Python OS

[Diez B. Roggisch]

Benji York wrote:

> Diez B. Roggisch wrote:
>> Hm. I'll reread them myself and see if what has been achieved in this
>> field. But I seriously doubt that someone took a python interpreter and
>> started writing an OS.
> 
> I am aware of at least one attempt.  See
> http://cleese.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/moin.cgi and the mailing list
> archive.  They managed to boot a specially modified VM and run simple
> Python programs.  Unfortunately the project was abandoned about a year
> ago.

And it backs my assertions:

--------------
Code that is written in either Assembly Language, Boa (see BoaPreprocessor)
or C is often referred to here (and in mailing list discussions) as ABC
Code. (Coincidently, "ABC" is one of the languages that Python was
originally based on) 


Different components of Cleese live in different layers: 


Layer 1
start-up code, low-level hardware services and any library code required by
Python virtual machine - ABC code 

Layer 2
the Python virtual machine - C code 

Layer 3
the kernel and modules - Python code 

Layer 4
user-level applications - Python code 
---------------

http://cleese.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/moin.cgi/CleeseArchitecture

So the lowest layer _is_ written in assembler, C or something else that's
allowing for pythonesque source but generates assembler. That was precisely
my point. 



-- 
Regards,

Diez B. Roggisch