AppList for a New Lua-based Virtual OS

mrn · Post by **mrn** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:23 pm

Hi everybody, what I 'd like to ask you is to collect applications
which could serve as candidates for a new Virtual OS..

The reason to have a virtual Lua-based OS is to have
- everithing inside the Applications directory, therefore
- really FAST loading time of applications,
- the chance to have a Clipboard,
- the possibility of "multi tasking", etc., etc.

The reason to collect candidate apps and feature-requests is to see
the need of users, and to learn what kind of app would have high value
and would be important to work on..

Another reason I see to make such a list (what we would update regularly) is
to inform developers working on similar projects, and to speed-up
those developments, possibly by joining the features of two or more
successful projects (let say two plotting apps) into one candidate for the OS..

So, let me start to post some

App Requests for a new virtual OS
- Games
- Text Editor
- Calendar/Contacts
- Video Player
- MP3 Player
- Voice recorder
- Offline web browser (like plucker)
- dictionaries

..and here here is a list of some text editors to start with:

- TextEditor from PSPWindows
http://psplua.com/modules/mydownloads/v ... =22&lid=23
- TwinTail LDE
http://geocities.com/lua_ema/
- Bob's editor
http://www.247364.com
- F.o.s.k
http://fosk4psp.dynamicweb.hu/

PS. is anybody updating OSi, Lowser and PSPWin?
Would anybody mind if we just "steal" the best features of those projects
and merge it into a new one, let's call it the LuaVirtualOS?

Dr. Vegetable · Post by **Dr. Vegetable** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:56 pm

How about an e-mail client?

Bob535 · Post by **Bob535** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:09 am

way too much work, you guys have fun.

nevyn · Post by **nevyn** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:59 am

I've had my mind for a looong time on writing an OSKit library and updating Lowser, both to incorporate
- cooperative multitasking
- window handling
- event-driven callbacks and similar

It's important that this framework is well designed, and that we don't split efforts into writing several incompatible frameworks (then we'll have the Linux mess all over again).

You're very welcome to have some patience, mrn, since I'm really swamped with work right now and don't have time to work on it for about a month, but I really don't want to miss that party.

mrn · Post by **mrn** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:29 pm

ok, Nevyn, we'll definitely wait (as i see bob's reply)
But I'd still encourage everybody to post his ideas, links, requirements...

cancan · Post by **cancan** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:48 pm

Dear mrn

I can propose you the contacts application I wrote to be included in the OS (can read, write, modifiy Vcard files (.vcf extension).
Here the link: http://psplua.com/modules/news/article. ... s=contacts
for the psplua.com news and http://www.psplua.com/members/cancan for the web site.

I'm also working on a calendar but it is really at an alpha stage and can for the moment only display the months without any possibility to add appointements.

Both are written in LUA they can then be easily integrated.

Please let me know if you want me to adapt some things of the current contacts app in case you want to integrate it.

For the list of apps/games you can also check directly at http://www.psplua.com. You will find a lot of LUA prg developped for the PSP (LUA Player).

nevyn · Post by **nevyn** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:59 pm

PLEASE NO. NO INTEGRATION. An "OS-like manager" (which it is, since the PSP already has an OS and we're not replacing it) should be only that, and nothing more. Its main purpose is to not be noticed by end-users. Vcard reader? Great. Just don't put it in the OS. It's an *application*, for zark's sake.

I'm all for making apps such as that vcard reader OSKit-compatible, but that's ways off as it is, we haven't even started. (Quite honestly I don't /really/ see the point of this thread)

cancan · Post by **cancan** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:00 pm

I was just thinking of having it in the Application directory. No about including it in the core of the OS. As you wrote it's just an application.
When I wrote integrated I was thinking about having it as part of the defaults application available when the OS is installed from scracth (like the calculator app, the starfield app, etc... which are part of the LUA Player).
And I did see the OS mainly as a replacement of the Lowser application (not more).
Sorry for the confusion.

nevyn · Post by **nevyn** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:08 pm

cancan wrote:I was just thinking of having it in the Application directory. No about including it in the core of the OS. As you wrote it's just an application.
When I wrote integrated I was thinking about having it as part of the defaults application available when the OS is installed from scracth (like the calculator app, the starfield app, etc... which are part of the LUA Player).
And I did see the OS mainly as a replacement of the Lowser application (not more).
Sorry for the confusion.

Okay, I came of a bit overly harsh, sorry. I'm just so annoyed with all the "PSP OS"es coming out that are just "desktops" with apps built right into them.

Yes, I hope that's what mrn means by 'integrated', and not integrated as 'built-in'.

Lowser's also just an app, but it might have to do a little more work than just as a plain file browser if it's to launch multitasked apps.

KawaGeo · Post by **KawaGeo** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 2:57 am

I am wondering why Lowser is called a browser. It is more like a start menu (like the one on Windows XP), isn't it?

nevyn · Post by **nevyn** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:04 am

KawaGeo wrote:I am wondering why Lowser is called a browser. It is more like a start menu (like the one on Windows XP), isn't it?

No, it's a file system browser. You navigate in and out of folders (left/right arrow), and it lists the contents of those folders. If a folder also happens to be an application, it launches it.

The start menu is an abominable concept invented because Microsoft obviously failed to provide a coherent and user-friendly file system hierarchy. It's nothing that I'd want to copy...

KawaGeo · Post by **KawaGeo** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 4:44 am

Your description of a file system browser makes more sense.

I understand you have some overwhelming work to do (is that college work?) but you have urge to update your Lowser file system. I know we all are waiting for the update. May I suggest to start up a team project, maybe at LuaForge.net, and act as a project manager. I am sure some of us here would want to join the team. Being a manager, you could be able to assign us some work so that you have more time for yourself with other work. I have some ideas for the file system.

How is that, nevyn?

nevyn · Post by **nevyn** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 4:53 am

KawaGeo wrote:Your description of a file system browser makes more sense.

I understand you have some overwhelming work to do (is that college work?) but you have urge to update your Lowser file system. I know we all are waiting for the update. May I suggest to start up a team project, maybe at LuaForge.net, and act as a project manager. I am sure some of us here would want to join the team. Being a manager, you could be able to assign us some work so that you have more time for yourself with other work. I have some ideas for the file system.

How is that, nevyn?

I have a slight case of the not-made-by-me-syndrome ;) But it's an intriguing idea. I'll try to throw together some general design ideas, some UI sketches, and see what people think, and see if you and others want to code it.

(Depends on if you mean the brittish or american term ;) University-level studies in any case, and some consulting work)

cancan · Post by **cancan** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 5:23 am

What about also asking for some "expert" in graphics. Would not be bad to have also something very nice to look at.
I can't help in this case but would help for the coding if I can.

KawaGeo · Post by **KawaGeo** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:00 am

Good :)

If you, nevyn, start a sticky thread, I'll give you a suggestion what UI design would look like. Just a layout sketch. I ain't no artist.

Awaiting a new thread...

mrn · Post by **mrn** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 9:45 pm

Nevyn:
don't /really/ see the point of this thread

what shell i say, Nevyn?
you have some ideas in your head (as all others do),
and if sbody starts a thread on a little similar topic..
you immediatly try to stop him....
since you do not have time to work on your own topic

I'm really swamped with work right now and don't have time to work on it

is it a reason to DISCURAGE OTHERS?

..you can start your own sticky topic by first locking this saying

don't /really/ see the point of this thread

and keeping attacking people like cancan, the vlc-card guy,
but seriously, i am tired of seeing my locked and lost threads,
like the mic, fft, internal HD, and other topics were.

i always used to say:
"do not tell me what not to do, but show how to do instead"

cheers, guys!!

nevyn · Post by **nevyn** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 6:06 am

Dude, when did I lock this thread? I locked a single freakin' thread because it discussed things already discussed elsewhere.

I have some very strong opinions about LuaPlayer's architecture. And that's what they are: opinions. You're welcome to disagree. As you clearly are, although you seem more keen on attacking my method of arguing rather than the arguments themselves.

(cancan, if I offended you, once again, sorry.)

cancan · Post by **cancan** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 4:39 pm

No prob nevyn ;o)

youresam · Post by **youresam** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 2:38 am

Well, my LUA OS is almost done. I really wanted to implement multithreading, but it would be a bit complicated because of where you can click and stuff because of the mouse. However, it would be simpler to not have a mouse. For those of you who dont know what my LUA OS is, its basicly just a replacement for the lowser that can do much, much more.
http://forums.pspcrazy.com/forums/team- ... ua-os.html
(That link has more updated pics since my post on pspupdates)
It features unlimited icons, themes, screensaver, and if you push triangle on a folder, instead of running index.lua, it enters it. I also have another feature, but I guess I could call it a secret..
Of course, it also has TONS of more features, and more to come. My latest feature is when you run a file, and it contains syntax errors, it shows the errors in a window and you dont have to restart luaplayer.

The most it could be for the release is a week.

(BTW, nevyn, if you want to see its current stage, PM me and I'll reply with it)

mrn · Post by **mrn** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:47 pm

the vlc-based Contacts apps looks really good.
I'd like to see it "pre-implemented" in LuaOS..
Edit: i mean copied into the directory of the zipped os (part of the distro),
and NOT part of the OS directly. If there is a better word for this, pls...

Ok. We'll also need a Volcov-/Midnight-/Total-/Tux-Commander -- like file manager. If sbody has some ideas or pieces of Lua code...

mrn · Post by **mrn** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 11:04 am

two more things WE will definitely want. sooner or later:
- voice over IP
- messenger
(i know, i know, but let's just start with a P2P version as a proof of concept)

... ant the third one:
- the browser

Everybody! Pls, if you know about a piece of code which could help...

btw, r u following the threads on the usb thing?

Sid-Ali · Post by **Sid-Ali** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:00 pm

Hello, me also I thought has to make to a bone with lua not a listor of file like lowser or lua bone but a bone who offers several possibility. I believe that me and mrn one is on the same longor of waves me I started are dévellopement and it has a beautiful pleasant interface then mrn if you are interessé or you want to see screenshots adds me on your msn if t'en has or pm me my msn is: sdjenadi@hotmail.com