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This is the "write your own Operating System" OS-FAQ . It is presented as a WikiWikiWeb (See more links about Wiki's at the bottom of this page). You can also come and join the forum to meet other people that share your OS developer enthusiasm.

Please before you edit pages, read the good-practice rules. And if you want to try things, please use the SandBox.

Update Note: The PhpWiki software was updated 2006-06-15. If you find anything that is broken, report it under WikiIssues.

Quick Categories: HardWare -- TroubleShooting -- CollectedKnowledge -- HowTo -- WishList -- Glossary

Introduction (all in one)

Basic Information

• Foreword <- this is IMPORTANT!
• Introduction
• Avoid BeginnerMistakes
• Getting Started
• What order should I make things in?
• What is a kernel--shell--GUI--etc.

Environment

• How kernel, compiler, and C library work together
• ThingsYouCannotDoWithC (See also InterruptServiceRoutines!)
• Can I use some language other than C?
• Doing a kernel in C++
• Doing a kernel in Pascal
• SampleInlineFunctions
• UsingBios or not UsingBios ? ...
• Using InlineAssembly

Booting and Setup

• BootSequence
• DisklessBooting
• the BabyStep tutorial
• GdtForDummies
• InterruptsForDummies
• Getting Keyboard Input

Testing and debuging

• How do I test (and avoid crashing my disk while doing so)
• How do I use a debugger with my OS
• Is it possible to use Unit Testing with my OS
• Help! My kernel crashed! (guru meditation in a nutshell)

Design Considerations (all in one)

Kernel Models

• Monolithic Kernel
• Microkernel
• Exokernels and their kind (including Nanokernels, Cache Kernels, Virtualizing Kernels, ...)
• ModularKernel

Task Models

• Monotasking Systems
• Multitasking Systems
• Real-Time Systems

Memory and Resource Management

• Physical, Virtual, Paging, help?!?
• What Segments are About
• Allocating and Freeing Memory
• File Management
• Algorithms and Tips for Memory Management

Scheduling

• Tasks, Processes and Threads
• Context Switching
• Scheduling Algorithms
• Multiprocessor Scheduling
• Sleeping and Waiting Processes

Process Sychronization / Inter-Process Communication

• Semaphores, Mutexes, Spinlocks et al.
• Signals
• Message Passing
• Shared Memory
• Remote Procedure Calls

Tools

Bootloaders

• GRUB
• LILO
• XOSL :: Extended Operating System Loader
• System Commander
• Boot Magic
• RollingYourOwnBootLoader

C/C++ Compilers

• Watcom C/C++
• Visual C/C++

• GCC

  • Using GCC Under Unix and Linux
  • Using GCC Under Windows
  • DJGPP
  • Cygwin
  • MinGW and Dev-C++
  • Building a GCC Cross-Compiler
  • Porting GCC to Your OS
  • CallingConventions of GCC for x86 Systems
• OtherCompilers

Assemblers

• GNU as
• FASM

• NASM

  • Differences Between AT&T and Intel assembler formats

Linkers

ar

Emulators

• VMWare PC Emulator
• Bochs (i386) PC emulator
• SimICS
• QEMU
• Microsoft Virtual PC

Working with Disk Images

• ...under Linux
• ...under FreeBSD
• ...under MacOS X
• ...under Windows

Reference Information (All in one)

Executable File Types

Filesystems

• FAT12 Details
• AmigaFFS Details

Hardware

• CPU

  • AMD K6 WriteBack Optimisations
  • How can I tell CPU speed ?
  • ModelSpecificRegister
  • SampleInlineFunctions
  • Tell me about x86 64 bits CPU ...
  • The IA32 Architecture Family
  • What is v8086 mode?
  • CpuBugs

• Memory

  • How do I determine the amount of RAM?
  • Why cant I access all my memory?

• IRQ's and Exceptions, PIC, NMI, APIC, OPIC

  • Can I remap the PIC?
  • Getting Keyboard Input
  • Help!? I can't get interrupts working
  • How do I know if an IRQ or exception is firing?
  • InterruptServiceRoutines
  • InterruptsForDummies
  • So whats the NMI then?
  • Tell me about APIC
  • Tell me about OPIC
  • What is the PIC?

• Video

  • AcceleratedGraphicCards
  • How do I detect if I have a colour or monochrome monitor?
  • How do I draw things in protected mode?
  • How do I move the cursor when I print?
  • How do I output text to the screen in protected mode?
  • VgaResources

• Storage devices

  • AtapiCdrom
  • DMA
  • FloppyDriver

• Plug and Play

  • I heard you can do PNP calls with the BIOS in Protected Mode?
  • Where can I find programming info on PNP?

• PCI, USB and things like this ...

  • AGP information
  • And what about USB ?
  • I heard you can do PCI calls with the BIOS in Protected Mode?
  • PciSectionOfPentiumVme
  • USB Tutorial
  • Where can I find programming info on PCI?

• Network cards and communicating devices

  • 3c556
  • SerialPorts
  • ne2000

• Non-ix86 Development

  • PowerPC

Resources

• Books on OS Dev.
• AssemblerLanguage
• Some small kernels with source
• BareBones - a minimalistic example of how to get from GRUB into C space.
• BareBonesC++ - well, guess. :-)
• Disk Image with preinstalled GRUB
• Chip Numbers, Acronyms and Things
• Links

Forum Information etc.

• HowToAskQuestions

Who helped with the FAQ

The TODO list

Before you edit pages ...

• QuickGuide to the Wiki, by MartinBaute
• What is a WikiWikiWeb? A description of this application.
• Learn HowToUseWiki and learn about AddingPages.
• Use the SandBox page to experiment with Wiki pages, and find a GoodStyle.
• Please sign your name in RecentVisitors.
• See RecentChanges for the latest page additions and changes.
• RecentEdits also shows minor modifications; mainly for admin use.
• Find out which pages are MostPopular.
• Administer this wiki via PhpWikiAdministration.
• See more PhpWikiDocumentation.