OS development tutorials

[Corey Mendell]

Where can I find a tutorial, in english, on developing my own operating system? (not FAQ.)


If anyone has an answer to my question, please email me promptly.

[f2]

I'm writing my own as I write my own OS. But, I can't imagine that the documenation will be done soon...

[crazybuddha]

These aren't necessarily tutorials, but they are essential resources.

http://www.nondot.org/sabre/os/articles
http://www.ctyme.com/rbrown.htm
http://nasm.2y.net
http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/
http://www.500mhz.net/ndx.html
http://www.osdev.org/cgi-bin/projects.cgi
http://www.execpc.com/~geezer/os/

Mostly you have to become familiar (i.e. struggle) with specific topics, then go research those in greater depth.

[Tim]

You've missed IMHO the most important pages:

http://osdev.redir.net/
http://osjournal.n3.net/
http://www.themoebius.org.uk/tutes/

[Corey M.]

OK, but i've seen those resources and i'm still clueless. I need some kind of reading that will walk me through making an OS. (basically a tutorial).

Thanks Anyway,
If you have any other suggestions, reply to this

FROM: Corey Mendell. ???

[DynatOS]

It isn't Cake... it is an OS... no definite recipe, only foundations. This explaination is about as easy as it gets (assuming you will be using 32-bit protected mode)...
-The protected mode GDT (Global Descriptor Table) dictates access to memory
-The protected mode IDT (Interrupt Descriptor Table) provides the location of "routines" that help maintain the system (external hardware signals, other interrupts, excpetions... etc...)
-Any major fowl-up in protected mode will result in a tripple-fault of the CPU and the computer resets
-I/O (Input/Output) Ports provide access to things like the HD and floppy drive
-The video card can be directly manipulated through memory writes
-Just about the rest depends on your tastes

That just about sums (and I mean sums) up what is needed for a base in a protected mode Kernel/OS. The links that were suggested to you are the easiest reading/understanding combonation available. Considering the time between your 2 posts, I suggest you slow down a bit and read those documents over and over until they "click". People understand things differently, some people can zip through these docs like they are looking at a picture book, others spend months figuring things out... the common bond for anyone to be successful in OS programming (and most everything) is patience.

[Tom]

There are some books you could buy that help you make an OS. I don't know of any that are like tutorials, but a good book to buy is "Operating Systems: Design and Implementation". I'm using this book to make my OS, the book ( in it's 1stEd ) has a complete source code listing of MINUX - a UNIX compatible opeating system.

If you want a tutorial on making a bootable floppy, look at this posting:

http://www.mega-tokyo.com/forum/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=38

and click on the attatchment called nasmBoot.txt at the bottom.