The Mad Science of Frankenlinux
A week or so ago, someone on here posted a truly awesome video: one where a retro-loving geek like me (but whose sysadminnery and cybersorcery skills are way above mine) created a FreeDOS rig... that was really Linux under the hood. This is kinda genius:
- It works around the issues FreeDOS can have on not-retro hardware (networking, sound, storage devices, etc.)
- True Linux super-experts can do all kinds of tricks. I managed auto-login and auto-boot-into-DOS. It doesn't look pretty, but it works.
- It's super-customizable. If I wanted to, I could even create DOS commands that use file-based IPC to interact with the host system (so for instance, a SHUTDOWN command, since that has to run as root for some reason). Or a DRIVES command that detects and mounts new storages devices and maps /dev/sda1 or whatever to D:\, E:\ etc. Or... too many ideas.
So I spent way too much time last week trying to learn this incredible trick. I still don't have it half as good as his (I'm not even using FreeDOS, but DOSBox). But I do have a functional "Linux DOStro" in a VM. And once I've created a couple more, to where I can do it easily, I'll be putting it on real hardware... maybe.
BUT (and it's a big BUT :-D)
Hold on... isn't this _exactly_ what Google did with Android and ChromeOS? I mean, you start with a super-lightweight Linux, and then build a whole "ecosystem" around it? To the point where it doesn't even look like Linux anymore? That's... well I was gonna say "horrifying" or "ridiculous" or a poke at Google here... but frankly, it's kind of amazing.
What I'm experimenting with is one of the features I love most about Linux: you can do whatever you like with it. People who know how to code desktops can build classic Windows, classic Mac, Star Trek... I mean there are all kinds of great desktop themes @Lunduke has covered (I myself am a _huge_ Chicago95 fan). Of course, Google took it to two extremes (one fully web-based, the other a wacky Java-based run-time). But so did the DOS guy! And that's where I kinda go, "hmm... ya know, there's so much un-tapped potential here". Sure, DOS is my target OS right now, but this clunker of a laptop could be...
- A Commodore 64, VIC-20, PET, or other Commodore system.
- A system I don't know as well but could totally see myself using, like an Atari 800, an Amiga, or an Apple II.
- Something like Lunduke's "LCOS', a system that is still basically Linux but it's cool-retro-term from start-to-finish and loaded with great command-line apps
- Or... I could create my own thing entirely. 8, 16, or even 32-bit. Text-based, graphical, or an a C64-like mix. Any audio design I want. With or without networking. Maybe a BASIC or #Forth or something. Yeah, now you get why I posted this here. :-D
On computerdesign.locals.com, I just left it there. Here, I'm puttin' it to a poll. But all ideas are welcome.