Re: Project: FreeOS

[dvdeug@x8b4e53cd.dhcp.okstate.edu (David Starner)]

On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:44:38 +0100, Juergen Pfeifer <juergen.pfeifer@gmx.net> wrote:
>I don't believe that writing an OS will push Ada. Ok, an OS is a fascinating
>piece of software, but on the other hand it is nothing more than a necessary
>evil. An OS in itself has no value, it is just there to serve applications.
>
>I believe a good way to attract attention for Ada is to write a popular
>application or service in Ada. For example there are some projects on the
>way to put together a comprehensive game package infrastructure. Games can
>be much more complex and sophisiticated than an OS. And Ada is an excellent
>choice for that.

Nothing's going to be a quick fix. But an OS is much more primal than a 
game. Games come and go, get uninstalled and reinstalled, and are just
one of many. OS's come one or two to a machine, and changed at great
cost, and nudge all the programmers on that platform in that direction.
(Think about the people who would write C in Ada to avoid the level of
indirection libc would invoke. Okay, maybe this isn't such a great idea . . .)

Another nice thing about an OS, is that Linux has gone through at least 
three points where it was broken on different versions of the compiler 
(bad assembly, illegal aliasing, and abuse of label addressing/inlining). 
I don't see an Ada OS ever having a problem with abusing the standard like 
that.

-- 
David Starner - dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org
If you wish to strive for peace of soul then believe; 
if you wish to be a devotee of truth, then inquire.
   -- Friedrich Nietzsche