migration to x86 - QBox reloaded?
  • Yokemate of Keyboards
    Yokemate of Keyboards
    Zylesea
    Posts: 2057 from 2003/6/4
    When I was updating the document "MorphOS im Detail" a few days ago, I again was thinking quite a bit about that (rather otdated) chapter where the QBox gets mentioned (No tokai, not yours, but the one planned years ago)...
    We know a few things (kind of checking reality):

    1st: We know that the QBox in the form once roughly anounced (or thought of) is rather dead or at least gets not much advanced these days, but the focus is the brilliant ABox. But still Quark is sitting below the de facto MorphOS (aka ABox) and provides a underlying kernel that could launch more processes than the ABox only (IIRC there is a bit more like soe servers, but nothing for user interaction).

    2nd: We also all know that the current situation of ppc is a bit difficult to say the least. And the desktop cpu marked is dominated by Intel and Intel and Intel and Intel, then for a longer while nothing, then AMD and then for a even longer while again nothing followed by ARM, PPC and #?.

    3rd: And we further know that the main obstacle in migrating to IA32 is the wrong endianess.

    Taken this together, but still planning for a x86 migration I came to this:
    Wouldn't it be an option (hypotetically, not taken into account the ammount of required work) to relaunch the QBox as a ABox IA32? Meaning MorphOS x86 consistig of two boxes: One little endian Box for full speed x86 apps (Q). And another box (A) either running in full ppc emulation or (even better) maybe "just" operated in a completely flipped x86 code environment. Meaning that box could provide compability to today (ppc) and yesterday (68k) with all the IPC stuff and so on but due to flipping all data structures with a spedd penalty. But the little endian box (Q) would be for all new compiles and developments, but operate basically? as we know it from the current ABox.

    I think this could provide a migartion path to x86 without the necessity of a speed penalty or loss of backward compability. And I guess a migartion to IA32 is rather inevitable for the future. But of course this is a helluvalot of work.

    ? While that box wouldn't be binary compatible to the current ABox anyway, maybe the chance should be taken to implement some missig goodies like MP and SMP. Kind of really modernized ABox.
    --
    http://via.bckrs.de

    Whenever you're sad just remember the world is 4.543 billion years old and you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie.
    ...and Matthias , my friend - RIP
  • »30.10.09 - 19:29
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  • Yokemate of Keyboards
    Yokemate of Keyboards
    Zylesea
    Posts: 2057 from 2003/6/4
    I just put my above thoughts a bit more verbose to http://via.i-networx.de/q86.htm . Of course that is only *my* naive dreaming how things could get done, but I think generally it wouldn't be the worst approach.
    I know resources are limited and so on, but thoughts are free ;-)
    --
    http://via.bckrs.de

    Whenever you're sad just remember the world is 4.543 billion years old and you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie.
    ...and Matthias , my friend - RIP
  • »25.09.11 - 22:15
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  • Paladin of the Pegasos
    Paladin of the Pegasos
    Jupp3
    Posts: 1193 from 2003/2/24
    From: Helsinki, Finland
    Tell us more when you have some working proof-of-concept code to show.

    Other than that, rejoice that the hardware situation is better than ever, and constantly improving!
  • »25.09.11 - 22:25
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  • Yokemate of Keyboards
    Yokemate of Keyboards
    Andreas_Wolf
    Posts: 12136 from 2003/5/22
    From: Germany
    > I just put my above thoughts a bit more verbose to http://via.i-networx.de/q86.htm .

    Nice read. And you even got a reply two days ago:

    https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7183&forum=3&start=338
  • »25.09.11 - 22:45
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  • Yokemate of Keyboards
    Yokemate of Keyboards
    Zylesea
    Posts: 2057 from 2003/6/4
    Jupp3,
    Quote:



    As I said it's just some thoughts. And I am not complaining about to lees hardware *today*. In fact I applauded much to the idea to support Apple ppc gear. I like my MAc mini and I am verxhappy that probably by end of year my long dream of an "Amiga laptop" finally will come true. Curent situation is rather good I'd say (though more users would be nice). But what is in 5 or more years from now on? The ppc hardware doesn't get younger. As said it would be good to have some optional way to continue. Andcurrently there is little powerful and affordable ppc hardware on the radar. The switch doesn't need to be tomorrow, but on the long run I think it is inevitable.
    --
    http://via.bckrs.de

    Whenever you're sad just remember the world is 4.543 billion years old and you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie.
    ...and Matthias , my friend - RIP
  • »25.09.11 - 23:00
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