Formerly ApolloOS, ScorchOS is a 32-bit protected mode kernel currently written in C (though a new kernel is under development ;) ). Inspired originally by MikeOS and bkerndev, the eventual aim of ScorchOS is to be a fast & stable kernel which can be used on older x86 PCs and low-powered embedded devices (using the x86 architecture). It will form a platform for which packages and apps for these target platforms can be developed. Like this project? Give the lead developer some Kudos or let people know you tried it! You could even check out our new Twitter account. (Note: you will need to be logged in with your Google account in order to post comments in the 'Latest News' section - click the link at the bottom of the page to sign in) License Updates IMPORTANT - DEVELOPMENT HALTED (Click above for further details) What Are We Aiming For? ScorchOS is currently in a state of flux. Bob Moss has started work on a kernel he's named 'Bluebird' which will replace 'Apollo' . The eventual aim is to produce a protected mode monolithic kernel, though this will become more modular in subsequent releases. Highly Recommended Tutorials, Kernel Forums and HelpOSDev.orgOSDev.org is a superb place to gain information that is vital to an amateur OS developer. The wiki provides information, tutorials and even some bare-bones code for you to start from (along with over a hundred projects and counting on their 'project list'). There is also a superb forum where you can raise issues (but be warned - check the wiki first or you'll upset the locals!). This site is yet another great resource for sample kernels and links to great information materials. It is also the home of the infamous 'bkerndev' tutorial. This tutorial is written by an experienced hobby kernel developer and is dedicated to writing a "toy Unix-clone OS' in C and assembly. Projects of Interest
Other hobby OS projects the ScorchOS developers highly recommend: MikeOS is a 16-bit Real-Mode kernel written from scratch in x86 Assembly Language by Mike Saunders. It demonstrates how a simple operating system kernel can be created, has a text-based GUI and even some sample apps. There is also some rudimentary networking support (with a minicom-style app). Work has recently started on an embedded BASIC interpretter. Licensed under a BSD-style license. GeekOS (David Hovemeyer) A great kernel written in C which is targetted at students wanting to learn about kernel development. It's a great resource for seeing how you can extend and improve this project, or if you would like to create your own derivative works. Licensed under GNU GPLv2. Bare Metal OS (Ian Seyler) Bare Metal OS is a 64-bit kernel written in assembly language (with support for applications written in C/C++). Licensed in a similar way to MikeOS. Titanium Bonfire Operating System (Troy Martin) Much like MikeOS, TBOS is aimed to be a 16-bit ASM tutorial kernel. The difference is that the scope of this project is a little bigger as the developer plans to make this a "strong and flexible hobbyist OS'. Licensed under the BSD license. FROST (Stefan Schmidt) FROST is a 32-bit pmode kernel written in FreeBASIC (includes multiboot header so it can be run from a floppy containing grub). Licensed under GNU GPLv2. TomOS (Tomosz Gorol) TomOS
is a spin-off from MikeOS, allowing the latter to simplify and become a
more effective learning tool. TomOS takes MikeOS and shows ways in
which people can extend it. It promises a 16-bit mouse driver and support for additional system calls. Licensed in a similar way to MikeOS. |
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