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MenuetOS, an Operating System Written Entirely In Assembly, Hits 1.0

Posted by Soulskill on from the done-until-it's-more-done dept.

angry tapir writes: MenuetOS, a GUI-toting, x86-based operating system written entirely in assembly language that's super-fast and can fit on a floppy disk, has hit version 1.0 — after almost a decade and a half of development. (And yes, it can run Doom). The developers say it's stable on all hardware with which they've tested it. In this article, they talk about what MenuetOS can do, and what they plan for the future. "For version 2.0 we'll mostly keep improving different application classes, which are already present in 1.00. For example, more options for configuring the GUI and improving the HTTP client. The kernel is already working well, so now we have more time to focus on driver and application side."

5 of 368 comments (clear)

  1. Wow. Still? by halivar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I remember futzing around with this little project 15 years ago. I am pleased to see that, not only is it still going strong, it's pretty remarkably modern.

  2. Re:It can run Doom by smooth+wombat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Finally, a web site which doesn't try to overrun your browser with unnecessary rotating images and the latest and greatest shiny because some web designer said, "Why not?"

    In other words, a web site which is useful.

    --
    We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
  3. Entire OS in about 1/3 of i7 Cache by perpenso · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm not reallyd sure that I understand that point. To me, thst would sound reasonable for educstionsl Ãr entertainment purposes, but are there any other meaningful reasons for writing an entire OS in assembler?

    The entire OS would occupy about 1/3 of an Intel i7's cache. For ultra-high performance apps that might actually be useful.

    Of course that includes user land apps and such so the footprint of the OS itself would probably be far smaller.

  4. Come a long way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wow, slashdot has come a long way from when I first started reading "chips & dips" in 1997. Even just 10 years ago, a story like this would have been met with enthusiasm and honest support, with a virtual pat on the back to the developers.

    Today, a story like this is reduced to a mere platform for chest-beating (see the parent above). As in, "nevermind the lame story, look at me instead". Why in the world are you people even here?

  5. Re:Looks great for industrial by itzly · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Or a $10 ARM chip, programmed in C.