[Arm-netbook] Game Console OS

[Henrik Nordström]

ons 2014-08-13 klockan 12:16 +0200 skrev Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton:

>  1) some additional storage.  that would need to become part of the
> specification.  it would then be necessary to specify the minimum
> requirements (size, transfer rate).  the type doesn't actually matter
> because the EEPROM can specify where it is accessible from as a
> DeviceTree overlay.

I disagree that this need to be in EOMA68 standard. But it may well be
in some OS specifications for specific usage. I.e. you need at least X
amount of storage in the carrier board for storing games, videos or
whatever and this OS supports this/these cards.

with unfortunately no guarantee that stored data is meaningful with
another OS or card. Standard only gives that you can speak to the same
storage device no matter what card or OS you have installed, not that
you can exchange data between all OS:es/cards when swapping card.

>  2) userspace programs *per CPU*.  so, there must be MIPS versions of
> the programs, ARM (32-bit) versions, ARM (32-bit) hard-float versions,
> ARM (64-bit) versions... when they come out, x86 versions of the
> programs (32-bit, 64-bit, 486 variants)....

Ugh.. no.

> 2b) you actually ship the full source code and the CPU Card will have
> a complete compiler

Unlikely, and even then programs often fail compiling with another
compiler version or library versions..

> 2c) you have a web site that allows OS applications to be downloaded,
> stored on e.g. external media or whatever the end-user chooses.

Yes, that would work, and connects fine with above storage requirements.

> which would be kinda cool.  "oh you plugged in to this type of base
> unit, let me just offer you the opportunity to download a complete OS
> you can use which is customised to fit it".

OS or application doesn't matter. But in either case it will likely be
tied to CPU card + carrier combo.

imho having EOMA68 evolve into a full OS specification requirement would
be a bad idea. It's hard enough to get the hardware side right.

Having some recommendations is fine, i.e. how storage should be managed
so that data can be shared etc.

Regards
Henrik