't perceive any personal need for it. The people that AtheOS are _MOST_ likely to draw into using it are those that are curious about different OS's and eager to always try new things. Unfortunately, this is a substantially smaller group than even the Unix-centric crowd that was originally drawn to Linux and FreeBSD. I suppose AtheOS's ability to draw people into it depends on the ability of this small group of people to convince other people that this OS's paradigm is superior.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
What is a likely result of a new OS project?
Look at:
http://www.freedows.org
QNX can be taken back as quickly as it was given. i would much rather give my mind share to something thats free speach than beer. And these days, the beer tap is running dry and could be taken back at any time. I still don't understand why QNX is giving away their os, is there business sense in it.. will it last?
A truly excellent and very humourous troll indeed!
However...
To complete this perverted orgy, fellow geeks Michael, Timothy, and Jamie often join in, dressed in black Gestapo uniforms, jack boots, and leather gloves.
Black GeStaPo uniforms? The GeStaPo (Geheime Staatspolizei - Secret State Police) wore civilian clothes (although there are reports on them occasionally using Allgemeine SS uniforms in occupied territories).
I seriously doubt that perverted individuals like CmdrTaco et al would have the good taste to ever wear the outstandingly beautiful black Waffen SS uniforms! Please update the FAQ accordingly.
-5, Nigger
Kurt is probably also smart enough to realize that someday he may want to sell off stuff to make money, and will need clear ownership of the copyright to do so. Bravo, Kurt.
for those who want to try out atheos but can't for some reason (unsupported hardware, no free partitions, etc.) there is a port of the gui to linux here.
What possible advantage does it offer over running the application locally?
-5 Cracker
Are there any mirrors of the AtheOS downloads? Every time I make to install it from an @home connection, the files download halfway then bork. Anybody with similar experience?
And why do the AtheOS parrots look disturbingly like the ViewSonic parrots?
I rather like the dual interpretation possible:
Do the dew!
Actually, it appears you are both wrong!! Ah ha!! I think our boy WIPO was thinking of the Allgemeine SS uniforms. Waffen SS were grey.
If you're viewing posts 'newest first', count your blessings--you have received this warning in time. Click off this fucking discussion right now before you scroll down to the argument between the fucking idiot who wants to use a political analogy to tell us why AtheOS is bad for OS and the fucking idiot who wants to use that as an excuse to tell us why the U.S. political system is fucked up. This thread is dangerous to your mental health. It is stupid, banal, boring, whiny, and insufficiently down-moderated. Leave while you can!
If I recall correctly, netmeeting in windows allowed a single application to be shared (viewed and/or controlled) as if it was running localy. It probaly was still just a bitmap copy, but at least its better than the whole desktop.
Konqueror is slow because it has a lot more overhead. It is not actually a web browser. KHTML is. Konqueror is basicly just a DCOP server that allows components to be added, such as KHTML, a File Browser, KOffice Viewer, Aktion!, Ghostview, etc.
If you want a pure and simple web browser using KHTML, there are a couple going round... cant remember what they are called. look on sourceforge if your interested.
> * No emacs. Has drop down menus. Use vi!
IOW, the parent should have been mdded up as insightfl, rather than funny . . .
hawk
I've read several of the comments posted so far and I have to say, there is a wry tone to many of the posts, sometimes sarcastic and witty, but bordering on meanness.
Yet, I've gone to the atheos website and read its inventor's words, and he has a bit of an attitude problem to be sure. He's a feisty little bugger.
So what to say? At the end of the day, it will be said of atheos, it was never quite Linux, it was never quote AmigaOS either. Actually it reminds me a lot of Windows CE, but that's just me...
That doesn't mean you can't write new apps and device drivers for it.
Naturally I'm talking about the black uniforms of the Panzertruppen of the Waffen-SS.