AtheOS Fork Brings BeOS on Top of Linux

Eugenia writes: "Yup, Bill Hayden has forked AtheOS by using its app_server and Interface Kit (along with some other of its kits, like the filesystem layer) and ported it on top of the 2.4.x Linux kernel, without the need for X11. He already has the graphical environment working, and he also has some BeOS apps recompiled and working under Linux. Why BeOS applications? Because that was the reason of the fork. Exactly because AtheOS and BeOS have similar technical principles (highly multithreaded, truly preemptive, similar C++ API etc), by modifying AtheOS's API to match BeOS, Bill is trying to resurrect the BeOS. By doing so this way, Bill is already way ahead from the other two efforts to ressurect BeOS, OpenBeOS (dependant on the 'clean' NewOS kernel) and BlueOS (which depends on Linux and X11)."

Comments

'Way ahead'?

[tswinzig]

That depends on how you define 'way ahead.'

People like me who really like BeOS admire the entire structure of the operating system, from top to bottom. I have zero interest in running FrankensteinBeOS, which is what this sounds like. Therefore I am content to work on the OpenBeOS project, which may be 'way behind', but should have a nicer outcome (for people who like BeOS). The project is coming together quite nicely for something so young.

(It's easier to see really far when you can stand on the shoulders of great engineers.)

How close will it come to BeOS?

[Ryu2]

Wasn't one of the touted features of BeOS its low latency, single-user kernel optimized for multimedia stuff? Demos had multiple video players all playing smoothly, while 3-D animations occured in other windows.

How well can the Linux kernel deliver such performance?

Re:How close will it come to BeOS?

[be-fan]

Back when people used BeOS, Linux couldn't deliver that kind of performance. Linux users were trudging along with 200ms latencies and ext2 while BeOS users laughed at them from their journaled-filesystem, ultra-low latency machines. In a short period of time, Linux has come an extremely long way to becoming a kick-ass workstation kernel. In fact, it has even eclipsed BeOS in latency, filesystem, VM, etc. The only place where BeOS still has the advantage is in userspace, where BeOS totally whips GNOME and KDE in terms of speed, ease-of-use, simplicity, consistancy, etc. Apparently, this fork tries to take the best ideas from both sides.

Re:How close will it come to BeOS?

[Adnans]

So can you open 42 versions of the same .avi movie on your Linux Desktop and play them simultaneously without dropped frames while surfing the internet on a PII450?

Yes! Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't have a PII450. BTW, most of those "cool" demos of BeOS running tens of player windows are done with a single avi (worthless to to test the real I/O), very low resolution, and without sound.

Not to diss Linux or anything, but I don't think it is time to proclaim Linux has eclipsed Be's technology.

You're right, that time has come and passed us! I'm playing 9 *different* avi's now (served over 100Mbit NFS btw), 3 mp3's *backwards* (haha, another stupid benchmark thrown in :), with xawtv in a corner, and typing this message in mozilla 0.9.9, and I still have CPU cycles to spare! Linux rocks ;-)

-adnans (ex-BeOS user)

Re:Kurt is not pleased

[Danse]

Which is exactly why things such as this split happen, and should happen. He can do what he likes, but if it doesn't suit enough people, they'll go elsewhere and make their own. So whether he likes it or not, this is how things should be. I'm glad to see someone doing something interesting with AtheOS.