SqOS 0.1

Pre-release of alpha version. For developers and daredevils only. Inspiration for students work.

Features:

Bootable from vfat partition (disk or usb-stick) using e.g. loadlin or syslinux.
- kernel assumes PS/2 mouse and VESA framebuffer
Squeak vm + sources + image + changes are on vfat partition (possibly the same the SqOS has been booted form).
- SqOS looks for squeak in a vfat partition which contains an empty file named sqoshome in its root directory.
Alternatively, it is direcly usable in Linux or windoze without booting SqOS

Contents of the vfat partition:

squeak - a directory:
- squeak sources + image + changes - platform independent part of squeak
squeakvm.lin - a directory:
- linux vm + plugins - vm usable by a linux seeing this partition or by SqOS
squeakvm.win - a directory:
- windoze vm + plugins - vm usable by a windoze seeing this partition
squeakos - a directory:
- sqosroot.gz - SqOS root (gzipped cpio archive)
- bzimage - linux 2.6.7 kernel (with initramfs enabled)
- loadlin.exe, start.bat
sqoshome - an empty file indicating that this is the right partition to be used by SqOS
scripts for starting squeak in various ways

How to use it (an example):

In order to install SqOS, you need either windoze or linux box with some existing FAT partition or with a space for it. In the later case, make it. It is good to have at least 100MB free space at the partition.
Make sure you can boot DOS with the FAT partition accessible. Use e.g. win98 or FreeDOS.
Under Linux or windoze, unzip the SqOS.zip into the FAT partition.
Boot DOS, launch sqstartdos.bat (this will start SqOS via loadlin)
If OK, rename sqstartdos.bat to autoexec.bat. SqOS is successfully installed.
Play with more sraightforward ways of booting (get rid of dos) - syslinux etc.
Play with another configuration of linux kernel, ...
Mail me your comments, improvements, suggestions, etc.

Download

To do

Inspiration came from:

SqueakOS (SqOS, Squeak on Bare Linux) last edited on 1 April 2018 at 1:27 am by localhost