Theoretical - Designing an OS?

[Lord Kalthorn]

I was sitting down and thinking - what makes an OS?

What does make an OS - well I think we all know that it is a huge array of different files comprising of many hundreds of millions of lines of code which allow a Computer to do what it does best - cater to whatever whims we may have! Anything from us wanting to download a Movie to us wanting to view a Photo, to us even wanting to Spell Check a huge Word Document. Although most of these things you need extentions to the basic OS they are all controlled at the bottom by this huge package of Programs.

So, I thought - There's a group of highly intelligent people on a Forum I know who would just die to start thinking about this! Lets face it - We've all thought about starting on designing an Operating System from scratch (at least I have) but we have to face up to the fact that we are not realistically single handedly going to design an OS!

We have a nice mix of opinions here - and we are all realistic - what does an OS need? What is possible which no other OS has - what does one need which one has but one doesn't? Which bits of Operating Systems are good; which are bad; which are obsolete?

I think this will be very interesting! Names would be pretty interesting too! (Anything but OS X!As far as I know Windows is accounted for already!)

 

[David Lindon]

Well, reliablity and security are big players!

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

Yeah - so like a Firewall and - I don't know what would help reliablity other than efficient and bugless programming!

 

[David Lindon]

I have thought about calling mine Lindos!

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

I have thought about calling mine Lindos!

Lol! You should! I could call mine Kalthux! Or Kal OS X! Or Kalthows!Winthorn! Linhorn! Kalthows Longthorn! or Winthorn Kalhorn!

 

[Ziycon]

Idea

You could try and build an OS on a security program(not one thats out there) design and write a security program that can block, trace an log everything done in and out on all ports and areas that are vulnerable, then build an OS based on how this security system works, instead of the security system working on the OS, get the OS working on the security system!

Just and idea, disagree/agree, say what you want!


Ziycon

 

[David Lindon]

Re: Idea

You could try and build an OS on a security program(not one thats out there) design and write a security program that can block, trace an log everything done in and out on all ports and areas that are vulnerable, then build an OS based on how this security system works, instead of the security system working on the OS, get the OS working on the security system!

Just and idea, disagree/agree, say what you want!


Ziycon

But what becomes more important? Security or usability/functionability.

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

Yes, it comes down to which is more important really; either that or the programmers spend ages and ages and years making it to perfection. And still then the security will eventually be behind.

 

[Ziycon]

Security Vs. Functionality/*Usebility

Well in the end, it depends what you are looking to use the OS for. Security will and always has been a big issue, but more so in the past few years functionality/*Usebility area playing a big part in what applications and OS's sell in the market place.
With that in mind, personal i feel security will always be more important then functionality/*usebility.


Ziycon

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

Yeah - for me it is a nice mix which is best. But most people don't know the difference, and functionallity is the easiest thing to see.