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# CrystalOS
## Phase 1: The kernel.
the initial aim of this project was to follow a blog series on how to make a custom operating system found here:
https://os.phil-opp.com/
with the github repo for his project here:
https://github.com/phil-opp/blog_os
After reading and implementing the features from the final chapter, (async/await) I could find
no further instruction on how to continue with the project from there despite the author of the
series saying over a year previously that there would be more posts coming soon.
i guess im gonna just have to improvise :)
the blog got me through the memory management side of the process so i believe that I should
have a lot more breathing room to implement the features that i want. As of completing the
tutorial, i obviously still dont have access to a standard library, however i can at least
use Vectors and Strings now which are important types, as well as the fact that i have access
to async and heap allocation
### my aims going forwards:
- whenever i have the chance to work on this project, i want to try and implement a new utility
which could be useful or cool for anyone using the operating system.
- this could be anything from a cool neofetch style ascii fetcher (if you dont know what im
talking about, its just a cool ascii logo of the operating system that appears when you open
a terminal sometimes)
- improve the text rendering system to create a set of globally accessible functions and/or macros
in order to render the text in a more visually appealing way to the user (as the default yellow text
does look extremely ugly lmao)
- implement a basic text editor (this will be difficult)
- i would need a way to move the cursor around the screen and print text at that location
- this would mean rewriting the majority of the code for the vga buffer module to create a more
flexible system which allows for applications (modules / commands) to take more direct control of
the text rendering whenever they are active
# Implementation
## Phase 2: the shell.
### shell.rs
diverging from the original blog series, i have made some significant changes to keyboard.rs
- i have moved the source code that handles the keyboard input from keyboard.rs to shell.rs
- this means that instead of the operating system running a task on startup that continually
awaits a the next keystroke and works from there, the new layout works very differently
- firstly, i use a lazy_static creating a static called CMD which houses the shell itself
- this allows me to reference it from anywhere in the code and initialise it as soon as the program
runs
- this may be changed later as i could just make an init function in shell.rs if i needed to
- the shell contains a get_input function that awaits a keystroke from the user before continuing
- this is looped inside the main shell function and added to a buffer
- when the \n character is inputted, the buffer is copied to the command history vector and then cleared
- additionally the buffer is run through a match statement that will start any app that matches the command
or alias.
## Phase 3: CrystalAPI
### the basics:
the crystal api will essentially be a standard library for any programs that are run by the shell
- it provides basic functions such as waiting for a keystroke or string to be entered by the user
- it will eventually support coloured text output once ive had a chance to modify the code for the vga
buffer to support coloured text output through a public function.
### example:
here is a template that could be used to program using the crystal API
```rust
// ignore everything from this point up until the App struct
// --------------OS-INTERFACE-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
use std::io;
use std::io::Write; // ignore these, i have my own implementations that i will replace them with
struct CommandHandler {} // a struct used in my code (just ignore)
impl CommandHandler { // dont modify anything here
fn new() -> Self {
Self {}
}
fn input(&mut self) -> String { // this function will get replaced by the custom input function
let mut string = String::new();
io::stdin().read_line(&mut string).expect("error getting input");
string
}
}
fn main() { // the entry point to your code, it calls the code for the application
// will be removed when integrated into the os and replaced by the shell command
println!("");
print!("enter arguments to run command with > ");
io::stdout().flush();
let mut args = String::new();
io::stdin().read_line(&mut args).expect("failed to get input");
let mut app = App::new(CommandHandler::new());
app.run(args);
}
// --------------IMPLEMENTATION-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
struct App { // change name to whatever you want
handler: CommandHandler,
// any global variables for the application should be put here
// in the form: varname: VarType,
}
impl App { // name must be the same as the name of the struct
fn new(handler: CommandHandler) -> Self {
Self { // this should add any variables that are needed while the application is running
handler: handler,
// status: String, (example)
}
}
fn input(&mut self) -> String { // this function gives command line input
self.handler.input()
}
fn run(&mut self, args: String) -> Result<(), String> { /*
this represents your actual main function
write all the code for your program starting here
use println!() to print to the screen
use self.input() to get input from terminal
*/
println!("app running {}", args); // do stuff here
// example of how you can use the input function
println!("type something");
println!("input: {}", self.input());
// if you want to return an error, write: return Err("error message")
// the error message tells the operating system what went wrong with the code or user input.
// if you want to return ok, write: return Ok(()) (make sure to have the 2 sets of brackets)
Ok(())
}
}
```
## future plans:
eventually i want to try rewriting the majority of the code for the VGA buffer.
this is so that i can implement what i'll call a 'sandbox mode' for the screen.
this mode will support:
- moving the cursor around with arrow keys
- writing text at the cursor
- writing coloured text anywhere
- reading the entire output of the vga buffer or just a line into a string
eventually, this could theoretically lead to a library that was able to support things like a basic text editor
for writing out messages and the capability to theoretically program basic 2d games in an ascii art style
(something like space invaders, tetris, etc.)