Subj : Re: Design first or Implementation first???
To   : alt.os.development,comp.arch,comp.programming
From : Brendan
Date : Wed Oct 12 2005 04:20 pm

Hi,

I added the "alt.os.development" newgroup, as it's probably more
appropriate.

"Gromer" <osIndgy@gmail.com> wrote in message:
> Should i be designing the kernel completely and then start implementing
> (coding) or should i start coding as & when ideas come to me ..

If you need to ask this, then my (serious) suggestion is to start
implementing the OS without doing any design at all. Grab a copy of
GRUB, build a "hello world" kernel, then implement memory
management and a scheduler. Once you reach this stage consider how
you will implement device drivers.

After this, call the initial work "educational" and delete it.
Then start working on the OS design (perhaps starting with a list
of goals, then a brief overview of the OS, and then a set of
documents that describe what different parts do, how different
parts interact and where they are to be implemented).

Once you've done this you would have decided if it's a monolithic
kernel or a micro-kernel (or something else), what you'll be using
for IPC, how you'll manage memory, if it will be portable (and
how), what features it will support, intended minimum hardware
requirements, etc.

You might also get the preliminary/"educational" version done and
decide OS development isn't for you - I've seen this happen often
(once people realise what's involved for anything more than a toy).


Cheers,

Brendan

.