Operating system development

zowki · 2009-10-26 09:39:02

Hi,
I would like to learn about programming operating systems so I can help with ReactOS development. Are there any resources where I can start learning? I am already fluent in C and know some x86 assembly.

keenerd · 2009-10-26 10:32:22

Tauenbaum's "Modern Operating Systems" is the standard undergrad text, and is very readable. Goes for breadth and covers every single trick past and present. (He is the guy who wrote Minux, a good OS for learning about OSes.) Amazon claims to have copies for 32 cents.

Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne's "Operating System Concepts" is the standard grad text, much more technical than Tauenbaum.

Random googling:
http://wiki.osdev.org/Main_Page
http://mikeos.berlios.de/
http://people.csail.mit.edu/rinard//osnotes/
http://www.cpu.eti.br/jos.html
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-En … /index.htm
http://www.viralpatel.net/taj/tutorial/ … loader.php

Last edited by keenerd (2009-10-26 10:37:05)

zowki · 2009-10-26 11:31:24

Thanks, I'll take a look. By the way its Minix not Minux.

Edit: OSDev.org was really helpful. MikeOS served as a great example code. Looks like next weekend is going to be lots of fun!

Last edited by zowki (2009-10-26 13:47:06)

artoj · 2009-10-28 20:14:44

As ReactOS uses Windows NT architecture I suggest reading Windows Internals by Mark Russinovich (kernel developer at MS). The 5th edition of that book actually has contributions from Alex Ionescu, who is (was?) a ReactOS kernel developer.

zowki · 2009-10-29 14:39:55

artoj wrote:

As ReactOS uses Windows NT architecture I suggest reading Windows Internals by Mark Russinovich (kernel developer at MS). The 5th edition of that book actually has contributions from Alex Ionescu, who is (was?) a ReactOS kernel developer.

Isn't it some kind of dev policy that you must have zero exposure to the Microsoft source code in order to assist with development?

iBertus · 2009-10-29 14:44:21

I could see that such a policy would be very good to have for ReactOS. The last thing they need is a claim from MS about stolen (or even planted) code.

My question is why the interest in ReactOS? Isn't the idea to basically re-implement the most broken OS in the world?

timetrap · 2009-10-29 14:47:02

iBertus wrote:

My question is why the interest in ReactOS? Isn't the idea to basically re-implement the most broken OS in the world?

It's for the games. Silly.

What we (linux users) really need is a port of DirectX 7-10.

artoj · 2009-10-29 14:59:18

zowki wrote:

Isn't it some kind of dev policy that you must have zero exposure to the Microsoft source code in order to assist with development?

Well, copying Windows NT kernel code to ReactOS is obviously forbidden. But the book I linked talks about the architecture of Windows NT. That's required to reimplement the NT design.

djszapi · 2009-11-06 21:46:56

This was the book I started to read:
http://djszapi.homelinux.net/Operating Systems - Design and Implementation, 3rd Edition (2006) - allbooksfree.tk.chm

Lich · 2009-11-06 22:18:11

I would suggest you also look around my old "home" http://www.rohitab.com/discuss/index.php?showforum=41 for some info and a basic OS example that you can use as a base. Good luck, even though (and I'm not trying to bring you down) I have a feeling that you'll abandon this dream of yours in max 2 months. If I had a penny for every guy that I know who started OS developing...

zowki · 2009-11-07 05:00:01

Thanks for the resources. Theres no way I'll abandon my goals. My future career depends on it. And djszapi, please don't post warez in the forum.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-10-26 09:39:02

Operating system development

#2 2009-10-26 10:32:22

Re: Operating system development

#3 2009-10-26 11:31:24

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#4 2009-10-28 20:14:44

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#5 2009-10-29 14:39:55

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#6 2009-10-29 14:44:21

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#7 2009-10-29 14:47:02

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#8 2009-10-29 14:59:18

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#9 2009-11-06 21:46:56

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#10 2009-11-06 22:18:11

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#11 2009-11-07 05:00:01

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