RE: A89: LinuxTI & Memory Expander


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RE: A89: LinuxTI & Memory Expander





Although C is a very nice language, it is still bloated, and slow compaired 
to straight assembly.  Example, our 89 with a 10mhz 32bit 68k processor is 
quite a bit slower then the hp49's 4mhz 4bit Saturn.  Why?  HP wrote their 
ROM completely in asm.  Also it is quite a bit smaller.
But rewriting the all math functions in asm?  That is a job no-one wants.
As a side note, their is no, and I mean no way we can 'break' TI encryption. 
  512bit!!  I was looking at an RSA site, and they have had roughly 40000 
users (many with multiple machines) working on brute forcing their way 
through _only_ a 64bit encryption for almost 2 years!  And it is only about 
15% done!!!

Josh Cunningham

>- We may not even be able to get it up and running with/without ditching
>the
>TI-OS
>
>(Response) This is just my opinion, but TI-OS could go.  We run into
>problems here if we want to let people run it as a program.  Perhaps we
>could make it work - somehow convert it to a linux capable program, but
>I doubt that.  It might be easier to make our own program, but TI has
>done a good job making all these math functions.  This is the only issue
>I really see a problem on
>
>- We will have to be able to have a BASIC programming language,
>otherwise non
>ASM people can't contribute
>
>(Response) One word: PERL
>
>- More likely than not, we will have to rewrite any software to include
>grey
>scale, floating point, and black and white (sigh), as well as, the link
>port,
>odd networking hardware (Mark, maybe you could make some Networking
>adapters
>too?) as well as stuff i wont argue about (like the ROM, i enjoy
>learning
>about it from you guys rather than explain it:-)
>
>(Response) This is done in the libraries, and would be essential to the
>OS.  While this isn't negating your point, its just gonna have to be and
>has already been talked about I believe.  I believe there are simple
>network adapters that you can plug into a serial port, but not sure,
>this is kinda a big if.  Depends on the port speed.  If not you'd have
>to hook directly into the calc which isn't quite an easy way to do it.
>
>- We need to create drivers and such for our keyboards and link ports
>and
>LCDs (not a big problem i dont think)
>
>(Response) You're right, not a problem compared to porting to OS in the
>first place.  Don't know about LCD's though
>
>- Other calculators will want this Linux TI for Z80 - could we write
>ROMs for
>that? I'm thinking not.
>
>(Response) I believe TI-89 could be fairly easily ported to due to its
>being nearly the same calc, but others are out of luck.  This would
>generate want for the ti-89 and 92 (I prefer 89 though)
>
>- EXTENSIVE bug testing...of course this is the ROM and shouldn't be
>cleared,
>but then again...how did we get it on there (talking from the future :-)
>
>(Response) This is involved with creating any OS.  Big thing is to make
>sure our bootloader is perfect, I could put my rom back in, but I doubt
>most can normally, and its a pain in the A$$
>
>- Hmm, okay i didn't make it all the way to 10, but i don't want to diss
>this
>project at all...nor do i want to waste valuable time (i still haven't
>made
>any ASM programs :-(.
>
>(Response) This would be a very good project, and is probably doable,
>and I bet would get a lot of attention.  I can see big things for it.
>
>Lets go onto the good points...
>
>- We have much respect for getting such a tremendous task completed
>
>- Every could learn about programming who would like to contribute
>
>- Our calculators aren't any longer "a waste of skin"...not that they
>are if
>you need it for math, but TI doesn't exactly push the hardware's
>limit...its
>too easy i guess...(let me know what you think, even though they are
>probably
>all flames :-)
>
>- Make this mother WORK!!! AHAHAHA!!! (excuse me)
>
>- Networking capabilties, with file sharing and permissions
>
>- Much better application development
>
>- The source code is freely free, if we all agree to this lets have it
>be a
>GNU program/OS
>
>- We could do plenty with the different memory types...the ROM is for
>the
>Kernel
>  The RAM is just that- the RAM, and the extension (hopefully we get
>one) is
>for programs, like a hard disk
>
>- Okay, this is very very long...(at least it looks like it) so ill sum
>it up
>
>I dont think it really likely to happen on this calc, but im not in the
>position to judge that yet...its real hard to say.
>Nothing has been done to work with the ROM except AU (archive utility)
>and im
>not sure if thats even ROM?
>Hopefully we DO get passed this issue...if not i have a back up plan!
>Perhaps there is some bug waiting to be found in the TI-OS that lets us
>go
>straight to the processor (or am i living in the past...help me out
>here, the
>TI OS handles the ASM and you can't directly program for the 68K...its
>more
>or less programming for the TI-OS?, whatever any way what i was saying)
>and
>we can comletly ingore, disable temperarly, whatever to the TI OS. Then
>we
>can have the program be stored in RAM for the TI part of it, then Load
>it
>self into the expansion, and whatnot...then go from there. (that was
>most
>likely the stupidest sounding thing i have said...or maybe not :-)
>
>Well, I wish you all the best of luck and i hope this opens up to be a
>great
>"hack" that TI wont be happy about, but we will be going around like
>nerds
>with Linux on every thing we own...including our watches (yes im over
>exagerating...but you never know..they do run some smart VCRs)
>
>With any luck, we will be discussing this developement for a good long
>time,
>perhaps we should start our own list so the people that dont want to
>help
>dont have to listen to our rambling (I feel like a spammer or something)
>but
>i really hope to see every one in on this...after all, its our calcs,
>lets
>customize!!
>
>(Response) I could easily create a list - I work at an ISP and have
>access to any of this kind of stuff, and I'm sure ticalc.org would do it
>too, but we wouldn't have as much control of it.
>
>And if we get a large enough expansion...(im still not real certain on
>that
>idea...its a great idea but i have a strange feeling that i can't
>understand...a bad feeling that this isn't going to work and we will be
>come
>the the village idoits, but i wont care as long as we all try at
>it...you
>really can't say at this point though)...like a few megs...5 or
>10...then we
>really could start something revolutionary here!!
>
>This has got me all revved up...and i hope it goes as well as i think it
>can
>
>Regards,
>
>Kyle
>
>


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