Console Mode, DOS Emulator on OLPC

[guylhem at guylhem.net]

Hello,

I also volunteer - I believe as well that a console mode + a standard
X windows, as suggested by the first poster, could have advantages.

If you agree, a different runlevel could be used for that, ie the olpc
could be switched easily between sugar mode and non sugar mode - call
it salt or pepper if you want :)

Actually, it could be a usefull distinction - the bootloader could
start the kernel in either runlevel, depending on a special key
combination, so that legacy educational applications could run without
any problem or any complex operation, without interfering at all with
anything else.

Ex: press some button at boot time, and you are presented with the dos
mode, where you can run your legacy applications as you always did.
Press another button and you have a standard x-windows, so if you have
a remote server with existing specific apps (math/chem), just log
there, export the display and you're set, without python eating
power/memory for tasks where it is not required.

I too can see that being put into a good use, because there are
several important DOS application for sign language actually used in
Brazil, and many X applications in highscools and universities around
where I live.

I've been experimenting with such hacks. I'll try to release a good
prototype soon.

Guylhem

On 9/26/07, elw at stderr.org <elw at stderr.org> wrote:
>
>
> I suppose that I have effectively opened my mouth and inserted foot, so
> perhaps I should volunteer to start a bit of work in this direction.
>
> Any other volunteers?  We'll work something out.  ;-)
>
> --elijah
>
>
> On Tue, 25 Sep 2007, Jim Gettys wrote:
>
> > Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:35:46 -0400
> > From: Jim Gettys <jg at laptop.org>
> > To: elw at stderr.org
> > Cc: Mitch Bradley <wmb at laptop.org>, devel at lists.laptop.org
> > Subject: Re: Console Mode, DOS Emulator on OLPC
> >
> > On Tue, 2007-09-25 at 18:57 -0500, elw at stderr.org wrote:
> >>
> >>> Subject: Re: Console Mode, DOS Emulator on OLPC
> >>>
> >>> OLPC does not support VGA/EGA/CGA graphics, so the display code for all
> >>> those old programs will not work.
> >>
> >>
> >> IIRC xdosemu provides vga support within an X window.
> >>
> >> I sympathize with folks who want to run ancient dos educational apps on
> >> the OLPC - it'd be great if xdosemu were available as an activity-like
> >> bundle for folks who need it.
> >
> > Seems like a good idea?  Any volunteers?  It isn't high enough on the
> > priority list that we'll get to it anytime very soon.  Would be a good
> > way for someone to learn how to "sugarize" a simple application.
> >                                  - Jim
> >
> >>
> >> [Same goes for C64 emulators... there are still folks in chemistry and
> >> biology and physics who have useful code that runs on the Commodore
> >> machines.. even at Big 10 universities.  ;)]
> >>
> >>   --e
> >>
> >>
> >>>> 1. There are large number of DOS education application suitable for
> teacher and students.
> >>>> 2. Most DOS applications are designed for slow PC below 100 MHz.
> >>>> 3. There are many abandonware/freely available 20 years old DOS
> applications/tools on the Internet, such as TurboC, TurboPascal, TurboBasic
> etc.
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Devel mailing list
> >> Devel at lists.laptop.org
> >> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel
> >
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