Hi,

what I don't completly understand is that Microkernel - with - Box - Thing. I got to know that Morphos has a Microkernel called Quark. Since I am used to Operating System basics, this is clear to me. Now, there exists a Box - consisting of some processes or whatever which includes Message Passing, Memory Managment, Process Management, File Systems, Drivers... Just a Moment. Message Passing? Process Management? If those things are not included in the Microkernel - those are very basic things! - what is that Kernel ? If I can start a whole Linux Kernel upon it? Is it a Scheduler ? Or just some communication glue between those Processes? Please explain it to me.

hi

this scheme is correct ?

mos-dgn.png

please fix it if isnt

i like to know how are designed mos

timofonic

@timofonic:

propably it's better to move quark out and qbox in. :)

The "Box" (A-Box actually) contains an entire Operating System based around the Amiga 3.x API. If you try to add certain functionality to the Amiga API (i.e. memory protection) you'll add a lot of complexity and are highly liable to break compatibility with a lot of existing software.

So the MorphOS approach is to use layers. Quark is the bottom layer with the A-Box on top complete with it's own kernel.

Quark currently is used but is invisible to the programs that use it. Once it's properly underway programs will be able to run in a new "Q-Box" using Quark directly complete with moden features (i.e. full memory protection) without having to worry about breaking compatibility.

The approach the Amiga OS 4.0 team are taking is to to add the modern features to the existing design but, they've end up with compromises like partial memory protection and probably a lot of compatibility problems.

Quote:

Ok, that was what I read in the documentation. But what does the Quark contain ? To me, it seem just something that is able to start and schedule processes.