collapseos/README.md
2020-05-03 12:51:21 -04:00

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# Collapse OS
*Bootstrap post-collapse technology*
Collapse OS is a z80 kernel and a collection of programs, tools and
documentation that allows you to assemble an OS that, when completed, will be
able to:
1. Run on minimal and improvised machines.
2. Interface through improvised means (serial, keyboard, display).
3. Edit text files.
4. Compile assembler source files for a wide range of MCUs and CPUs.
5. Read and write from a wide range of storage devices.
6. Replicate itself.
Additionally, the goal of this project is to be as self-contained as possible.
With a copy of this project, a capable and creative person should be able to
manage to build and install Collapse OS without external resources (i.e.
internet) on a machine of her design, built from scavenged parts with low-tech
tools.
## Forth reboot in process
You are currently looking at the `forth` branch of the project, which is a
Forth reboot of Collapse OS. You can see why I'm doing this in the [related
github issue][forth-issue].
Documentation is lacking, it's not ready yet, this is a WIP branch.
## Getting started
Usage documentation is in-system, so access to documentation requires you to
run Collapse OS. Fortunately, doing so in an emulator is easy.
See `/emul/README.md` for getting an emulated system running.
Then, run `0 LIST` for an introduction, follow instructions from there.
## Organisation of this repository
* `blk`: Collapse OS filesystem's content. That's actually where Collapse OS'
source code is located. Everything else is peripheral.
* `recipes`: collection of recipes that assemble Collapse OS on a specific
machine.
* `tools`: Tools for working with Collapse OS from "modern" environments. For
example, tools for facilitating data upload to a Collapse OS machine
through a serial port.
* `emul`: Tools for running Collapse OS in an emulated environment.
* `tests`: Automated test suite for the whole project.
## Status
The project unfinished but is progressing well! See [Collapse OS' website][web]
for more information.
## Discussion
For a general discussion of Collapse OS and the ecosystem of technologies and
ideas that may develop around it refer to [r/collapseos][discussion]
A more traditional [mailing list][listserv] and IRC (#collapseos on freenode)
channels are also maintained.
[web]: https://collapseos.org
[discussion]: https://www.reddit.com/r/collapseos
[listserv]: http://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/collapseos
[forth-issue]: https://github.com/hsoft/collapseos/issues/4