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The Contiki Desktop OS for C64, NES, 8-bit Atari,
Adam Dunkels writes "This is for those of you who think that a text-based operating system that fits compressed on a 1.44Mb floppy counts as 'tiny': the brand new Contiki operating system and desktop environment for the Commodore 64, with ports to a bunch of other platforms such as the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System, the VIC-20, 8-bit Ataris, Atari Jaguar, the Tandy CoCo, and the Apple ][ under development. The Contiki system includes
the following: a multi-tasking kernel, a windowing
system and themeable GUI toolkit, a screen saver, a TCP/IP
stack, a personal
web server, and a web
browser. The Contiki web browser, which is likely to be the world's smallest browser given its extremely small memory footprint, is the world's first true web browser for an 8-bit system and probably makes the 21 years old Commodore 64 the oldest system ever to run a real web browser! All of the above programs are contained in a single, fully self-contained, 42 kilobytes large binary. The entire Contiki system with all programs running simultaneously is comfortable in 64 kilobytes of memory. The name 'Contiki' is derived from Thor
Heyerdahl's famous Kon-Tiki
raft which was able to sail across the Pacific Ocean despite being built using prehistoric techniques, something previously thought impossible. There are also screenshots
and a FAQ
avaliable."
where do I plug the RJ-45 cable into my NES?
Have you seen my stapler?
Imagine a beowulf cluster of these! ;o
...for Doom3 on my Commodore 64!
I'm sure Carmack is able to do that!
At last, the effort to bring browser crashes due to poorly written Javascript strings has been brought to the otherwise unafflicted Commodore 64.
Will this work on the TI 99/4A or will I need a few extra 16k memory expansion cards to get up to snuff?
I still don't understand why any of you use these big computers. We only need 32k to do everything! I'm using one now and although I had to split this message over a cassette tape, it's still better than using those computers that Bill Gates said were too memory rich.
I don't know why i would need to multi-task on a VIC 20 but i'm going to pull her out and see if can get her going. I have a slew of tapes/tape drive or the old beauty. If i can get my EE and CE roomates and buddies to rig up an interface to ethernet then we have a low power webserver pretty soon. It's not hi traffic, but it's not like I get hits like Slashdot.
Writing support for a HD or faster storage then tape would be the best, but no time right now. Getting a basic webserver over a serial modem should be fairly trivial. Porting a Java shouldn't be and i've always wanted to get JAVA to run on C64, VIC 20, or TRS....Not the embeded version.
The first two screen shots are actually historical - they show a Commodore 64 web browser browsing web pages served by a Commodore 64 web server
*sniff* Hmmm, do I smell burning plastic? Ahh yes, there melts another C64 powersupply.
Oh well, it died an honorable death. Damn /., destroying the remains of our technological history! :)
Blockwars: a realtime multiplayer game similiar to Tetris.
"They do not preach that their god will rouse them, a little before the Nuts work loose." Kipling, 'The Sons of Martha'
The Commodore 64 market has been screaming for an up to date operating system and web browser for decades. This should breathe new life into a sector which has been seen by many as obsolete, and may well trigger a renaissance in C64 development and application support.
If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
You mean a version of Eliza that says things like "Comrades, we must seize the means of production!" and "Down with Capitalism!"
Sorry, I'll get me coat...
-- And when Justice is gone, there is always... Force. --Laurie Anderson, "Oh Superman"
Seriously, this is very cool stuff. I might dig up my old CBM from the attic to play with this. Now only to be able to hook my oceanic 1541 drive to my PC or my Mac somehow. Or are there ways to simulate a c64 disk drive from a PC with a resoldered C64 disk cable?
How _does_ one transfer software from PC to a real hardware C64 nowadays? Can some people in the know drop some pointers to FAQ's and links?
Please some clever person with no value on their time: Make a version for the spectrum, the world needs this! The speccy is a (modified) Z80, so is the NES (as I remember) - it should be possible and possibly quite easy that would be so cool! Web browsing on a rubber keyboard, those fancy CBM machines are almost "real" computers by comparison
You guys are so behind times man! Katz's buddy Junis from Afghanistan was beta testing this a year back!
Excellent! Now I can play Monty on the Run and Sanxion in Death Match mode..
Not everything needs to be useful.
That's ridiculous. Hobbies must be useful. That's why we all collect stamps & hotelsoap.
When will I end this grieving ? When will my future begin ?
The screen shots look a lot like Windows 1.x or 2.x... no proportional fonts, bright solid colors, etc. :)
Also, I don't see how this would work on my VIC-20. I still remember when it's powered up it says "3583 bytes free". Not quite enough free space! I have an 8K expansion cart, but that still doesn't bring me up to the required amount of RAM.
Okay, well, I've got 6 Ataris (some 800xls, a 1200xl, and some 130xes). Let's see, if I cluster them together, I'd have a total of 6 * 1.79, 10.74mhz at my command. Don't get jealous guys. Wipe away the drool. That's right baby, I'm gonna be crunching some SETI@home units today...
64kb sould be enough for anybody.
Agreed. I consider the lack of a decent web server to be one of the main failings of my watch...
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
I'd say with the advent of this new operating system, this would be a great time to buy stock in Atari or Commodore. Once news of this hits Wall Street, there's sure to be a surge in the market.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!