[Oberon] Oberon/Linux Revival

[Peter Matthias]

Am 02.07.2015 um 22:11 schrieb skulski at pas.rochester.edu:
> Peter:
>
>> The Linux V4 port heavily depends on library calls.
>
> All V4 ports were user-mode applications running in a single X-window in
> Unix, or in some sort of a single window under Windows. Furthermore, the
> V4 was implemented with Unix library calls which are similar under all
> flavors of Unix. All V4's were thus quite similar to one another.

Correct.

> I thought the same was also true with System-3, at least initially.

For the original System-3: Yes.

> System-3 would thus be a user-mode application from Unix standpoint.
> Crossing the application-kernel barrier must be done with Unix system
> calls in any case. Thus System-3 would also "heavily depend" on library
> calls.

For the original System-3: Yes.

>> however I don't know how to call
>> libraries while only kernel interface is available.
>
> If one is writing a part of the Linux kernel then regular libraries are
> not available at all. For example, you cannot use a file system from
> within the kernel.

I suppose, you can. But I am not a Kernel developer.

> This begs a question: is your Oberon a part of Linux
> kernel, or is it a user-mode application?

file olx shows:
olx: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), 
statically linked, stripped

Of course, it's a user mode application. But it _calls_ the Linux kernel 
directly, without libraries (via INT 80H for X86).

> These are completely different
> approaches. I was under the impression that Oberon System philosophy was
> similar to BlackBox: a user mode application that defines its own
> "sandbox". Does your statement imply that this is no longer the case? Is
> your Oberon now a part of the kernel?

There is/was the Native group that programmed the hardware directly and 
there is/was a group that ported Oberon to different operating systems. 
You can think of OLR being derived from Native and using the Linux 
Kernel as Hardware Abstraction Layer so that you don't need to mess with 
programming Kernel drivers (Disk, USB, Graphics...) yourself in Oberon.

Regards,
Peter