Re: [MiNT] WCOWORK operating mode

[Evan Langlois <Evan@CoolRunningConcepts.com>]

On Wed, 2005-07-13 at 22:24 +0200, Petr Stehlik wrote:

> there are already working solutions for dynamic libraries.

Digging around in the cookie jar?   Uhhm ... I mean something clean and
supported by the AES.  Can we PLEASE have a single OS, instead of a
patchwork of AUTO folder programs and things that don't get along?

I am NOT willing to support the current dynamic library system in its
current form.  If someone wants to have MiNT load existing LDG libraries
and provide a consistent and clean API that doesn't require the
application to EVER address outside its memory space, then I'm all for
it.  Please provide some sort of namespace support when you do it.  MiNT
should control the memory mapping of the libs, and the loading.  No one
should be fiddling with the cookie jar to get some pointer to jump into.

> well. Arnaud works on Windom to ease application developers to write
> applications for any AES on Atari. If you happen to convince Arnaud to
> kill compatibility in Windom you would basically make many applications
> WCOWORK-only at once. That would be interesting. Let's ask some MagiC
> programmer using Windom how would they like it.

Who's programming for the Atari and using MagiC?  Why would he have a
problem with the OS suddenly natively supporting all the workarounds
that Windom did?  MagiC can't progress - its dead.  We can't innovate if
all applications can't use new features without a large body of code to
detect the new features, and even more code to reimplement what the OS
does for them for older OSs that are no longer supported.

> I am for setting up a deadline when all main GEM applications switch to
> some new powerful mode that will force users to upgrade to latest
> FreeMiNT and XaAES. Say August 31, this year? We've been waiting for
> this for a long time so these remaining 6 weeks should be enough for
> everybody to make the switch.

Sound good to me - the last remaining bugs and incompatibilities would
be found and squashed quickly as everyone adopts.  New apps after Aug 31
would be clean and lean, and if someone wants to use them, they upgrade
to do it.