Sirius DOS

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Sirius DOS
Created by				Alexander Nicholi
Written in				C, C*, x86 assembly
ISAs				i286, i486, and more
Licence				ASL 1.1

Sirius DOS is a research software platform devised by American computer scientist Alexander Nicholi based on MS-DOS 6.22 and running on IBM-PC compatibles.

Purpose

The 16-colour, 32×32 pixel icon for Sirius DOS.

There are many new theories in the works that need to be actualised, for example the Khipu system for software modular memory. Sirius DOS is the bed upon which this can happen first. It is built around MS-DOS, but converted piecemeal to realise the new approaches in the way MS-DOS never did. It is targeted and actively tested in both QEMU-based virtual machines and real IBM-PC compatible hardware installations. This approach helps maintain existing real mode software support, lessening the developmental burden for utilising ISA and PCI add-on cards of the day. Knossos I provisions many of these in addition to having highly integrated basic I/O.

Hardware setups

Knossos Zero

Knossos Zero is any and all virtual (typically QEMU) based machine setups on top of which Sirius DOS will run. So far it includes the following specifications:

• 160 MB hard drive
• 1440KiB 3½" floppy drive
• Cirrus generic SVGA
  • Operated in single-wide mode
• 2× serial I/O

Knossos I

Knossos I is the primary physical computer setup upon which Sirius DOS will run. It has the following specifications:

• STM 5x86 @ 100MHz
  • i486 compatible µarch
  • Socket 3 direct (no interposer)
  • 1MiB of off-chip (on motherboard) SRAM cache
• Jetway J446A Baby AT motherboard
  • SiS chipset providing integrated I/O for floppy, IDE and PC speaker
• Coreco Oculus Bandit VGA PCI card
  • Cirrus Logic CL-GD5480 controller chip
  • 4MiB of DRAM
  • Operated in double-wide mode
• 32MiB of EDORAM SIMMs
• NEC FD1231H 3½" 1440KiB FDD (A:)
• NEC FD1157C 5¼" 720KiB FDD (B:)
• 64MiB CF card adapted HDD (C:)
• Creative Labs CD5233E CD±RW ODD (D:)
  • Supported via Creative Labs CT1870 ISA card
• Greystone dual-slot PCMCIA reader with ISA controller card
• 3Com EtherLink III 3C509B-TP 100 Mbps Ethernet ISA controller card
• 19" Sony Trinitron running at 1280×1024 @ 60Hz
• Filco Majestouch mechanical keyboard with numpad over PS/2

Knossos II

Knossos II is the secondary physical computer setup upon which Sirius DOS will run. It is created as a minimal support target with reduced capabilities compared to Knossos I. It has the following specifications:

• Genuine Intel i286 @ 12MHz
  • i287 support
• GRiDCASE motherboard with fully integrated I/O and peripherals
• 1MiB of RAM
• 3½" 1440KiB FDD
• Dual serial I/O
• Parallel I/O
• Cat3 modem port (may need support card)
• 320MB HDD
• Monochrome textual LCD display with CGA out
  • Runs only Subprime ABI compatible programs
• Tenkeyless built-in keyboard with PS/2 in

Prime and Subprime ABIs

Primarily, Sirius DOS provides two distinct Application Binary Interface minimums, called the Prime and Subprime ABIs. The Prime ABI is also further differentiated into the Single-wide Prime ABI and the Double-wide Prime ABI, whereas the Subprime ABI stands alone in its clade.

The Prime ABI is a graphical interface for the full-fat user experience on Sirius DOS. It provides 15-bit high colour support at the pel level directly to software, and supports up to three compatible displays simultaneously in this way (controller support providing). Programs adhering to the Prime ABI are written to operate in both single-wide and double-wide modes. Single-wide mode requires a monitor and video card that can support at least 640×480 pels in 15-bit high colour directly. Double-wide mode requires a monitor and video card that can support at least 1280×1024 pels in 15-bit high colour directly.

The Subprime ABI is a non-graphical interface for programs of reduced user experience. It is the mode of choice for utility programs and is tailored to provide a very similar operational and programming model to that of UNIX. However, unlike most console ABIs, it is completely synchronous and unidirectional: at any given moment either output or input is taking place, but not neither and not both, and furthermore input and output as shown cannot be taken back after it is given except in very restricted manners (e.g. a line of input is requested and a user may Backspace individual characters so long as they have not pressed Enter). The Subprime ABI also does not provide any access to do direct cell modification, preventing the creation of curses-like user interfaces. It also does not permit the submission or rendering of any so-called "ANSI control sequences", nor does it support any character sets besides ASCII. These restrictions help maximise intercompatibility and consistency of user experience across many platforms and conforming applications.

The Subprime ABI can be provided directly by a more barebones system that is not powerful enough to run the Prime ABI directly (nothing more than the original 8086 with MDA is needed to use Subprime conforming programs). It can also be provided virtually within a Prime ABI program, e.g. as a kind of "console window" within an editor suite or other larger program, enabling easier multitasking.

Hybridism

Hybrid programs are a central feature of Sirius DOS where programs can have graphical output and text console I/O together with a unified interface. In its most basic form, the kernel monopolises a special key (or keys) for use in toggling the view of the output between the graphics and the console, so no matter what the program, the same method can be used by the user to switch.

Quindle also provides a more flexible built-in system of running hybrid programs.