MorphOS

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MorphOS
MorphOS logo
Website: http://www.morphosppc.com
OS family: Amiga
Source model: Closed source
Latest stable release: 1.4.5 / February 23, 2006
Supported platforms: Pegasos, some models of Amiga, EFIKA
Kernel type: Micro/pico [1]
License: Mixed proprietary and open source
Working state: Currrent

MorphOS is a mixed proprietary and open source operating system produced for the Pegasos PowerPC (PPC)-processor-based computer, most models of PPC-accelerated classic Amiga computers, and the EFIKA PPC consumer device. The OS itself is proprietary. Several libraries and other parts are open source, such as Ambient (the desktop interface).

Contents

It currently runs only on PowerPC processors by Freescale and IBM while still supporting the original AmigaOS MC680x0 applications via proprietary task-based emulation, and most of the newer, PPC/AmigaOS applications via API wrappers. It is API-compatible with AmigaOS 3.1 but implements many enhancements that bring it more up-to-date, and a more modern GUI based on MUI.

Besides the Pegasos version of MorphOS, there is also a "PowerUP" version for Amigas equipped with PPC accelerator cards produced by Phase5. This version is free, although it does slow down after each two hour session if it has not been registered. Registration is free. PowerUP MorphOS was most recently updated on 23 February 2006, however it does not exceed the feature set or advancement of the Pegasos release.[2][3]

A version of MorphOS for the EFIKA, a very small new mainboard based on the ultra-low wattage MPC5200B PPC processor from Freescale, has been shown at exhibitions and user-gatherings in Germany.[4] The next release of MorphOS will support the EFIKA.

Early MorphOS version on promotional "video microwave"
Early MorphOS version on promotional "video microwave"

The project started in 1999, and it is based on the Quark microkernel. The earliest versions of MorphOS ran only via PPC accelerator cards on the classic 68K Amiga computers, and required portions of Amiga OS to fully function. A collaborative effort between the companies bPlan (of which the lead MorphOS developer is a partner) and Thendic-France in 2002 resulted in the first regular, non-prototype production of bPlan-engineered Pegasos computers that run MorphOS. A busy promotional year followed in 2003, with appearances at conventions and exhibitions in several places around the world, including CES in Las Vegas. Thendic-France had financial problems and folded, however the collaboration continued under the new banner of "Genesi".

After some bitter disagreements within the MorphOS development team in 2003 and 2004, the Ambient desktop system was released under GPL and is now actively developed by the MorphOS community. Two alternative MorphOS desktop systems are Nemesis and Scalos.[5] MorphOS is currently under development, with the latest Pegasos user release being 1.4.5 (30 April 2005). There is a user community that supports the OS as well as a number of developers.

Two past key deficiencies of MorphOS have been the absence of a bundled native TCP/IP stack, and a web-browser with modern capabilities (most notably, support for Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS). However the user community is remedying this through the use of bounties[6] that have so far resulted in a MOSNet, a TCP/IP stack; and "Sputnik," a port-in-progress of KHTML browser, based on GTK+WebCore. MOSNet is functional, though so far lacking a user-friendly graphical interface. A first, developmental version of Sputnik, rough in many aspects, was released to the general public on November 11, 2006, and a more advanced version on March 10, 2007.

MorphOS components:

  1. ^ Basic Kernel Information. MorphOS Home Page. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.
  2. ^ Piru (February 23, 2006). Announcements : Updated MorphOS for PowerUP Users. Amiga.org. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.
  3. ^ Thom Holwerda (August 24, 2005). MorphOS 1.4.5 Released for Classic Amiga. OSNews. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.
  4. ^ Thom Holwerda (October 17, 2006). MorphOS 1.5 Running on EFIKA to Be Shown. OSNews. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.
  5. ^ Chris Haynes (March 21, 2007). Scalos - The Amiga Desktop Replacement. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.
  6. ^ Morph Bounties. MorphZone. Retrieved on March 12, 2007.

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AmigaOS (category)
Companies Commodore International • Hyperion Entertainment
Computers Amiga
Technology Workbench • Intuition • AmigaDOS • ARexx • AmigaBASIC • Amigaguide • Software • Games • Demos
Operating systems AmigaOS (versions) • AROS • MorphOS
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