Thread: C OS Development

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    9

    C OS Development

    This is an open discussion on creating a completly c based operating system. No code, just curious on whether it is plausable on a minor scale. Is it possible for anyone to create a hobby OS somewhat like Contiki OS. Perhaps even a simple (comparitively) commmand line based OS. Let us discuss on generally and specifically. By the way I am an idiot, let it be known now, so that the question of my idiocy need not waste your precious time.

  2. #2
    Sweet
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Tucson, Arizona
    Posts
    1,820
    Well you cant make it all in C it just doesn't work that way. But I don't see why you couldn't make a simple command line os for hobby if you were deticated. http://www.osdev.org/
    Last edited by prog-bman; 10-24-2005 at 06:11 PM.
    Woop?

  3. #3
    ---
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    1,379
    I don't think so. To begin with you need to write a boot loader which needs to be written in assembler for the chip you are running.

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    9
    it would require such tedious low level work.

    but how about building more of an os layer upon something like the DosEmu project, just as the FreeDos project did; building another layer upon something prebuilt.

  5. #5
    Registered User Jaqui's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    416
    Quote Originally Posted by sand_man
    I don't think so. To begin with you need to write a boot loader which needs to be written in assembler for the chip you are running.
    lilo, grub two bootloaders not written in assembler.

    but you are right in that assembler is required in an os.
    the device drivers should be in assembler just for the speed.

    linux kernel itself is written in c, with assembler.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Henager
    If the average user can put a CD in and boot the system and follow the prompts, he can install and use Linux. If he can't do that simple task, he doesn't need to be around technology.

  6. #6
    Registered Luser cwr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    869
    You'll find that lilo is written in a mixture of assembly language and C, as is grub. The Linux kernel (and other *nix-like variants) are generally written in C, with a very small amount of assembly language for critical system dependent tasks, this doesn't necessarily always include device drivers; most linux and *bsd drivers, for example, are written purely in C. The main reason for this is to make porting the whole system to another architecture relatively easy.

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    9
    yup. agreed.

Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed

Similar Threads

  1. Detecting if OS is Windows???
    By Ktulu in forum Windows Programming
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 11-19-2006, 02:49 AM
  2. a simple OS
    By DavidP in forum A Brief History of Cprogramming.com
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 06-06-2004, 10:47 PM
  3. Planned Development Community Idea (important)
    By cozman in forum A Brief History of Cprogramming.com
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 06-12-2002, 12:13 PM
  4. How do they compile code for an OS ?
    By Nutshell in forum A Brief History of Cprogramming.com
    Replies: 49
    Last Post: 03-28-2002, 12:16 AM