GeckOS
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Unsubst".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Script error: No such module "Portal". GeckOS is a multitasking operating system for MOS 6502, and compatible processors such as the MOS 6510.Template:Sfnp The GeckOS operating system is one of the few successful attempts to implement a Unix-like operating system on the 6502 architecture.
Overview
The system offers some Unix-like functionality including pre-emptive multitasking, multithreading, semaphores, signals, binary relocation, TCP/IP networking via SLIP, and a 6502 standard library.Template:SfnpTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp
GeckOS includes native support for the Commodore PET (32 KB and 96 KB models), Commodore 64 and the CS/A65 homebrew system.Template:Sfnp Due to the platform independent nature of the kernel code, GeckOS is advertised as an extremely easy OS to port to alternative 6502 platforms.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Binary compatibility with the LUnix operating system can be attained when the lib6502 shared library is used.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Due to the small fixed-location stack of the 6502, and because an external MMU is rarely provided, multitasking is somewhat limited.Template:Sfnp The OS supports a maximum of four tasks when a shared stack space is used.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". This can be increased to sixteen tasks when stack snapshotting is enabled, although this is done at the expense of some system speed.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
A webserver is integrated into the SLIP daemon.Template:Sfnp
Unix on 6502 architecture
While early versions of Unix ran on for example early model PDP-11 computers that were comparable to Commodore 64 in terms of memory and processor performance there were architecture differences in terms of lack of a kernel mode, only 3 8-bit registers versus eight 16-bit general registers, and a fixed stack. These architectural limitations make implementing a Unix-like operating system on the 6502 challenging.Template:Sfnp
The possible non-exhaustive list of other viable Unix-like implementations on 6502 are LUnix, Asterix (Chris Baird) and ACE (Chris "Polar" Baird). GeckOS arguably is more complete in some respects, with ACE being stronger in terms of standard Unix utilities but weaker in the operating system area.Template:Sfnp
References
Footnotes
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Sources
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Template:Cbignore
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
External links
Template:Hobbyist operating systems Script error: No such module "Navbox".