Interval Smalltalk redux (was "SqueakOS")

Tommy Thorn thorn at meko.dk
Fri Oct 4 00:19:43 UTC 2002


Craig,

thanks a lot for the most interesting account

>        I expect the complete system would take a non-trivial amount of
>rework to retarget to different hardware. The MediaPad was always a
>home-grown prototype (based on the StrongARM 1100, and custom ASICs, at
>no small cost). The native code generator wouldn't be immediately useful
>to all Squeakers, for example.
>

The ARM is pretty big in the embedded space. Did the ASIC provide 
functionality crucial for the native implementation of Smalltalk on 
StrongARM?

Not that I'm suggesting it, but FPGAs have progressed significantly in 
recent years. Yesterdays ASICs might be reimplementable with todays 
FPGAs (at a considerbly lower NRE cost).

>        I've always wanted to eventually get the whole thing released,
>though, and I plan to keep at it. I think a proper revival of the
>project would be a lot of fun and still very useful, too, but we'd have
>to solve the hardware environment problem first. I'm game. :)
>

Again, what special hardware support is needed? Object memory like on 
the Newton?

All the best,

  Tommy





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