In Code We Trust

Back to life

2010-02-07T17:12:00.005+02:00

You might have noticed I didn't write much here recently (to tell the truth, last post was really long ago).

What happened back then? I entered and left another university, felt in love and broke up with another girlfriend, decided to rent an appartment alone, changed job twice and been to LVEE. I tried limiting my Kolibri-related activity to get real life going. One time I've even been depressed with all the world being a huge peace of shit. And believe it or not, I still love this OS.

Most of things I were interested in are now supervised by other community members whom I thankful for that. diamond is currently working on common libraries (libs-dev), hidnplayr and CleverMouse do great job on network stack improvements.

This year started with kernel diving. Seriously, I had too much free time and too less things to do so I couldn't stand it and got back to Kolibri. I've been there all this time, but sweared myself not to code for it anymore. What a pity.

Anyway, what I did is tried to prettify, comment and simplify GUI code. I wanted to do that before but were always failing to start properly. As a side-effect, I not only made code more readable but implemented functionality wanted so long: from now on (and I'm talking about trunk revision #1391), user is able to resize windows in five different directions by grabbing appropriate border or corner: west, south-west, south, south-east and east. Minimal width is restricted to 127px and minimal height the one windows would have in rolled-up state.

Codebase is huge and no one really wants to make global modifications leading to possible overall stability decrease. What we have now is mostly a mess of undocumented code with small time-to-time modifications made by different people with different coding styles and different professional level. Don't get me wrong: this is very, very good and that's probably one of things we all love about Kolibri, but it has to stop. Not in a way of me being the one to refactor all the kernel (moreover, I just can't do that because of lack of knowledge and time) but in a well-thought coding guidelines document all should follow. If you're interested, take part in discussion.

Network stack

2008-11-05T12:19:00.002+02:00

Well I made some progress on improving the stack. It's not that huge. Now, there's no limit on how many sockets can one program open.
Also, I've added a check if the socket belongs to the program going to work with it. Since there's no big difference between processes and threads in Kolibri (I'd like to change that in next few days when I have time), this change also means that one program can't use the same socket in different threads.

Changing the process-thread architecture can negatively impose already present programs. What I want to do is separate "process id" and "thread id", giving all newly created threads the "process id" of the calling thread. This also means that when the "main" thread (the one where "process id" = "thread id") is quitting, all other threads are likely to also be killed (because in other way, process slot is being freed and another process with such PID could be created) which differs from current implementation.
That said, there could be another way - making process list dymanic (like I just did it with sockets). This would involve major internal kernel changes (not visible to the programs though) and could take some time to finish. And this, of course, will give us another step forward eliminating process count limit (does anybody need this?).
Oh well, I'm still thinking of this, who knows.

Libs-dev extension: libimg

2008-03-17T13:23:00.002+02:00

I've recently started working on another cool library to make Kolibri programmers life easier. This one is called "libimg" and aims to provide functionality in some way similar to ImageMagick library (no code but some ideas are taken directly from there). Right now, it's alreayd possible to decode BMP and GIF files transparently i.e. you don't even need to specify which format does raw data represent. Of course, it's not always possible to determine image format, so API will be extended later to provide some optional parameters to functions.
Libimg not only allowes you to transparently decode (and later encode) images but also comes with some frequently used and simple to implement functions to operate on loaded images such as image flipping and rotation. More auxilary functions to come.

All the libraries along with libimg are available in SVN now: /programs/develop/libraries/libs-dev. Feel free to contribute.

Another fine port - KPACK

2007-07-25T21:47:00.000+03:00

I got an e-mail from diamond saying that MTAPPACK isn't really used to pack Kolibri executables nowadays since kernel got support for KPACK-packed executables. This means that my MTAPPACK port is of no use :)
So now I ported KPACK. Links are kpack-bin.tar.bz2 (14K) and kpack-src.tar.bz2 (42K). Take'n'use, hope you like it ;)
There's one problem. I'm not sure it will work as-is on x86 CPUs since I have x86_64 myself. If you may check that, please mail me on results.

MTAPPACK - asm/libc Linux port - done!

2007-07-23T04:07:00.000+03:00

OK, here we go. It was already done the day before yesterday, but I had a problem running it resulting in segmentation fault. The problem was that I didn't add a simple line into mtappack.asm which looks like "add esp, 16" (damn "C" call convension) and thought that was LZMA library causing the error. I figured out later that I defined "__stdcall" as nothing, which I then replaced with "__attribute__((stdcall))".
I think this port cannot be compiled with MASM anymore since I added "if"/"end if" and escaped some lines with "\" in mtappack.asm and not sure if MASM supports them. But it compiles with FASM quite fine (why would anyone use MASM? maybe its COFF files are incompatible with Microsoft's linker used on Win32). You are welcome to help me there.
Ported binaries along with source code are available from my site, but I've also mailed it to diamond so it may be further available from his site. Get them as mtappack-bin.tar.bz2 (17K) and mtappack-src.tar.bz2 (177K) archives respectively. I've also included APlib library into source package (which is not in the original MTAPPACK archive). Everything is under GPL, and copyrights holder of MTAPPACK, including this Linux port, is diamond.

I feel like I have to work on standard libraries now a bit more because I know they have some bugs and just need to be better.

MTAPPACK - asm/libc Linux port

2007-07-20T18:46:00.000+03:00

I wasn't able to write anything within last month since I had no Internet connection at home but had much things to do at work. Now as everything is fine, I've also started to port MTAPPACK to my Gentoo box, to be able to execute it on kolibrios.org server and make it possible to release daily or weekly builds of Kolibri.
Work is partially done. Since I didn't want to hardly modify diamond's code, I decided to write wrappers to WinAPI functions, and I've succeded it this task quite enough. Let's see what I'll have tomorrow, maybe it'll work already.

Common libraries update

2007-05-29T08:32:00.000+03:00

I'm working on new common libraries version. For now, there're already some changes and new features you might look at. That's what was changed recently:

libio (v.2)

file.truncate (renamed from file.seteof)

libini (v.3)

ini.enum_sections
ini.enum_keys

libgfx (v.1)

gfx.open
gfx.close
gfx.pen.color
gfx.brush.color
gfx.pixel
gfx.move.to
gfx.line.to
gfx.line
gfx.polyline
gfx.polyline.to
gfx.fillrect
gfx.fillrect.ex
gfx.framerect
gfx.framerect.ex
gfx.rectangle
gfx.rectangle.ex

If you want to test and probably take part in development, download them (http://mikedld.com/f/, libs-dev-3.*) and contact me for details. Believe me, there's plenty of work waiting for you.

"About rights and files" © Alver

2007-05-29T07:10:00.000+03:00

OK, I was finally sent down from the university since haven't passed Math exam in time. This is not something I'm gonna cry to death, but this is sad. Remind me not to be such an idiot next time ;)

There's a topic titled like the post you're reading now on Russian Kolibri board, and despite it's in "Offtopic" forum I'd like to comment on it a bit. The topic is about files security issues in Kolibri and how could we have solved them. Mother God! Guys, are you all serious? Kolibri is not a multi-user OS and I can't even say when it will become such. Files access restrictions are not something we need since we have no one to hide anything from except ourselves.
But OK, suppose you'll make that happen. What is this all about, these directories names are all 3-chars length. It's not DOS time anymore and even back then I don't remember having any feeling to be limited in folders naming. Why not giving directories self-explanatory names instead of writing "slb [system dll]" which I can't understand. Try to think about users who'll use this system. They don't need complexity, they need small but powerful enough system, not the beast you're trying to suggest.

Well, yeah, this all is about offtopic, but stupid ideas are always more attractive :)

About Tinypad future

2007-04-22T23:34:00.000+02:00

As mouse scroll is to be supported thanks to k@sTIg@r efforts (read more), it's going to be one of major Tinypad 4.0.5 changes along with INI files based configuration and several not previously supported functions such as 'go-to-position' and 'smart-tabulation'. I'm also going to refactor code even more than in 4.0.4 to make things easier to understand and modify, and add more comments to functions. Probably, but not for sure, I'll separate UI controls into some library to make interface more customizable, and to make overall situation with UI libraries better.

Let's use libraries!

2007-03-27T04:04:00.000+02:00

Quite enough time passed since function #68.19 was introduced, but no one has used it yet AFAIK. I decided to break the wall and make one. Well, two. These are libraries to work with files, ordinary and INI. Below is what currently implemented:

libio

file.size
file.open
file.read
file.write
file.seek
file.tell
file.eof?
file.seteof
file.close

libini

ini.get_str
ini.get_int
ini.set_str
ini.set_int

Files are open-source, use them as you like. Code for DLL loading has been originally written by diamond. You can download them from my MeOS/KoOS-dedicated site, http://mikedld.com/

Just a bit of poetry

2007-03-07T01:26:00.000+02:00

Sorry, it's in Russian...

Я заболел, когда тебя увидел
Как шум грозы я сердце услыхал
И сразу же себя возненавидел
И чувства все поглубже запихал

Я в голове мешал любовь и ярость
Крепил сознанье, нежность затая
Молил, чтоб никуда не потерялось
То чудо, образ твой, что видел я

К несчастью, память подвела безумца
Лишь символы мне дороги теперь
Теряю разум, не могу проснуться
Тебя люблю, люблю тебя, поверь

Performance: 'gfx' vs. 'trunk'

2007-03-04T06:51:00.000+02:00

Today I decided to make some tests add see if gfx kernel better. Good old MGB was the first and the last program I thought about, so I tried it and understood that it doesn't satisfy my needs. I disassembled (there's no source code, may MGB author forgive me) and changed it a bit.
Here're the results (1024x768@32bpp, numbers are primitives count drawn in one second):

Gfx is on the left, and trunk is on the right. As you can see, results aren't bad at all. I just need to optimize some things (I already know about them, e.g. check if bank switch needed and not call it for every pixel). Filled rectangle drawing, for example, was slower by almost a half, and after small modification it's better by 300 primitives.

About so-called 'gfx kernel'

2007-03-04T01:51:00.000+02:00

OK, as many people were asking me recently, what's the difference between 'trunk' and 'gfx' kernels, here's a brief explanation (now I can send you there instead of saying same words once again).
So, gfx kernel ...

... allows you to select any video mode (resolution and bits per pixel) obtained with VESA interface any system supports;
... allows you to drag windows outside the screen and use negative coordinates anywhere you want;
... loads '/rd/1/drivers/vmode.mdr' file on system boot and calls its 'init' function, which substitutes graphics functions pointers with its own; standard 'vmode.mdr' allows you to only change resolution on the fly (and not all monitors support this VGA registers mangling);
... has separate functions for each BPP mode optimizing graphics performance this way even better;
... allows you to write your own driver and replace 'vmode.mdr' with it; this means, you could make (or find) driver which uses you graphics card acceleration capabilities.

Things I don't say as they happen

2007-02-23T04:24:00.000+02:00

It's interesting how many things happen to me and I never get to write about them. Maybe it's not in my character - all this diary shit.

Anyway, last weekend I spent installing Gentoo Linux on my new PC. It took me about 2 days, which is way shorter than the first time I set it up. Maybe that's because of faster CPU and more RAM, and maybe because of my improved knowledge and overall understanding of what's going on. So now I'm a Linux user, second time in my life, and I supposed to say that Windows sucks which isn't always right. Who cares.

A week before, I started to write RTL8169 NIC driver for Kolibri since in my new PC I havea card which isn't supported by the OS. I actually started porting it from Etherboot project which is the base for almost all Kolibri network drivers. So far, it doesn't work and I even don't know why. Kernel hangs each time new packet is recieved (as I see it). If only I had a bit more time and a bit less wish to sleep...

Today I finally created WebMoney account for people who want to donate for Kolibri. This solution is only for ex-USSR countries where WebMoney is quite known, but what about other Europe, America etc. countries? There's no way to use PayPal here in Belarus, at least I can't register a valid account by myself.

And also, yesterday I overslept again :-\ Why would I ever go sleep at 5:45 am if I know I have to be at work at 10:00 am?

IASO makes me happy

2007-02-07T15:52:00.001+02:00

Back to the IASO team here at work, now I realize where my home is :) I can't stand all other projects, even if they are everywhere cool and shining. This one makes me *think*, learn and create beautiful things, either programs or automatically running scripts. Integration with developers is very close, so I can also get some useful knowledge and probably give something back during everyday discussions. I love this work, and hope to see it from the other side soon.

3rd exam with 10 (ain't I good?) ;) Well, only Math left now, who knows what could happen :))

Do that, now!

2007-02-04T18:02:00.000+02:00

Do you know that at some point in life you have to stop and say yourself: "Hell, man! Start doing things right!"? This could happen any time, no matter if you're you 10 or 90.

BTW, I passed second exam with 9 out of 10. As expected.

Studying a lot

2007-01-31T03:18:00.001+02:00

Passed physics exam today, 4 out of 10. Taking in account I never liked the subject and never got to learn it much - that's like a present to me (4 is a minimal acceptable mark). I haven't been preparing to the exam, got up at 1 pm and exam started at 3 pm.
Other two exams left are connected with programming (C++ and Pascal), so I'll pass them well I think.

Also, today I've modified Kolibri kernel a bit, to make it possible for application to draw working area part of a window completely by their own means. This is helpful for programs like Tinypad (and that was the cause), those UI elements occupy all working area. So, using newly introduced flag it's possible to reduce flickering: OS will only draw caption and borders for you, without filling working area with specified color.

Shoot my head off!

2007-01-29T07:24:00.000+02:00

I often say what people want me to say. If my manager says he wants that report be done till Monday - I say "I will fit in term". What for??? When my best friend wants to loan $100 from me - I say "Yes, of course". Even if that is my last $100. If girl asks me to help her with some programming task - I can't reject and I don't take money for that. What f*cking for???

Let's face it - I want to help people. But at the same time, I don't understand how much time will this or that task take. That's why I still have no girlfriend. Probably.

Hell, what for so many Tinypads?..

2007-01-28T04:37:00.000+02:00

After publishing previous post, some time passed and I decided to go search what I'm interested in at http://search.blogspot.com/. How confused was I, founded out that there're lots of Tinypads except mine... So, for you to be sure about which one you need, I'll explain a bit.

Tinypad I'm talking about is a program running under Kolibri operating system. It's an assembly project which aims to create small OS fitting on one 1.44 diskette. Kolibri is based on Menuet operating system, created and supported by Ville Michael Turjanmaa. Currently, Tinypad is more like FASM for Windows code editor, but is rapidly growing and will probably be better than FASMW. This is the most important program in Kolibri now IMHO, since Tinypad is the only text/code editor available for that OS. It helps you to view and edit text files and assembly code (syntax highlighting is present) from within OS, so you can develop other programs with it.

To give you an image of it, look at this screenshot:

Tinypad 4.0.4

2007-01-28T03:16:00.001+02:00

I've just released Tinypad 4.0.4. I was working on it since December 2006 and like the result very much. It has many cool features like tabbed interface which became possible to implement thanks to Serge's work on application-side memory management (BTW, I still miss realloc() system function which could be done better way from the kernel side IMHO). Another step forward is that now it's possible to change program appearance in new (good-looking and intuitive as I hope) options dialog. You may change tabs placement (top, bottom, left or right) and editor colors.

Although this is a major release, I'd like to notice that there's still much to do for version 4.1.0, which I plan to include all FASMW features, not mentioning those not included into FASMW. Insert mode, vertical selection, undo action etc. - these are to keep in mind for next Tinypad releases. Let's hope I could spend more efforts to Kolibri in future.

Introduction

2007-01-27T03:33:00.000+02:00

The problem with me is that I can't trust someone or share something with the man I don't know good enough. For example, 6 months or so. That's why people often think that I'm a closed person, always keeping my mouth shut, and that I always sad or think about things which aren't in all others' mind at the moment. That's true, but only partially.
I actually am a bit on my own mind. I like to think, no matter will it help me to find something out or just kill some of my time. Sitting and staring at the same spot for several minutes - my favourite doing, because that cuts me off from the real world and places into the one where I can imagine almost everything I want.
Good or bad thoughts I have - they don't make sense in any way. Believe me or not, I don't know what I'm living for, and you probably too.