[Coco] origins of OS-9

[Aaron Wolfe]

On Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 9:14 PM, Lothan <lothan at newsguy.com> wrote:
> Wasn't that Microware RT68 for the 6800? This is pure conjecture on my part,
> but I somehow doubt Microware really had to put much thought into the
> decision to create an operating system for Basic09. I mean it had already
> created the RT68 platform for the 6800 and it sure is a lot easier to
> develop and sell products for an operating system than it is to do
> bare-metal development for each product it creates.
>

Yes, I found mention of a product for 6800 called ""RT/68
MX - Multi user ROAA for the SWTPCO M6800" in a 1977 catalog.

One possibility is that RT68 grew into OS-9, although I have no
evidence for this and I know nothing about RT68 other than the
description above.  The only statements I have found about the origins
of OS-9 explain that Microware decided they needed an OS to support
Basic09, almost as if it were an afterthought.  If this was the whole
story I think you'd see some basic I/O routines behind the B09
environment, rather than a full fledged, powerful operating system.
Somebody had a vision for something much larger, and they pulled it
off quite well.. that's the story I'm after, if it can be found :)

I've got an archive of the 68 Micro Journal, going to read through
these and see if I can get a time line or any clues.


> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Stephen H. Fischer" <SFischer1 at Mindspring.com>
> Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 7:51 PM
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] origins of OS-9
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I seem to remember that there was something before OS-9 for the 6800.
>>
>> FLEX had been in existence for the 6800 for some time and perhaps
>> something else.
>>
>> I think that I have the 68 micro journals starting just before OS-9 was
>> announced in an ad.
>>
>> Look in the scanned copies in the Archive.
>>
>> Have these issues been looked at by anyone?
>>
>> SHF
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gene Heskett"
>> <gene.heskett at verizon.net>
>> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 9:12 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Coco] origins of OS-9
>>
>>
>>>> I think there is a part of the story that I haven't been able to find:
>>>> how OS-9 became a powerful, full featured OS and not just a shell for
>>>> running B09.
>>>>
>>> I can't argue about that, and considering that we are all much the richer
>>> for
>>> it, no other os's docs have ever approached the clear, concise detail
>>> they
>>> gave us.  What an education it has been!
>>>
>>> --
>>> Cheers, Gene
>>
>>
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>
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