AmigaOS4 is being written with the new Amiga hardware, the AmigaOne in mind. AmigaOS4.0 offers many features the Classic AmigaOS lacked such as Virtual Memory, support for TrueType fonts and many other features. AmigaOS4.0 is being compiled for PPC code to run on the new hardware and any classic Amiga with a PPC expansion card (note that it will NOT run on Amithlon or other current emulators). AmigaOS4.0 is being written by Hyperion Entertainment with consultancy support from a wide range of highly skilled (and some very well known) Amiga and other OS developers.
Taken directly from an executive update at http://www.amiga.com on 25-March-2002:
Hyperion Entertainment have assembled the cream of Amiga developers to work on AmigaOS4.0, guaranteeing both high quality and high performance in the final product and ensuring that AmigaOS4.0 and beyond will be a true Amiga product, created with due care and attention to the philosophy and practices that have always made Amiga solutions the envy of the world.
AmigaOS4.0 is currently being developed on Amiga 4000s equipped with CSPPC accelerators, and integration is now underway on the AmigaOne 1:5 boards provided by Eyetech.
The aim of AmigaOS4.0 is five fold;
- to provide a transition from the 68k based custom chipset Amiga hardware to PPC based pluggable sub system hardware
- to provide as great a degree of backwards compatibility as is possible
- to optimise the AmigaOS for its new hardware foundation
- to move the AmigaOS forwards, offering new features and high performance all wrapped up in the traditional easy to use Amiga architecture
- to prepare the way for AmigaOS5
Its feature set as currently defined is as follows;
Exec SG (Second Generation) - A rearchitectured and reimplemented Exec core services manager that allows the deployment of AmigaOS4 to any suitable PPC hardware including but not limited to the Amiga One, Blizzard PPC, Cyberstorm PPC, Shark PPC from Elbox, Pegasos from bPlan etc.
The following features are being added;
- Hardware abstraction layer
- Virtual memory
- New library interface
- Resource tracking and management
- Optional memory protection
- WarpOS backwards compatibility
68K emulation - This is key to AmigaOS4.0 as many of the less performance crucial OS elements, as well as the entire body of Amiga third party applications will require it in order to work. The latest Just In Time (JIT) techniques are being employed to ensure maximum performance, with hand tuning of many areas to accelerate the Amiga architecture.
PPC native connectivity suite - this was the most requested feature from the community, integrated connectivity, and given its importance, we trusted its development to Olaf Barthel, one of the most respected Amiga developers in the world. He has not disappointed, with benchmarks suggesting that the new AmigaOS4 solution is faster than any other available solution. Its feature set includes;
- implemented as a single shared library
- compatible with the Amiga standard "bsdsocket" API, as defined by the AmiTCP product
- enhanced API for more control over the inner workings and configuration
- built-in DHCP client
- Internet Superserver (inetd)
- IP filtering and networking address translation
- drivers for asynchronous PPP (dial-up networking) and PPP over Ethernet
- SSLv2
PPC native reimplementation of the Amiga File System (FFS2) - FFS2 is a fully backwards compatible re-implementation in C of the Fast File System. It supports media greater than 4 GBytes, and a new variant of the file/directory name storage format which allows for long file names (up to 108 characters). Salvage and recovery tools will also be included that support both FFS2 and SFS.
PPC native CD file system - the feature set for this second most requested feature of AmigaOS4 is as follows;
- Joiliet support
- RockRidge support
- CDDA support
- multi-session support
- Video CD support
We also intend to add support for mixed audio/data CD's and support for the HFS and HFS+ filesystem as used by Apple.
PPC native RTG system - with the AmigaOne supporting both AGP and PCI graphics cards, the ReTargetable Graphics system is crucial to high performance. Redesigned and reimplemented for AmigaOS4 and the AmigaOne, a team lead by the creators of the Picasso96 solution will ensure the hightest quality graphics display for the consumer, whether gamer, artist or general user. In addition, hand tuned drivers are being written to support the following graphics cards, with more to be announced later.
- Permedia 2
- Permedia 3
- Voodoo 3
- Matrox G450/G550
- ATI Radeon
Amiga3D - developed from the pioneering Warp3D solution offered by Hyperion and now available on both the AmigaOS and AmigaDE, this 3D solution offers the power and simplicity of a low level 3D interface, allowing developers to create blazingly fast 3D applications without the overhead of a fatter 3D solution such as OpenGL. Hand tuned hardware drivers for the above mentioned graphics cards will provide even higher performance. Whoever said games are irrelevant on the Amiga is in for a surprise.
OpenGL 1.3 support (mesa 4.0) - whilst Ami3D allows the developer to get down close to the metal, OpenGL is the standard for a full 3D solution. AmigaOS4.0 will offer OpenGL1.3 support by implementing mesa 4.0 on top of Ami3D, giving developers the 3D choice of performance and feature set.
PPC native RTA - With the introduction of PCI card support, the Amiga community now has access to the latest in audio hardware. Given its excellent collection of audio software, such as Audio Evolution, Samplitude and others, this AHI compatible solution will allow the AmigaOne to become a major force in audio creation. With support for most existing Amiga audio cards as well as Soundblaster live and Soundblaster 128, the future has never sounded so good.
PPC native GUI system - the entire look and feel of AmigaOS is being reworked;
Intuition is being rewritten and enhanced, to give a PPC native foundation to the AmigaOS interactive environment.
Reaction, the BOOPSI based component GUI system has been reimplemented and enhanced for seamless integration with the AmigaOS.
Many new classes are being developed whilst drag and drop will be supported across the system.
Matt Chaput, designer of the famous GlowIcons is taking a leading role in the look and feel, ensuring that AmigaOS4 will look both modern and unique.
A PPC version of AmiDock will also be included, ensuring that Workbench continues to be the most usable environment of all the desktop platforms.
PPC native CLI - the tool of choice will be removed of annoying bugs and enhanced to make it even more useful.
SCSI interface - SCSI will be supported, allowing the many devices already owned by Amigans to be used, but with particular attention being paid to SCSI devices that use the SCRIPTS controller, for the next generation of devices.
AmigaInput - A new framework for managing input devices is being designed as a prelude to the requirements for AmigaOS5. This will appear in AmigaOS4 and become a crucial part of the developing Amiga solution.
USB - USB was to be introduced in AmigaOS4.2 but given the developemtent of the 1:5 motherboard, parts of it will be introduced in AmigaOS4.0. Currently this will allow USB mice and keyboards to be supported but, if all goes well, new devices will be added as they become available, with scanner support next in line.
PPC datatypes - the datatypes system has been implemented and extended within the AmigaDE, demonstrating our commitment to superior Amiga technology. With the move to PPC, the system and many of the datatypes will also be moved across, increasing their performance dramatically.
PPC Storage Toolbox - a set of functions allowing for the management of fixed and removable storage devices.
PPC font engine - surprisingly one of the most requested features for AmigaOS4.0, a brand new font engine will be added to the AmigaOS, providing support for both True Type and Open Type fonts. In addition, bullet.library and diskfont.library will be reimplemented and enhanced and a contract with Agfa for 12 truetype fonts has been negotiated.
In addition, many Amiga developers are coming forwards and demonstrating their commitment to the AmigaOne and AmigaOS4; in particular
- 1. Special PPC native OEM version of Ibrowse 2.3
- PPC native version of MUI for applications that require it
- Special PPC native lite version of Audio Evolution
All in all, AmigaOS4.0 is shaping up to be a very compelling and exciting product which in combination with the AmigaOne will provide the product that we have been waiting so long to offer to the Amiga community.
Whilst the the changed schedule for the AmigaOne boards is very welcome, it has added AmigaOS4.2 work to the schedule for AmigaOS4.0, namely the abstraction of the AA chipset. Coupled with the need to reimplement certain features included by Haage and Partner in AmigaOS3.5 and AmigaOS3.9, this may push out the final consumer delivery date; an analysis is underway at the moment to determine this.
The Amiga community is owed a great debt by Amiga Inc and, with the success of AmigaDE now allowing us to build revenues and increase resources, the long layed plans for the future of both the AmigaDE and the AmigaOS can be put into action. Thanks for all your support and here's to the future,
Signed on behalf of Amiga Inc, Eyetech, Hyperion and all those working together for the future of the Amiga
Bill McEwen
CEO
Amiga Inc
Snoqualmie, WA
The Purpose of AmigaOS4
AmigaOS4 is going to be a great system, but can anyone really expect it to take
on the likes of Microsoft Windows head on? Of course not. AmigaOS4 is likely to
attract current Amiga owners and some people who left the Amiga community when
things got too quiet for them, not much else. While AmigaOS4 will have a feature
set that would easily allow it to compete head to head with Windows, many other
operating systems also fit that bill and you don't hear much about them either.
So why do it? Simple - The current userbase and potential userbase of AmigaOS4
is sufficient enough to warrant a new OS, this has already been proven by
emulations such as Amithlon and AmigaOS clones like MorphOS - a new AmigaOS will
attract users back from these to a more "official" product (note that Amithlon
contains AmigaOS3.9 and as such Amiga do get money from it, but it's still not
really Amiga's baby so to speak).
That reason however is just the tip of the iceburg. AmigaOS4 is the first step
on the path to AmigaOS5. AmigaOS5 is planned to have
Amiga Anywhere integrated directly in to it. What this means is that there
will be a fully-featured and extremely powerful desktop OS which will not only
run Amiga Anywhere software (after all, Linux and Windows can already do that)
but actually inter-communicate between the software of the two different
platforms. This will make AmigaOS the perfect home server solution. When your
TV, PDA, cellphone and even your fridge are running Amiga Anywhere, what better
way to share resources and control everything effortlessly than with a powerful
and elegant operating system like AmigaOS?