32bit analysis: Your guide | Drobe.co.uk archives

32bit analysis: Your guide

By Chris Williams. Published: 17th Oct 2002, 15:54:19 | Permalink | Printable

MOV R0, #riscos.info

While we recover from this morning's startling and warmly welcomed 32bit hardware news from Castle that effectively tore down all the public pondering and wild speculation about a 32bit RISC OS system, it would be wise now to step back, take a deep breath and consider all the issues that a 32bit RISC OS carries and what impact it's likely to have. It's not everyday that a platform like RISC OS embraces a new architecture and like everything in life, things aren't always as simple as we'd first hope.

To spell it out for us, Peter Naulls of programming resource site riscos.info, has written up a full analysis of RISC OS and 32bit in the clear, no nonsense style we've come to expect from Peter. As well as presenting a mildly technical guide for programmers, the document also gently invites users to understand and appreciate issues arising in the wake of recent 32bit related developments.

"There has been a great deal of confusion over 32-bit in RISC OS over recent months. Not least, because of its technical nature, and secondly, because of the spin put on it by various parties", explains Peter in the guide. "This document is in the same nature as my previous document - The RISC OS Browser Issue. In short, to bring together information which is already available, and to cut through the issues and make them clear and easily understood by everyone."

Time for some Positive Education.

Links

32bit guide on riscos.info

Previous: WOOT! It's a 32bit XScale RISC OS PC!
Next: chocky.org at South East Show

Discussion

Viewing threaded comments | View comments unthreaded, listed by date | Skip to the end

I've got to get the first comment

takkaria on 17/10/02 3:59PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

So?

ian on 17/10/02 4:22PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Now you'll be totally clued up on 32bit compatibility and other issues and be able to inject fact into the newsgroups and so on

Chris, drobe.co.uk

diomus on 17/10/02 5:54PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

And what about bits 0 and 1 of the IP? PN's article does not cover them! ;-)

maus on 17/10/02 6:24PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Read the ARM ARM :p

mrchocky on 17/10/02 6:38PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Very good article, Peter

The switch to 32bit seems not to be quite as daunting as some have suggested.

I haven't looked at Microdigitals Newssite recently I wonder if they mention any of this ????

-- Annraoi McShane,

AMS on 17/10/02 9:02PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Great article, Peter. As AMS says, it does appear less daunting than we have been lead to believe...

-- Andrew Harmsworth, Cambridge. www.gcse.com owner and author

harmsy on 18/10/02 1:07AM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Good stuff. It was about time someone who actually knew what they were talking about outlined the situation and the possible solutions. Let's hope that this puts a stop to to witless newsgroup chatter. (not a chance :-)

Dave -- Spriteman.

Spriteman on 18/10/02 9:01AM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

I thinks it's worth looking at this site: [link] ooo-ar to have a slice of hardware with this label

JoshuaC on 18/10/02 1:28PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Whilst Peters site explains 32bit, it still too techy for most users.

Anyone doing a simpler guide?

quatermass on 18/10/02 1:46PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

That's "Peter's". No one's had problems except you, so no. Explaining it in simpler terms would simply not do the subject justice.

mrchocky on 18/10/02 2:03PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

quartermass: The issue of 32bit and RISC OS involves reaching into the realms of computer science that cover microprocessors. If you're familiar with how processors basically work then Peter's article covers all you need. If, however, you don't know your program counter from your conditional flags then you might have a problem.

I'll look into it.

Chris, drobe.co.uk

diomus on 18/10/02 2:41PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

None technical version, ignore the why, just look at the how: If your program is BASIC with no assembler it will work.

If it's a C program you'd need a recompiled version, so you'd either need the source or get an upgrade from the author

If it's got assembly in it'll most likely need altering, either by hand or (semi)automatically. Or it could be emulated; apparently an emulator is being tested.

Written correctly a 32bit compatible program will also work on older 26bit OSes, and even on 26bit only cpus like ARM3 in the A5000. So authors only need to have 1 version of their code.

ROS Select has a system to stop you running 32bit C programs though for some pointless reason so you'll need to patch it or wait for a new version of Select.

Let's hope ROL and Castle work together to make a 32bit Select version, then again, maybe they didn't in the first place so that Castle would be the only people selling machines with a 32bit OS

mavhc on 18/10/02 3:25PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

I think you'll find that the reason why the SharedCLibrary in Select is protected is far from pointless. The issue is currently being resolved, you should wait till the CD release is made.

Chris, drobe.co.uk

diomus on 18/10/02 5:29PM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

First, I should have guessed when I placed my above comment that several of you may think it's myself that has a problem with understanding it.

Sorry, no.

I'm getting emails from puzzled people who are just Users and quite rightly have no idea they had a 26bit OS in the first place.

These people really don't want their life made any more complicated. I just tell them, if they buy a new RISC OS computer next year. They'll need to have 32bit badged software on it.

Mrchocky, you say no one had problems except me. I find that hard to believe unless you asked everyone first. Which seens unlikely. :-)

The 32bit page is very good. But a Jargon buster at the end of the article would have helped perhaps? Not everyone knows what GCC or a Register is?

quatermass on 21/10/02 9:58AM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Stuart,

I am _not_ a service for Cybervillage readers. I have received many emails about the document, none of them confused in the manner in which you suggest. If none of them have contacted me, then frankly, there's nothing I can do.

The document took a very considerable time to put together, with no clear reward for the effort. If at such time Cybervillage wishes to _pay_ for such documents, then it can rightly complain that it doesn't address the needs of its users.

mrchocky on 23/10/02 9:04AM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Here is a simple run down for users.

new 32bit OS based machines will not run all the programs you currently own until they are updated. But some will work, just not all of them.

When they are updated they will run on your old machines and your new ones.

If they need any more info, chockys thing will probably have it in.

Flib

flibble on 23/10/02 10:21AM
[ Reply | Permalink | Report ]

Please login before posting a comment. Use the form on the right to do so or create a free account.

Search the archives

Today's featured article

The new apple of my eye
Would you swap your dusty Acorn for a polished Apple computer? Martin Hansen has been checking out the world of Steve Jobs and his range of shiny kit.

15 comments, latest by adh1003 on 6/1/09 1:06PM. Published: 17 Nov 2008

Random article

ROL ship second Select 4 release
CDs in the post, downloads for the impatient

64 comments, latest by druck on 14/05/07 09:52AM. Published: 30 Apr 2007

Useful links

News and media:
Iconbar • MyRISCOS • ArcSite • RISCOScode • ANS • C.S.A.Announce • Archive • Qercus • RiscWorld • Drag'n'Drop • GAG-News

Top developers:
RISCOS Ltd • RISC OS Open • MW Software • R-Comp • Advantage Six • VirtualAcorn

Dealers:
CJE Micros • APDL • Castle • a4 • X-Ample • Liquid Silicon • Webmonster

Usergroups:
WROCC • RONE • NKACC • IRUG • SASAUG • ROUGOL • RONWUG • MUG • WAUG • GAG • RISCOS.be

Useful:
RISCOS.org.uk • RISCOS.org • RISCOS.info • Filebase • Chris Why's Acorn/RISC OS collection • NetSurf

Non-RISC OS:
The Register • The Inquirer • Apple Insider • BBC News • Sky News • Google News • xkcd • diodesign

© 1999-2009 The Drobe Team. Some rights reserved, click here for more information
Powered by MiniDrobeCMS, based on J4U | Statistics
"We incurred the wrath of Chris Williams, the main journalist at Drobe, who told us to 'Take our filthy spam and shove it where the sun doesn't shine'"
Page generated in 0.0483 seconds.