Making MiNTOS the underlying Atari Operating System

["Peter Ross" <pross@soho.ios.com>]

I think that all TOS computers and clones should be configured with MiNTOS
and that future GEM programming should rely on MiNT drivers to communicate
with the hardware.  This way, the operating system's lowest software basiis
would be from a multitasking standpoint.  GEM, MiNTOS (Gui-less) and MiNT-X
programs would utilize the same drivers.  X and MiNTOS programs would be
for more programs that could be ported to other systems  GEM (in the for of
MultiTOS, XaAES, OASIS) would be for more native level programming.  A
cross GUI compiler system could be created that would allow the same
programming to be compiled out to GEM as well as MiNT-X.

TOS is like the safety mode.  When all is going wrong, at least you can
boot from the 
ROM so that you can load corrective software into your computer.  MiNTOS
should
be the main operating system since it relys on MiNT which is the core of
MultiTOS, MiNT-X and "W".  If one is having systems problems with MultiTOS,
they can run a shell and use MultiTOS utilities to troubleshoot the
problem.  GEM programs that are MiNTOS aware can utilize Unix base routines
to enhance the throughput of MultiTOS based computing.  Users that wish to
study the many benefits of Universal Unix can do so via MiNTOS our with 
MiNT-X.  MiNT-X bottom line requirements should be a 68030 and STe/TT audio
support (Perferably Falcon audio)  MiNT-X could be THE X system for pro
level Falcon software.  Many X programs can be enhanced and compiled to run
under MiNT-X for Falcon.  There is source code out there for 
Audio, Video conferencing, Telephony, etc that is absolutely free!  If
these were to be converted to Falcon computers running MiNT-X, there would
be more demand because this is the lowest costing richest featured computer
capable of running X-
Windows BAR NONE.  Enhance MiNT to be faster create a VDI driver that can
be easily upgraded to better faster versions.  Create drivers for USS-Lite,
QuickCam, using the Atari Enhanced JagPad as a 6 button mouse for MiNTOS.

The difference between MultiTOS and Magic is not that one is faster than
the other.  The difference is that MultiTOS is based on MiNT which is a
kernal for MiNTOS-- the Atari UnIx and MiNT-X, the X-Windowing system for
MiNT.  Being that MiNTOS is Unix-like, it is easier to support Networking
applications for  intercomputer communications via the internet, intranets
or computer to computer.  MiNTOS with MiNT-X even gives us the ability to
recompile AfterSTep so that our lowly, yet very capabile TT, Falcon and
Pak030'ed computers can have the look and feel of NeXT computer systems. 
Who knows, perhaps one day GNUSTep (the NeXTSTep clone) will be compiled
for MiNT-X giving us the ability to easily create Falcon enhanced X-Windows
programs.

			Peter "The Future is Bright, I've Got To Wear Shades" Ross

PS:  I hope you guys got the point, if you have MiNT device drivers on your
system 	and you are running MiNT-X or MultiTOS, GEM or X programs will be
able to 	utilize the drivers.  I suggest that all new programs check to see
if the latest 	version of a particular driver is available on the system
(such as QuickCam), 	if not, then copy it over to the MiNT folder.  If
minix is not available, make the 	suggestion that the user should upgrade
to MiNTOS with Minix, and install 	the driver as a TOS compatible TTP file.

PSS:  Remember, the Atari computers (starting with the TT with MiNT and 
MultiTOS on the hard drive out of the box) are the only computers 	who's 
native operating system can be upgraded to X-Windows.  The beauty of it is 
that Atari had nothing to do with MiNT-X or the later versions of MiNT.  It
was 	totally from the hands and minds of users like me and you.  Hackers! 

Many Thanks to Eric, Andreas, Michael and all other that have brought MiNT
to the realm of uni-"X": MiNTOS/MiNT-X.  We need people to work on TK/TCL, 
converting Linux/FreeBSD driver sources to MiNT, converting the MULTITUDE
of unix warez over to MiNT-X.