my vision for 68k/ early ppc macs

[Bunsen]

Something Unix-like (i.e. solid "modern" OS) ... Kind of like what OS X would have been if they'd gotten started 10 years earlier ...

Port NextSTEP/OpenStep/GNUstep?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nextstep

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNUstep

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenStep

http://www.nextarchive.net/

Ok, so not exactly "classic Mac app compatible", but with Objective C onboard, you could code apps that can be compiled to run on either 68k machines or under OS X

 

[paws]

A UNIX with a Mac-like GUI?

What a novel idea!

 

[MultiFinder]

Nah, it'll never happen.

 

[aftermac]

HA! Next thing you know Macs will be running on Intel chips...

Speaking of A/UX I should pull out the IIci I have it installed on and play with it a bit. Installed it years ago and never really messed with it.

Seriously though, a modern *nix that is easy to setup and use on a 68k would be pretty nice.

 

[tmtomh]

Okay, a stupid question here:

Unix/Linux with a GUI crawls on even the fastest 68k machine

BUT...

NeXT machines used 68030's and 68040's, were based on a Unix microkernel, and had a gorgeous GUI and very good performance.

SO...

Why can't *nix distros have a resonsive GUI on 68k machines? Is it a lack f optimization for 68k in the kernel? Lack of optimization in the video drivers for X-Windows? Or is it just that NeXT's implementation of Display Postscript was intrinsically more resource-efficient than an X-Window server ever could be?

Matt

 

[chris]

I'm on board for the website project. Can offer my documentation-writing skills to it if you want.

 

[ChristTrekker]

Unix/Linux with a GUI crawls on even the fastest 68k machine / Why can't *nix distros have a resonsive GUI on 68k machines?

A/UX was quite responsive in the GUI. But its display wasn't X11 either.

 

[~tl]

I would think X11 is the main bottleneck on older machines, along with not so efficient window managers...

 

[Bunsen]

So what you'd need would be say a window manager that just calls the Toolbox routines ... ?

 

[chris]

Or you could port Kdrive, and, say, mlvwm(Macintosh Like Virtual Window Manager.)

I don't know what the efficiency of mlvwm is, but kdrive is great, I've personally used it with twm on a 486 with 4mb of RAM and it was quite responsive.

 

[ChristTrekker]

Ack...mlvwm hasn't been updated in ages, and I don't think it was all that great to begin with. If you want a fast/light wm, look no further than Blackbox.

 

[chris]

Then blackbox. I was just picking one that seemed appropriate.

 

[Bunsen]

As of X.Org Server version 7.1, the KDriveframework was integrated into the reference implementation and is now part of the generic source code release of the server.

So what you'd need would be say a window manager that just calls the Toolbox routines ... ?

No really ... would this be feasible, and would it help any?

 

[chris]

Dillo might work for the browser thing.

 

[chris]

I propose... a logo! A smallish, universal image(GIF?) that signifies that the site works with old or less-featured browsers. Possible example:

Pretty much means no frames, no fancy Java or Flash, not overmany images. This means remove the frame from that site of yours, it won't display properly on really old browsers.

I'm going to do the same but centered on both old Macs and PCs. We can link to each other.

 

[luddite]

I propose... a logo! A smallish, universal image(GIF?) that signifies that the site works with old or less-featured browsers. Possible example:

Doesn't look so hot in Lynx

 

[chris]

Well, soooooo-rry. A lynx logo would be a little harder, but you COULD just stick alt text for the image...

 

[chris]

Got up a proto-page for the PC version.

http://oldpchub.bravehost.com/index.htm

 

[macintoshman]

Ok, I will remove the frame. Also, I found the source code for system 7.1!!!! Anyone good at mac os internals? We have the key to the project now. I found the link to the source here in the lounge. Anyone who is a programmer, download it!

 

[~tl]

The problem of basing anything of Apple's source code is that you could be sued into oblivion at any point -- probably as soon as Apple's lawyers get wind of it. It's not an advisable road to go down.