OS-9 68K for open-source projects

[Marc J.]

Below is a copy of the message I sent to Microware USA:

Hi,

Now, would it be possible to get a hobbyist version of OS-9 68K (like
OpenVMS) or even better publish the sources :-)
We would be happy even with a version 2.x

A lot of open-source 68K projects need an operating system like OS-9.

Best Regards,
Marc J.
--
http://marc.retronik.fr/motorola/68K/68000.html

[Marc J.]

No answer from Microware, everything seems to be completely dead at OS-9


--
The 68K Documentation http://marc.retronik.fr/motorola/68K

[bi...@destwin.com]

Try this:

https://www.rtsi.com/index.php/2-uncategorised/3-os-9-ce

https://www.microware.com/index.php/contact/americas

[Allen Huffman]

On Sunday, July 4, 2021 at 7:21:43 AM UTC-5, Marc J. wrote:
> Below is a copy of the message I sent to Microware USA:
>
> Hi,
>
> Now, would it be possible to get a hobbyist version of OS-9 68K (like
> OpenVMS) or even better publish the sources :-)
> We would be happy even with a version 2.x
>
> A lot of open-source 68K projects need an operating system like OS-9.

Hi, Marc. I worked for Microware (and, later, the company that acquired them) from 1995-2007 (with a gap in-between owners). The 68K used to be available for hobbyist use. Microware made their "Personal OS-9" for 68K available at lower cost to producers of hobbyist systems like the AT306, MM/1, WCP306 and a number of others. This would have been in the 1990s. I personally have two such systems, still with OS-9 2.4 (there was never a hobbyist release of the 3.0 version that I was aware of, at least not in the USA).

Today, Microware is owned by a group that was involved with Microware back in its original run. In the USA, that's Allan Battieger of Real Time Services Inc in Dallas. I just heard from him yesterday, and he had mentioned some status about the 68K CPU product line. I wasn't even aware any were still being produced, but if there are, I'm gathering that is ending in the not-too-distant future.

If this happens, where 68K is a "dead" product, what would a hobbyist version be ran on?

I know they have OS-9 running (in a limited fashion) on a certain model of Raspberry Pi and some other better-supported ARM systems. That seems to be the direction they are heading, as far as a hobbyist platform.

[Marc J.]

Hi,

Le 18/07/2022 à 05:06, Allen Huffman a écrit :
> On Sunday, July 4, 2021 at 7:21:43 AM UTC-5, Marc J. wrote:
>> Below is a copy of the message I sent to Microware USA:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Now, would it be possible to get a hobbyist version of OS-9 68K (like
>> OpenVMS) or even better publish the sources :-)
>> We would be happy even with a version 2.x
>>
>> A lot of open-source 68K projects need an operating system like OS-9.
>
> Hi, Marc. I worked for Microware (and, later, the company that acquired them) from 1995-2007 (with a gap in-between owners). The 68K used to be available for hobbyist use. Microware made their "Personal OS-9" for 68K available at lower cost to producers of hobbyist systems like the AT306, MM/1, WCP306 and a number of others. This would have been in the 1990s. I personally have two such systems, still with OS-9 2.4 (there was never a hobbyist release of the 3.0 version that I was aware of, at least not in the USA).
>
> Today, Microware is owned by a group that was involved with Microware back in its original run. In the USA, that's Allan Battieger of Real Time Services Inc in Dallas. I just heard from him yesterday, and he had mentioned some status about the 68K CPU product line. I wasn't even aware any were still being produced, but if there are, I'm gathering that is ending in the not-too-distant future.
>
> If this happens, where 68K is a "dead" product, what would a hobbyist version be ran on?

A hobbyist version could be used on the many 68K card projects developed
by amateurs like:
https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=boards:sbc:tiny68k
https://blog.notartyoms-box.net/blitz/
https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=builderpages:plasmo:tiny030pcb
https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=builderpages:plasmo:t68krc
https://hackaday.io/project/177988-68k-mbc-a-3-ics-68008-homebrew-computer
https://hackaday.io/project/183861-mackerel-68k-computer
https://hackaday.io/project/164305-roscom68k
https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=builderpages:plasmo:mb012
...

>
> I know they have OS-9 running (in a limited fashion) on a certain model of Raspberry Pi and some other better-supported ARM systems. That seems to be the direction they are heading, as far as a hobbyist platform.