[jonprogrammer]

Hi, well I consider myself a loner computer expert. I know a lot of stuff. So I've used many operating systems. Windows, Linux Distributions, Macosx etc and I've always been the kind of guy who wants to know how everything works. Writing an OS from scratch by myself, hmm probably a bit of a fantasy I'm having right? Well I don't know, my life has kinda been put on hold right now and I am interested in developin something new, maybe I would need a team of people but who and where. Some people have said build from an existing kenel like Linux but there are so many distros out there allready. So is it something worth investing some spare time into. I just don't know. Anyone got any advice. Thanks.

[computeruler]

well you can make your own distro of linux i cant remember what its called

[pete21]

if you do make one
please make it simpe and easy to use
drivers & programs that will work on it from windows
i tried linux the other day and i couldent work out how to get a wireless driver to work on it and am not an amature
i would like to see a different operating system like windows maybe more customizing without all that memory use? like linux easy bootup/shutdown skin changer without no third party programs and so on
maybe a fast boot up too
i dont no if thats all possible but if you do ill have a copy of your os

[thingie2]

well if your good enough, and have enough time, I'm sure you could make yourself an OS, but the two pointers are very absolute, as it's only you coding, it will take a long time, and that's not incuding bug testing etc. as even the more basic linux distributions will have teams coding them, and Windows will have hundreds, if not thousands of people that conribute to it down the line. Also a good OS I would say if probably the hardest peice of software to code (I don't have any experience of programs so I'm mearly estimating depending on what different software does)

[Bubba]

I can't help you as far as technical advice is concerned but I CAN tell you one thing, if you DON'T try you will NEVER know. I say go for it. I know a guy who lived off beanie weenies and Kraft Mac and cheese (an American thing if you don't know what those are lol) for three years, with a wife and kid, while he wrote a program for processing medical records. He was in debt up past his dic......... waist, when he finished and then made a few million. Isn't the SAS motto "Those who dare win"?

Go for broke dude and don't look back. If it turns out to be a bust you will know you gave it your best. If it works out (like we all think it will) then we can say we knew you when you were a little feller just thinking about it. A famous American General, George Patton said,"Never give council to your fears." I prefer, "damn the torpedo's full speed ahead." but they mean the same thing.

Warp speed Mr. Sulu.

Good luck and send me a free copy when you get it done.

[serverguy]

I suggest you forget the idea straight away.

Writing an OS requires really low level process control, memory management etc. Really not something for someone who has no previous programming experience. OS writing is for the die hard programmers with years of experience, and even then they would never attempt it alone.

If you want a challenge, learn to program Windows applications, and then make a program that everyone wants.

Then maybe, when you are hugely experienced, and have a wealth of knowledge to call on, and a fat book of contacts for die hard programmers, then have a go at writing an OS

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by serverguy

I suggest you forget the idea straight away.

Writing an OS requires really low level process control, memory management etc. Really not something for someone who has no previous programming experience. OS writing is for the die hard programmers with years of experience, and even then they would never attempt it alone.

If you want a challenge, learn to program Windows applications, and then make a program that everyone wants.

Then maybe, when you are hugely experienced, and have a wealth of knowledge to call on, and a fat book of contacts for die hard programmers, then have a go at writing an OS

Remind me again how much experience Bill Gates had when he did dos/windows. I forget............. or how much experience Mozart had when he, at 8 years old, started started composing?

[MJM]

In theory, yes you could program a basic OS, but chances are that after a year or so you may not get much further than a calculator. After all, at least the boot loader has to be written in assembly, plus some sort of interpreter.

If I am completely honest, except for a few exceptions, a person should never write an OS on his own.

Exception are for embedded systems mostly. Writing a router "OS" isn't too hard, but writing one for a PC is a whole different story. I do remember someone writing something from scratch that did mathematical graphs or something, very specific and rather useless as an OS.

[Cew27]

it will take a hell of a lot of time, alot of coding knowlage.
secondly if anyone were to make a new os. the last thing it wants is to run windows applications.
tell you what. have a look at linux from scratch. that should quelm your cravings for creation.

[Spencer2004]

make a hackers OS!!