Desktop OS based on RTEMS

General
1

Hi,

I would like to evaluate the possibility to create a desktop OS based on RTEMS. Is it possible to do this by giving higher priority to GUI events? Or is it even possible at all?

Thanks for any hints.

2

Hello,

RTEMS has a single address space. Beneath that, most applications are build into a single executable. Both are points that would be highly unusual for a desktop OS.

I think there are some extensions for certain targets regarding the address space. And there is also a dynamic linker. But that’s far from anything that one would expect of a modern desktop OS. So it would be a lot of work.

Best regards

Christian

3

Thanks for your valuable input.
I understand the choices as they probably help to obtain performance.

Philippe

4

I think most of these points are more historic and not necessarily due to performance. For example, a lot of targets don’t have an MMU. So separating the address space just doesn’t really work. The single executable is most likely due to the typical embedded system where you just don’t add a new application during runtime.

If you want to extend something, feel free to discuss that.

1 Like
5

Hi c-mauderer,

Here are more details of what I have in mind.
I would like to create a new operating system. Yes I know, it’s a bit crazy.
To do this, I need to find a foundation for that new OS. RTEMS is one of my 3 choices for that.

So if I choose RTEMS, it would allow me to:

  • sell RTEMS to companies. This is where the money is and this will help to achieve the lines below.
  • contribute to RTEMS by paying a full time developer
  • bring RTEMS to the masses, i.e. create a desktop OS for millions of users

I tried to find information here and there about what RTEMS is, but it’s not easy to know what is its current status. So the following may not be accurate. Feel free to correct me.
It looks to me like an OS with a solid foundation (the realtime capability is a must) that everyone uses for their in-house development, and nobody develops RTEMS itself.
Also, it doesn’t seem there is any decision team with which I could discuss to find a win-win partnership.

So I wonder if RTEMS is a good choice for my project.

6

Hello Elwood,

RTEMS definitively has a solid foundation. But it has a strong focus on embedded devices. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s missing a few features that you usually would have in a desktop operating system. Also note that it more or less implements an embedded subset of POSIX.

There are non-commercial and commercial contributors to RTEMS. So it’s not correct that nobody develops RTEMS. For example, I work for a company who offers RTEMS services and we extend RTEMS based on what our customers need.

You are right that there is no official formal “decision team”.

I would suggest that you try to join one of the RTEMS Weekly meetings on Thursday / Friday (depending on your time zone). That meeting can be anything from private conversation to discussing some RTEMS problems. In my experience a lot of ideas and directions start in that meeting even if no official decisions are made during the meetings.

Best regards

Christian

7

A meeting is a good idea. I could not find any detail about a meeting anywhere here or on discord.
Can you provide details?
Thanks.

8

There is a recurring discord event with the details for both of the regular meetings.

9

I would not try to build a new desktop OS starting from RTEMS as a basis, for many reasons. I think there are many desktop and server oriented open-source OS that you could join or work toward improving. My intuition is that the market is overly saturated for any kind of novel effort in this direction to gain any traction.

10

@all
I found the event information. Thanks.

@gedare
I totally agree with you.
I don’t want to do yet another Linux distribution. That’s why I’m here because I think we can build something different (better?) with RTEMS or maybe QNX.
Also I have some ideas that may gain traction. But it’s still an ambitious project. Right now, I’m enjoying writing a document to explain what I have in mind. I don’t know how far I’ll go from here.

11

I’ll happily refer you to HelenOS or Haiku OS as a more suitable direction to consider for non-UNIX OS options.

12

Yes, HaikuOS is so blazing fast. It is my 3rd choice.
Will try HelenOS.
Thanks.