With the possible exception of the equator, everything begins somewhere.
-- Peter Fleming
Welcome to RCOS. The purpose of this manual is to provide you with some sort of introduction to RCOS, how to use it, how it is constructed and how to modify it.
This chapter first provides with the information necessary to install RCOS onto your machine. It then proceeds to give you an overview of the remaining sections of this manual.
To install RCOS you will need the following
To recompile RCOS (required for 85349 assignments) you will also need one of the following compilers
Before installing you must select a directory on your hard-drive in which to install RCOS. During installation a directory called RCOS will be created within the directory you choose. Underneath this directory the hierarchy outlined in Diagram 1.1 will be created.
Diagram 1.1.
RCOS Directory Hierarchy.
Once you've decided on a directory in which to install RCOS follow the steps outline in Figure 1.1.
1. Insert the RCOS distribution disk into your machine
2. Change the current drive to the floppy drive the RCOS disk is in.
3. Run the install batch file. install takes one parameter. The full directory path (including drive) of where RCOS is to be installed.
e.g. install c:\
install d:\cqu\85349\
RCOS will be installed into a directory called RCOS under the directory you specify.
4. If the install batch file reports success then RCOS has been installed.
Figure 1.1.
How to install RCOS.
The contents of the rcos directory is summarised in Table 1.1.
The source directory contains all the source files and other files necessary for you to modify and recompile RCOS. Table 1.2 provides a summary of the files in this directory.
RCOS has been written in a platform independent manner and has been ported to the UNIX/X11 platform. The UNIX directory contains a number of files and programs that can be used convert the RCOS source files into a state that can be compiled on a UNIX platform.
This guide provides no extra help with installing or using RCOS on the UNIX platform. It is suggested you use the MS-DOS version for now. If anyone cleans up (it still has a number of bugs) the X11 port I would be interested in hearing
from you
Filename Explanation
rcos.exe an executable version of RCOS compiled using a Borland
compiler
rcos.ini the RCOS initialisation file, can be used to control
various settings of RCOS
*.pcd executable RCOS programs produced from PLL/2 source code
pcode.exe P-Code interpreter, enables RCOS programs to be executed
for debugging
pll2.exe PLL/2 compiler, produces RCOS executable programs
*.pll PLL/2 source code files
egavga.bgi required by programs (such as RCOS) that were compiled
using a Borland compiler and wish to use graphics
Table 1.1.
Contents of the rcos Directory.
The purpose of this manual is to provide you with the information required to use, understand, modify and compile RCOS. What follows is a brief summary of each chapter.
Provides you with all the information you need to install RCOS onto your computer, an overview of the RCOS directory hierarchy and a summary of the RCOS Programmer's Manual.
Chapter 2 introduces you to the RCOS user interface and walks you through your first session with RCOS. By the end of the chapter you should have a feel for how to use RCOS.
Filename Purpose
ANIM.CPP Class to dispatch animation messages and title bar text
APP.CPP Application shell (start-up, close-down, low level
message pass)
BTN.CPP Base class for all gizmos
CONX.CPP Operator's Console class
CPMA.DSK Used to store the contents of RCOS' A drive
CPMBDOS.CPP Simulates the operation of a CP/M disk drive
CPMFS.CPP The basic CP/M like file system RCOS uses
CPU-DISP.CPP Draw the CPU scheduler window
CTRLS.CPP Classes for supervisor control gadgets
DBLLIST.CPP Single base class for all lists (FIFO, LIFO, priority)
DEV-DISP.CPP Draw the Devices window (TTY and Line Printer)
DEBUGKNL.CPP debugging kernel normally not used in a normal version of
RCOS
DISPLAY.H defines relative screen locations of all objects
DSK-DISP.CPP Functions to animate disk movement and transfers
DSKDRV.CPP Provides intermediate level I/O routines for disk drives
EXEC.CPP Class for PCB actions and process management (Fork,
Dispatch)
EXEC.HPP associated header (includes PCB struct definition)
FSIFACE.CPP File system interface between processes and the file
system
GFX.CPP Program Abstraction Layer for graphics
IPC.CPP Implements semaphores
KERNEL.CPP The kernel class with Exec as a private member
MESSAGE.HPP Abstract class for all Device Drivers and all messages
defined
MSHARE.CPP Shared memory
MMU.HPP Header defining a general memory manager
MMUP.CPP Simple Partition style memory manager
MSHARE.CPP implements shared memory
OBJ.CPP geometric object classes (point, rectangle)
PAL.CPP Program Abstraction Layer for timer, keyboard and mouse
PCI.CPP P-Code Interpreter
RCOS.HPP Common header definitions
RCOS.CPP Main (Supervisor) module
RNG.CPP Ring buffer class
STR.CPP Class for null terminated strings
TIMER.CPP Classes for System Clock and Keyboard/Mouse input
TTY.CPP Class for an ANSI terminal
TTYLD.CPP Class for Line Protocol Driver
USERIP.CPP provides high level keyboard and mouse input
Table 1.2.
RCOS Source File Description.
Like any operating system RCOS can execute programs. This chapter explains how you can write programs that RCOS will execute using the Pascal like programming language included with RCOS called PLL/2.
Essential reading if you wish to create your own RCOS programs.
RCOS is similar to UNIX and OS/2 in that it provides two important inter-process communication mechanisms that are common in today's operating systems, shared memory and semaphores. This chapter introduces you to how these primitives can be used by PLL/2 programs that you write.
This chapter is important for gaining an understanding of concurrent programming an essential part to any operating systems subject.
This chapter supplies all the information required to compile your own executable version of the RCOS program.
You must read this if you wish to change RCOS in any way. It is suggested that you attempt to compile a version of RCOS very early in the semester to make sure it is possible with your compiler.
This chapter provides an explanation of how RCOS works. It introduces the different components of RCOS, what actions they perform and how they work together.
This is a very important chapter if you wish to have any idea of how RCOS really works.
This chapter provides some hints and guidelines to use when modifying the RCOS source code to test some new algorithm or data structure.
This chapter has provided you with