Hi all,

Again s new version of SolOS is available:

http://www.hostileencounter.com/os_main.html
http://www.oby.ro/os_main.html

Some new things are:
-------------------------------
-True color resolutions: 640x480 upto 1280x1024
-Added ScrollBar and Listbox controls
-Runs External applications in .bin format
-Added Samples for TASM/NASM/FASM/MASM (and include files)
-API Table at 1000h - for external applications
-Separated GUI controls code to ease custom controls development

Next major development will oriented towards:
----------------------------------------------------
-improving hdd and fdd drivers and fat12 - fat32 support
-cd-rom drivers
-network and usb drivers
-sound drivers

So it will be "driver time" next

All comments, observations and tests are welcome

Thanks Bogdan, good job. I downloaded the new version effortlessly, followed your clear instructions to execute rawrite (one must include the full path), and presto! Solar OS works fine. If compelled to offer a comment, that could be viewed as critical, then I would complain that my PS/2 mouse moved more slowly than I am accustomed. That is not much of a complaint, right!
So, this is an excellent start, and we look forward with great anticipation, to your offering hard drive installation, and CDROM/DVD/Flash memory access. Regards, tom tobias nbri@mail.china.com

Thank you for testing Tom...

Yes i will have to make a Control Pannel soon, just to fix such things like mouse speed, looks and colors. Indeed people have the right to setup things the way they like or are accustomed to...

Hard drive instalation: wouldnt that be a little too dangerouse?
After all who wants an extra partition on their HDD?
But i guess under an emulated HDD that should be safe.

I will work on adding your suggestions for the next versions

Thanks, Bogdan, for asking,
NO, in my opinion it is absolutely not dangerous at all. In the worst case, it will destroy a hard drive. That's a risk I am more than willing to assume. In the more typical scenario, the hard drive partitions will be confounded by the master boot sector, and it will be necessary to REFORMAT the entire hard disk at a low level. That's no big deal. Takes one hour. No problem, so what? Let's suppose one is VERY concerned about losing some important material on the hard disk: purchase a DVDwriter for $50, and copy 4 gigabytes from the drive first, THEN install whatever one wants, and if the hard drive is ruined, SO WHAT!! All the material is safe on a DVD.
If the USB controller program is developed, the entire os can reside on flash memory, for those modern motherboards that permit boot from USB devices, then there is no more fuss about hard drives!! Alternatively, the whole OS can reside on cdrom, like Knoppix, which then would access the USB controller (but not the hard drive, for example), or, another alternative, the boot diskette for 1.4meg floppies could switch to flash memory, i.e. boot from floppy, switch to flash. Keep up the excellent work, especially your very clear expose on rationale for the os, and its advantages. SOL represents an outstanding accomplishment, in my opinon. regards, tom