How to Program Your Very Own Operating Systems?

Operating systems are allowing people to interact with the hardware system of the computer. The operating system is being developed out of thousands of lines of code. Operating systems are normally meant to allow you to navigate through a system while executing commands and creating storage in a more effective way. It is never an easy process to get done with and requires a lot of knowledge in multiple fields. Without any doubt, there is no other Software Development Process which you can consider more challenging as compared to developing your own operating system. It can be considered as a great Apex of programming. Only a few programmers out there take a chance to attempt to develop an operating system even many of the ones who are trying to build an operating system find it hardest to produce a functioning operating system in a proper way. However, if you want to work in this field to complete the ending line of code to develop a functional operating system then it is always a better option to join an elite team of top-flight programmers.

How to program your own operating system?

Almost every programmer in his life at some point want to develop his own operating system. Well, this is a vital fact that writing your custom kernel requires a lot of knowledge, experience, and patience. However, if you want to know how to develop your own operating system then here are some guidelines which can help you to get a better idea about the things in this regard. You can follow these guidelines to start learning and building your very own operating system in the best possible way. So, have a look at the guidelines given below for your benefit:

1. Learn to program and decide your media to load OS

Before you are going to get started with operating system development process it is highly important for you to learn assembly language for sure. However, when it comes to learning high-level programming languages in operating system development than learning C#, C, C++ are highly recommended for this. And decide the media you want to use. Although you can use some languages like Pascal or BASIC to build an operating system but it is always better to use C or assembly. The reason behind this statement is that assembly is an essential language to learn for operating system development and it is because some of the vital parts of any operating system require it.

CD, floppy disk, USB drive are the most commonly used media options for this to use.

2. Decide core idea

It is always important to decide the core idea and features of your operating system. Normally appropriate security and easy to use interface are the most common features to consider. Even more, you also have to decide the processor platform which can be supported by your operating system. IA-32, ARM, and x86 & 64 are the most common processors in personal computer systems. So, these are undoubtedly, going to be the best bet for you. Also, decide whether you want to start from the ground or you want to use any existing kernel to build on. Even more, you also need to think about whether you want to go with your own boot loader or have any pre-created one to get started with.

3. Choose your API

API stands for Application Programming Interface. One of the most amazing API which you can choose for operating system development is POSIX because it is a well-documented API which will help you to get done with the things more effectively. Even more, all of the Unix systems also need partial support of POSIX therefore, it is always better to consider.

4. Decide your design

There exist both microkernels and monolithic kernels. Microkernels contain small kernels to combined with the implementing services of user daemons. While monolithic kernels are meant to implement the entire services in the kernel. Generally, monolithic kernels are quite faster while micro kernels contain better reliability and fault isolation.

5. Choose software development methodologies

Software development methodologies are defining the processes which software developers are using to build systems. Some of these methodologies are quite lightweight and could not tell you much other than the set of principles to stand by. However, some other methodologies are perfectly prescriptive which can let you know how you should go on with the process of software development in an exact way and can help you to know how to run your entire team in a more effective way with ease. To know more about the things in this regard you must learn about the software development methodologies. This will help you to choose the one which you may think can work great for you in the best possible way.

Some things you must consider

When you are going to develop your very own operating system then it is highly important to consider the following things to get done with the process in a more effective way with ease.

  • It is always better for you to work in a team if you want to put your hands on operating system development.
  • Never wipe your entire hard drive it is because this will lead you to clear entire data.
  • It is always better to start from small like creating interrupts etc. before moving to something big.
  • Always make sure that you are keeping the backup of your previous working source at a safe place. So that you do not have to suffer in case of any problem or system crash.
  • Always prefer to test your operating system on a virtual machine before using it on a physical machine.
  • If you want to know more about potential problems then releasing a release candidate can be the best option to consider.
  • Always make sure to bring some user-friendly features to make your operating system more successful.

These are some of the most important things which will help you more to manage the things effectively.

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