AROS: Now available VMWAROS and AROS 64Bit!

[Raffaele the Amigan]

There is a true Bonanza of AROS related news!

http://aros.sourceforge.net/

64-BIT AROS!

Michal Schulz has made the miracle, and a whole new chapter in AROS history begins. Starting from today, you can grab the 64 bit native flavour of AROS from our website. This new version is obviously more advanced than the usual one, and has limited memory protection and GRUB loading modules. A initial wall for 4 GB of RAM will be removed as soon as proper MMU handling is done. In order to run the 64 bit native version of AROS a 64-bit x86 processor like AMD Athlon 64s or latest Intel Core2s is needed.

VmwAROS

A new AROS distribution has born. VmwAROS is a pre-installed and pre-configured AROS environment for VMware, compatible with Windows and Linux versions of VMware Player, Server and Workstation (v5 or 6). This distribuion is still far from being complete, however a initial beta has been realeased for everyone daring to download and test it. VmwAROS targets everyday's users and coders, and anyone interested in trying AROS, but don't want to jeopardize the data on their hard drive. Click here for more.

Other news

Aros-Exec's user Fishy_fis has announced a new AROS distribution called Velocity. An initial beta should be released soon. "Velocity will come initially in both a live booting installable CD and a VMWare hard disk image and contains considerably more (and custom configured) software than the nightly build ISOs". Screenshots are included.

Robert Norris is working on an AROS browser based on Webkit, called Traveller. While working on it, he has updated lots of AROS libraries and already ported some useful pieces of code, like libxml2, cURL, OpenSSL, SQLite and more. Some informations in his blog.

[C-Chan]

GYAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!  AROS-CHAN IS SOARING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ^V^

Indeed, the AMIGA Research Operating System is sure to succeed.  ^____^

Now I must accelerate my drawing of her in the Amigan Portraiture.  ^.^

[Dr. Mario]

Will definitely try it.

[Dr. Mario]

Okay, I tried it. One problem, if the keyboard or mouse isn't detected - either the CPU refuses to shift to Long Mode or the PC freezes.

Yeah...  ;020
My PC's specs:
AMD Athlon 64 Venice 2.2GHz
Biostar K8T80-A7A motherboard
BFG GeForce 7600GS / 512 MB GDDR2 (AGP)
2x 512MB A-Data DDR400
two DVD burners: Sony DW-U14A / Lite-on SOHW-812S
two hard drives, all Maxtor - 15GB and 20GB
--> USB keyboard and mouse

PS. I'm still using old (and sucky) BIOS, not GreenOmega 64 AIOS (wished I would be able to use it...)

[paolone]

Okay, I tried it. One problem, if the keyboard or mouse isn't detected - either the CPU refuses to shift to Long Mode or the PC freezes.

First of all, please try a newer nightly build: the ones around febr 28 were broken and stopped booting on some platforms due to a bug recently introduced and then fixed. The march 6 one is enough stable. If you have problem with the current one, please post a message in AROS-EXEC.org, in the VmwAROS forum, I'll try to ftp that nightly in a place where it can be easily downloaded.

In second istance, you have better using a PS/2 mouse and keyboard, since only USB 1.1 OHCI/UHCI is already supported, and M. Schulz is now working on the port of AROS to the SAM440EP board, so it will take some time before the most recent EHCI USB controllers will be supported. You can setup legacy compatibility for USB kbs and mice in your motherboard's BIOS.

The rest of your hardware should be mostly supported, including the video board using Nvidia 2D accelerated driver. If not, you can still choice a VESA 32 or 16 bit mode from the starting panel of GRUB. You'll have problems with sound and network, though, 'cos your adapters aren't supported yet. This can be easily worked around with a PCI RTL8029 network adapter and a PCI SB Live! 5.1 sound board, both easily findable in 2nd hand market for a few bucks.

For anyone interested in tasting the true feel of AROS, however, I encourage using VmwAROS, since it is already configured and running, and it only needs any version of VMware (even the free ones) in order to run. A fast PDF manual explains how to setup the networking stuff (it's far easier than on bare AROS) and file sharing with the host operating system. Good luck,

p.bes

[Dr. Mario]

Okay. Well, what about upcoming USB 3.0 (using the same controller as
Serial IDE / ATA, AHCI)?

         And, new problem also, what about the Rambus XDR IO controllers, found in upcoming x86 CPUs? (they don't use the same programming schemes as DDR IO controller.) - the reason for putting XDR controller in newer 64-bit x86 (9th x86 generation) is simple, Phenom has suffered the memory problem, simply because the DDR failed to satisfy this AMD CPU.
(ever wondered why your Phenom 64 ran so slow? Blame the DDR RAM.)