Re: An OS in Ada, why not RTEMS ?

["Sergey Koshcheyev" <serko84@hotmail.com>]

"James Ross" <rem.jr@rem.webross.com> wrote in message
news:su5scukancprperd00vheacibv6b80fa3n@4ax.com...
> My idea *was* to just support a raw binary executable image that not
> only the kernel would be in, but other programs that could be loaded
> and executed by the kernel.  (Perhaps I needed more info on this
> issue,  but I *was* certain it would be possible).  If I were willing
> to dig into the details of ELF to support loading it right away, then
> I might as well chose PE ... since I prefer to use GNAT from (my main
> computer) Windows XP.  (And of course GNAT on Windows cannot create
> ELFs.)  I still don't use Linux as my main computer - but that is a
> whole other issue :)


Well, if you don't want ELF or PE, there's nothing complicated involved in
getting a raw .bin. I think just using a --oformat switch for ld will do
this. Or you can use objcopy. I started talking about ELF, because it is
easier to load an ELF file using GRUB than it is to write your own
bootloader for binary files. Other than that, it isn't said anywhere that
OSes should use this or that format for their kernels :-)

> As for the initial boot process and the ELF issues -- understand that
> what I have been saying is how I *was* going to tackle the process if
> it were up to me.  I have all but given up at this point.  If I were
> to help someone else, then the design would be whatever basically
> exists and works for that person(s) ...  I would be willing to work on
> a Linux box (I am not allergic to it!) and support whatever version of
> an Ada OS emerges ...

Uh, I was just replying to the specific question of whether it is possible
to get a raw binary file using GNAT. It is. I have no idea myself about what
I would put into an OS or how I would design it.

Sergey.