How do I create an Operating System?

[kmote]

To give OP a little advice as to, where to start.

I always thought programming was just another way to say "invent". Programmers program to solve problems, or make life a little easier for a person who uses a computer. Operating systems were invented/programmed to make a more graphical way for the end-user to interact with the files that existed within their computers. In the beginning, computers were just a command line... thats it!

By wanting to create an operating system, I would like to assume that you want to solve some kind of problem that Microsoft, or Macintosh, or the UNIX's hasn't solved yet. Which may probably force you to do a bit of pondering and brain-storming. While you do those things I would suggest that you start out small with some smaller problems to solve.

The way I call myself a programmer is by editing .cfg files for VALVe's source games. The problem that I wanted to solve was that I didn't want to go into options and keep clicking around and making sure my preferences were the way I wanted them. (They should auto-save, but they weren't for some reason). So entering commands into a .cfg document solved this problem.

From there I was so excited about making changes in the program that I wanted to see what other kinds of things I could edit or program/invent to help me solve some personal problems. I stumbled upon "Autoit" AutoIt v3 - Automate and Script Windows Tasks - For Free! . Which would be my suggestion for you to start on.

hope this helped.

The command line still runs on an OS. An OS does not necessarily have a graphical interface.

 

[oldskool]

The command line still runs on an OS. An OS does not necessarily have a graphical interface.

I think what up-smash meant, is that in the early days, the command line represented the operating system directly, such as DOS - not the DOS-like interface of Windows, but OSes like DOS when it was it's own OS, which used the command line. I think that is what he meant.

 

[kmote]

That's what I meant as well (except without the "early days" part. I am running 4 newish machines like that at the moment).

 

[up-smash]

What I meant was... that Operating systems were just command lines... meaning the files were not graphically organized. All the files were accessed via command-line.

 

[oldskool]

Kinda what I said you said Anyways, its obvious were are all on the same page on that.