> This is just what I am thinking. Would it be a bad idea to replace the
> current image save mechanism with, for example, Magma?

Even if this could be done, which it can't, you really wouldn't want it to be.

- The loading of the image must occur at the VM level in order to catapult you
into the object environment.  Magma only runs inside the running object
environment, so it presents a chicken-and-egg problem.
- Saving and starting the image is very fast because it swallows the whole
object memory to and from a file.  Magma operates by committing changed
objects.  Attempting to commit an entire image would be.. slow at best.
- Smalltalkers need the ability to resume exactly where they left off.  If the
image were kept in a multi-user database instead of an image file, this
requirement would be unfulfilled.

I'm sure there are many other reasons it wouldn't / couldn't / shouldn't be
attempted.    :)

Cheers,
  Chris



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