Pete's QBASIC Site

SGOS is short for Simple Game Operating System. It is an OS for the PC designed for games. It is DOS-like but has many enhancements over DOS. It has a memory-banking system like EMS but can do it in any program's address space. It will have drivers for EGA, VGA, Mode-X, SVGA, Sound Blaster, joystick, etc. Parts of these drivers can be banked into and out of the 1MB memory space. It will have its own GUI and file-system. Is anybody interested? Is it worth it? I'd appreciate any feedback.

Do you plan writing your own kernal? In Qbasic?
I have been told that it is HARD to make a Qbasic OS.
If you are doing it in Qbasic, then you are going to have to use asm.

I would recommend that you write some special king of game programming language just for your OS (and maby others).
A good example of a game programming specific language would be http://blitzbasic.com.

Sounds like a good idea (it wont be easy).

It seems very similar to DexOs (http://www.dex4u.com). Have you already checked it?

SGOS is not written in BASIC but mostly written in assembler and perhaps in C/C++. BTW, I just checked the DexOS site. It looks better than my plans. Worse yet, SGOS is 16-bit--even though for a 386 using V86 mode. Maybe I'll download DexOS when I get a chance. Of course, SGOS can use sfx.

Some planned features of SGOS:
* Jump-table-style kernal and drivers
* Loadable drivers
* V86 mode banks parts of programs and drivers into and out of memory space
* 128k VGA256/ModeX buffer--should make games slightly faster
* A GUI

Should I create SGOS, anyway?

Only if it is 32 bit at least. The new PC's are all going to be 64 and 32 bit only! 16 bit is almost dead. That is why QB64 is being created.

Who cares if 16 bit is almost dead? Unless he is making it so he can get big bucks, it should not matter. This may actually be very cool for old computer lovers like me! Atari computers are almost dead, but people still develop stuff for them. Not for the money, but because it is fun! Plus this would be good programming practice for him 64 bit or not.

I think you should do it.

Hey, I have a 98 machine too, but eventually it will die. Just like Atari did.

It's a problem that will have to be dealt with soon.

I don't make games very often.