os.newsforge.com— Syllable is a new OS built for speed, with low hardware requirements. After trying it out, I was really impressed. Syllable is a great OS with a lot of potential.
Aug 24, 2006View in Crawl 4
Why is this being called "A different open source OS" when it appears to be nothing more than another Linux distro?To me, a new OS means just that, new, kernel and all.
"Linux evolved from the server world. Now Windows is base on NT which was also targeted at the server world. And, what's the Mac got inside? Syllable may be the first to be built as a light client OS (outside of embedded things, which are a little too light)."Linux evolved from the mind of Linus Torvalds, who has stated time and again that the OS was originally his hobby OS, and that it was intended to be a clone of Minix, which was more of a teaching OS based off its bigger BSD brothers. Windows XP, as we know it now, is based off aspects of the original VMS kernel (which was intended to be used as both a desktop and a server OS, as there was no distinction at the time) combined with an OS Microsoft and IBM were working on together called OS/2. Microsoft hired all of the developers from the VMS team and turned OS/2 3.0 into Windows NT (3.1) which is one of the first OSs to actually declare itself as being a 'role OS' intended for server environments. That being said, Microsoft also released desktop clients of Windows NT.On the inside of the Mac, you'll find a kernel called Darwin, an evolution (pun intended) of FreeBSD with the Mac(h) microkernel. For the user, Darwin behaves like FreeBSD in most ways, but for the developer, you get an interesting blend of FreeBSD code with Mach microkernel hardware drivers. Mach has its origins in being a microkernel experiment OS with all kinds of cozy features that make it well mated with a multitasking kernel layer that could be placed on top of it. FreeBSD serves as most of this layer for Mach, with its origins dating back to the original Berkley code, being intended as a generic operating kernel (both client and server, once again, as there was no real distinction between the two).In fact, the generic distinction between a "server" OS and a "client" OS still isn't that strong today; Linux supports both server and client almost seamlessly, containing technologies that make both aspects of computing faster. Most of the changes that make the difference between Mac OS X Server and Mac OS X are applications that make administering low-level daemons more efficient (aka no command line). You'll find the same in Windows-space. Syllable, AtheOS, is very much like Linux in origins; it's a hobby OS that just so happened to have a very devoted developer that committed a huge deal of code to make everything run. SkyOS is much the same way as a commercial venture, a new OS from the ground up including new GUI code. While AtheOS isn't quite ready for the desktop (and would need thousands of developmental hours to be), it was never intended to be someone's every-day OS, just a piece of code they could beat around on and try new ideas. In all likelihood, Syllable will probably remain as it is now, a hobby OS, with parts of it scavenged and added to other operating systems as they see fit. I used to hack on AtheOS a long time ago (as back then you literally had to "hack" it just to get it to run on your hardware), but now that I'm at an age where I'd rather just use my computer and where I don't have much time to kick my OS's ass every day, I tend to spend more time on other unicies. Syllable is a great OS, and it was ahead of its time when it was released (and absolutely amazing work from a sole developer), but please, don't try to make it into something it isn't.
People like POSIX because it is a standard and thats why a lot of things are similar. The OS and its code base are entirely different to Linux, BSD or any other Unixy OS. The GUI is hardcoded into the OS Windows style, you can't get a naked command shell in Syllable.
"Linux evolved from the mind of Linus Torvalds, who has stated time and again that the OS was originally his hobby OS, and that it was intended to be a clone of Minix, which was more of a teaching OS based off its bigger BSD brothers."Yes, I have the text book that is two thirds Minix code; and yes, I know that Linux had originally meant it to be small (in comparison to Gnu). To clarify my point about the evolution of Linux, I was speaking to the environment into which Linux had grown as a competitor to UNIX. Linux could never have stood up in this market if its design model, as did Minix, had not been based--in part--on UNIX. The orignal announcement of Linus' creation is often quoted because it seems so humble compared to what Linux has become. We don't really know what will become of Syllable. But, there are plenty who lament bloat, and fantasize about trim lightweight software. In this, Syllable may be a contenter, but only time will tell.
maverick97008Aug 24, 2006
If the web browser works correctly, you have 90% of what anyone will need in 2 years. That makes it a valid comparison.
Closed AccountAug 24, 2006
How does this compare to DSL linux? i find it very hardware friendly
malcxAug 24, 2006
@Veamon>>Well, I COULD stick my weiner in a meat grinder, but it's pointless. Not really, it thankfully would mean you can't have any offspring.
brstilsonAug 25, 2006
Why is this being called "A different open source OS" when it appears to be nothing more than another Linux distro?To me, a new OS means just that, new, kernel and all.
fuckthepoliceAug 25, 2006
die microtoss, die
geminitojanusAug 25, 2006
"Linux evolved from the server world. Now Windows is base on NT which was also targeted at the server world. And, what's the Mac got inside? Syllable may be the first to be built as a light client OS (outside of embedded things, which are a little too light)."Linux evolved from the mind of Linus Torvalds, who has stated time and again that the OS was originally his hobby OS, and that it was intended to be a clone of Minix, which was more of a teaching OS based off its bigger BSD brothers. Windows XP, as we know it now, is based off aspects of the original VMS kernel (which was intended to be used as both a desktop and a server OS, as there was no distinction at the time) combined with an OS Microsoft and IBM were working on together called OS/2. Microsoft hired all of the developers from the VMS team and turned OS/2 3.0 into Windows NT (3.1) which is one of the first OSs to actually declare itself as being a 'role OS' intended for server environments. That being said, Microsoft also released desktop clients of Windows NT.On the inside of the Mac, you'll find a kernel called Darwin, an evolution (pun intended) of FreeBSD with the Mac(h) microkernel. For the user, Darwin behaves like FreeBSD in most ways, but for the developer, you get an interesting blend of FreeBSD code with Mach microkernel hardware drivers. Mach has its origins in being a microkernel experiment OS with all kinds of cozy features that make it well mated with a multitasking kernel layer that could be placed on top of it. FreeBSD serves as most of this layer for Mach, with its origins dating back to the original Berkley code, being intended as a generic operating kernel (both client and server, once again, as there was no real distinction between the two).In fact, the generic distinction between a "server" OS and a "client" OS still isn't that strong today; Linux supports both server and client almost seamlessly, containing technologies that make both aspects of computing faster. Most of the changes that make the difference between Mac OS X Server and Mac OS X are applications that make administering low-level daemons more efficient (aka no command line). You'll find the same in Windows-space. Syllable, AtheOS, is very much like Linux in origins; it's a hobby OS that just so happened to have a very devoted developer that committed a huge deal of code to make everything run. SkyOS is much the same way as a commercial venture, a new OS from the ground up including new GUI code. While AtheOS isn't quite ready for the desktop (and would need thousands of developmental hours to be), it was never intended to be someone's every-day OS, just a piece of code they could beat around on and try new ideas. In all likelihood, Syllable will probably remain as it is now, a hobby OS, with parts of it scavenged and added to other operating systems as they see fit. I used to hack on AtheOS a long time ago (as back then you literally had to "hack" it just to get it to run on your hardware), but now that I'm at an age where I'd rather just use my computer and where I don't have much time to kick my OS's ass every day, I tend to spend more time on other unicies. Syllable is a great OS, and it was ahead of its time when it was released (and absolutely amazing work from a sole developer), but please, don't try to make it into something it isn't.
gmorganAug 25, 2006
People like POSIX because it is a standard and thats why a lot of things are similar. The OS and its code base are entirely different to Linux, BSD or any other Unixy OS. The GUI is hardcoded into the OS Windows style, you can't get a naked command shell in Syllable.
requiem18thAug 26, 2006
@thechilde <a class="user" href="http://www.youos.com">http://www.youos.com</a>
gnutzuAug 28, 2006
"Linux evolved from the mind of Linus Torvalds, who has stated time and again that the OS was originally his hobby OS, and that it was intended to be a clone of Minix, which was more of a teaching OS based off its bigger BSD brothers."Yes, I have the text book that is two thirds Minix code; and yes, I know that Linux had originally meant it to be small (in comparison to Gnu). To clarify my point about the evolution of Linux, I was speaking to the environment into which Linux had grown as a competitor to UNIX. Linux could never have stood up in this market if its design model, as did Minix, had not been based--in part--on UNIX. The orignal announcement of Linus' creation is often quoted because it seems so humble compared to what Linux has become. We don't really know what will become of Syllable. But, there are plenty who lament bloat, and fantasize about trim lightweight software. In this, Syllable may be a contenter, but only time will tell.
mikedothMay 16, 2008
Take a look at Haiku, a open source BeOS in developement right now.To reply to aptiva, it's based on AltheOS, which is based on AmigaOS's design.