[Coco] Virtual Memory in OS-9

[Bob Devries]

William said:
>I just wanted to ask if the operating system has calls for allocating more 
>memory to a process, or if everything has to have memory allocated 
>statically.

There are system calls to allocate more memory in OS-9.
The OS-9 system manuals (level 2) are available in PDF form online. Try 
ftp.clubltdstudios.com/coco/downunder/OS9/

> Also I really want to know if it's possible to execute programs that use 
> more memory than is physically installed by paging to mass storage of some 
> sort.
> It would be very nice if something similar to the UNIX mmap() system call 
> is available.

This would require extensive changes/additions to the stock OS-9. Even 
Nitros9 would need much change. Not saying it isn't possible, but...

> I plan on starting out with the OS-9 C compiler as it looks like it has a 
> lot of UNIX compat stuff in it. I would like to see just how much of a 
> UNIX like environment I could re-create on OS-9

The European OS9 usergroup once produces a work called TOP -- The OS9 
Project. While this was, I believe based around OS9/68000, it was designed 
to give a UNIX-ish feel to OS9.

> I saw a lot of unix tool ports on the rtsi archive so it cant be too bad. 
> But I'm wondering if theres a way to make curses apps run on OS-9 does the 
> OS-9 console emulate any particular type of terminal? (one that implements 
> escapes for character attributes, cursor movement and such) at the worst I 
> could always hang a real terminal off of an RS232 port.

There is a curses port for OS-9/6809, but I've had mixed reports as to 
whether it works or not. The codes used by OS-9 for screen/keyboard are 
documented in the manuals.

--
Regards, Bob Devries, Dalby, Queensland, Australia

Isaiah 50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me
the capacity to be his spokesman,
so that I know how to help the weary.

website: http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bdevasl
my blog: http://bdevries.invigorated.org/

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William Schaub" <wschaub at steubentech.com>
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:59 AM
Subject: [Coco] Virtual Memory in OS-9


>I am looking into possibly working with OS-9 on both the coco2 and the new 
>coco3 when it arrives from cloud9. I know I should hunt down the manuals, 
>but I'm not 100% sure where to look. I just wanted to ask if the operating 
>system has calls for allocating more memory to a process, or if everything 
>has to have memory allocated statically.
>
> Also I really want to know if it's possible to execute programs that use 
> more memory than is physically installed by paging to mass storage of some 
> sort.
> It would be very nice if something similar to the UNIX mmap() system call 
> is available.
>
> I plan on starting out with the OS-9 C compiler as it looks like it has a 
> lot of UNIX compat stuff in it. I would like to see just how much of a 
> UNIX like environment I could re-create on OS-9
>
> I saw a lot of unix tool ports on the rtsi archive so it cant be too bad. 
> But I'm wondering if theres a way to make curses apps run on OS-9 does the 
> OS-9 console emulate any particular type of terminal? (one that implements 
> escapes for character attributes, cursor movement and such) at the worst I 
> could always hang a real terminal off of an RS232 port.
>
> I would like to see just how far I can go with both OS-9 Level 1 and 2 
> (most likely NitrOS-9)
> one of the ideas being a sockets library for OS-9 that talks over a serial 
> line to a PC and gives access to the sockets library of the connected PC 
> plus some UNIX network tools that get linked to that library.
>
> But knowing very little about OS-9 and so far not knowing where to find 
> the manuals (Particularly the Level 1 manuals) I'm not sure if any of this 
> is even possible.
>
> I also plan to learn 6809 assembly and how to interface directly with 
> hardware, but I figured C would be a good first step. If everything works 
> out nicely I do plan to put together a nice virtual hard drive image with 
> a full development system + UNIX tools etc.
>
> I hope I'm not being a pest with this post Ive spent most of my time on 
> UNIX and grew up with the coco2 being the first computer I got when I was 
> 5, and the machine that got me into computers in the first place. so now 
> 20 years later I dusted my old coco off and figured I could still put it 
> to use to teach me about things I never got around to learning, like 
> assembly language and interfacing to hardware directly, writing drivers 
> etc. since its a simple system that is well documented I could learn a lot 
> of fundamental concepts quickly at least thats my thinking.  I can't 
> imagine trying to do this on modern PC hardware which is many times more 
> complex and aside from the really standard chips not that well documented 
> at all unless you sign an NDA.
>
>
>
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