Differences between version 7 and predecessor to the previous major change of OperatingSystem.
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| Newer page: | version 7 | Last edited on Saturday, February 7, 2004 1:11:30 am | by AristotlePagaltzis | Revert |
| Older page: | version 5 | Last edited on Sunday, August 17, 2003 4:00:05 am | by AristotlePagaltzis | Revert |
@@ -1,3 +1,35 @@
-What precisely constitutes an OperatingSystem is a widely and wildly debated topic. Usually it's considered to mean a [Kernel] and a minimal set of UserSpace applications to get the machine to [Boot] into a state capable of running user programs.
+What precisely constitutes an OperatingSystem is a widely and wildly debated topic. Usually it's considered to mean a [Kernel] and a minimal set of UserSpace applications to get the machine to [Boot] into a state capable of running user programs. It is commonly executed immediately after the BootStrap part of a PersonalComputer's (not sure about mainframes, but probably the case for them as well) startup sequence
.
-See OperatingSystems
for some examples
.
+The most common variants of [OperatingSystem]s in general use are:
+* There are still a few old [VAX]s and [Alpha]s out there running [VMS]
+* The antiquated [MS-DOS] or it's many clones and predecessors such as QDOS[1], and PC-DOS
+* AppleCorporation's classic MacOS
+* One of the many [Microsoft] [Windows] version (3.1, 3.11, 95, 98, 98SE, NT3.51, NT4, 2000 (aka NT5), Millenium (aka ME), and XP)
+* A version of [BeOS]
+* An entire class unto themselves are the [UNIX] and [Unix]-like [OperatingSystem]s:
+** One of the many [Linux] variants such as RedHat, DebianLinux, Mandrake, OpenCaldera, etc
+** One of the four [BSD] versions, of which [FreeBSD], [NetBSD], and [OpenBSD] are [Free]
+** [Darwin], the foundation of [MacOSX] by AppleCorporation
+** [Linux]
+** An original [Unix], such as
+*** [AIX] (by [IBM])
+*** [SCO]'s offerings
+*** Digital Unix, which become Tru64 when [DEC] was acquired by Compaq, who have merged with HewlettPackard
+*** [HPUX] (HewlettPackard)
+*** [Xenix] (MicrosoftCorporation) (yes really)
+** A [Sun] variant: [SunOS] or [Solaris]
+** [SGI]'s [IRIX]
+** [Ultrix]
+
+
See Category:OperatingSystem
for another list and help with all the acronyms.
+
+Many others are undoubtly available to the persistent user, or someone may have been brave enough to have written their own[2].
+
+----
+
+;: There once was a programmer who was attached to the court of the warlord of Wu. The warlord asked the programmer: "Which is easier to design: an accounting package or an operating system?" %%% %%% "An operating system", replied the programmer. %%% %%% The warlord uttered an exclamation of disbelief. "Surely an accounting package is trivial next to the complexity of an operating system", he said. %%% %%% "Not so", said the programmer, "when designing an accounting package, the programmer operates as a mediator between people having different ideas: How it must operate, how its reports must appear, and how it must conform to the tax laws. By contrast, an operating system is not limited by outside appearances. When designing an operating system the programmer seeks the simplest harmony between machine and ideas. This is why an operating system is easier to design." %%% %%% The warlord of Wu nodded and smiled. "That is all good and well, but which is easier to debug?" %%% %%% The programmer made no reply. %%% %%% -- Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"
+
+----
+
+[1] QDOS is usually referenced in one of two ways. The first as "Quick Disk Operating System", the other as the correct "Quick and Dirty Operating System".
+[2] Writing your own operating system can be a lengthy and complicated process which will involve
some form of [AssemblyLanguage] programming. However it gives a great sense of satisfaction at having completed such a difficult task
.
