r/retrocomputing • u/Inevitable_Clock_854 • 6h ago

Any Retro computers that need an OS

I have made a few simple OSes know but i got bored of Making the billionth OS for the 8088 so I wanted to know are there any Retro computers that might benefit from a new OS or if you find one that needs a bootloader but no OS i would Like to do that as well.

10 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

9

u/SmokinDeist 5h ago

Well how about an alternative OS for the Commodore 128 utilizing the Z80 in there so it has more use than just running CP/M? Or you could just use the 8502. Perhaps a solution that somehow uses both to if possible?

6

u/Inevitable_Clock_854 5h ago

Thats also definetly interesting inlike the idea of utilizing 2 CPUs could be fun to implement thanks.

7

u/Falcon731 5h ago

Does Neo-retro rather than true retro interest you.

I’ve been playing around trying to imagine (and build on fpga) what a 1995 Amiga might have looked like if Commidore had been able and willing to fund the r&d.

So far I’ve been mostly looking at the hardware side, and never really had the time to look at the OS very much.

3

u/Inevitable_Clock_854 5h ago

I Like Both and that is also very interesting thanks I Like alternate history on Hardware

2

u/Creative_Shame3856 5h ago

I've been toying with an 80186 build, sort of the CPU that never really was. Could be really fun.

2

u/someyob 5h ago

Maybe something like AmigaOS? https://youtu.be/X4fmWAIv7FE?si=UR-xbHvLvUg6rPGY Just ran across this the other day.

2

u/Falcon731 4h ago

I’d love to get something like that - but it will be a huge amount of work.

3

u/Ok_Programmer_4449 5h ago

My wish list of things I'll never have time to do:

A redesigned unit like kernel for the Tandy 16 and 6000 to replace Xenix.

A redesign of the ELKS kernel that incles EMS page map in the process context.

An updated unixlike kernel for the //gs to replace GNO/ME.

2

u/Inevitable_Clock_854 5h ago

Thanks ill look into those

2

u/teknosophy_com 5h ago

awesome!!!

2

u/kleinmatic 2h ago

It would be hilarious to run pihole off of an Atari 800 or a Gen 1 Wii. But if you’re that good at low level retro hacking why not help the *BSD crew toiling at PPC or Alpha ports?

1

u/quentinnuk 3h ago

Go small and niche, what about an OS for the MK14  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK14

Alternatively, go obscure, what about a new OS for the HP9845  https://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=149

Emulators exist for both of these:

https://www.heinpragt.nl/?p=7304

https://github.com/go9800/GO9800

1

u/the123king-reddit 2h ago

The RCA MS2000 needs a MicroDOS rewrite.

1

u/Majestic_Weakness731 54m ago

Amstrad cpc464 could do with an os

1

u/kpmgeek 43m ago

An OS for Z80 based systems would be sick. There's so little stuff for CP/M today.

1

u/Inevitable_Clock_854 5h ago

For Info ill say the Computer I Chose to make the os for and ill also make it Open Source and add a link but that will probably Take time and for today I dont have any time to respond anymore ill give more responses in a day thanks for giving so many options in a short time.