TRIANGULAR μOS 1.44 for Commodore 128 in BASIC

Right now I have fully ported my operating system to Commodore 128. It still in release candidate phase, since I have to test/check if everything works as its expected.

One impression from working with TRIANGULAR μOS on Commodore 128 is that it is visibly slower than C64.

Moving mouse pointer diagonally from bottom right corner to top diagonally (up-left) takes 5.13 seconds on C64 while 8.96 seconds on C128 (1.75 times slower on C128)

Displaying GUI (start by RUN after loading by BIOS) takes 3.4 seconds on C64 versus 9.46 seconds on C128 (2.78 times slower on C128).

Generally BASIC 7.0 is 51% slower according to my PCW Benchmark:

www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=80586





Due to fast drive handling in C128 (in BASIC 7.0 mode) TRIANGULAR μOS 1.30/C128 loads very fast compared to C64 and VIC-20 version.

From boot to mouse pointer show up (system ready) with all (boot up, writing commands loading UOS loading program, BIOS routine, loading GUI main program and displaying OS) went from 1 minute 58 seconds to 55 seconds on C128 (2.1 times faster)

Loading of main GUI program went from 1 minute 16.9 seconds on C64 to 15.2 seconds on C128 (over 5 times faster)

Reading system disk directory (3 files) takes 21.2 seconds on C64 and 32.4 seconds on C128 (surprisingly 52% slower on C128)

Reading system disk directory (144 files) went from over 17 minutes on C64 to 8 minutes on C128 (2.12 times faster)



TRIANGULAR μOS 1.30/C128 updated theme:





DOWNLOAD TRIANGULAR μOS 1.30/C128 RC (Release Candidate):

www.mediafire.com/file/u0mizkh17o3l6k2/TRIANGULAR_uOS_1.30-C128-RC-D64.zip/file



Full release soon after further testing and debugging.

Hi! It was some time since I last wrote on TRIANGULAR μOS topic. I barely had time to finish my books on C128 and BASIC 7.0. Right now, I’m working on first phase of moving TRIANGULAR μOS to BASIC 7.0. I also tested version 1.30/C128 more and it has some serious issues like propensity to randomly break into BASIC. I’m not sure if it is because of C128 emulator(s) error or (more likely) by disabling IRQ of BASIC routines in order to make current TRIANGULAR μOS 1.30/C128 bypass sprite routines of BASIC 7.0 in order to work with old BASIC V2 code (POKEd sprites and so on). So, I will be (re)releasing version 1.30/C128 as BASIC 7.0 version in first phase of code conversion to C128 architecture (I will mostly convert simple graphic and sprite commands to BASIC 7.0 in this release). Hopefully it will work fine this time.

Thereof, let me share with you my recently devised plan on future of TRIANGULAR μOS.
My BASIC benchmarks showed that C128 BASIC 7.0 in 1 Mhz VIC-II mode is much slower than C64 BASIC V2, so I’ve decided that C128 will not be ultimate Commodore 8-bit system for TRIANGULAR μOS (as planned), but it will be Commodore 65 (and even MEGA65), which is much faster.
BASIC Benchmarks: www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=80586
Moreover, TRIANGULAR μOS will face really major rework since its inception (origins of it trace its roots to version for Commodore PET with 4KB). All μOS-es up to date share same simple design philosophy: μOS is more like hyperlinked program (generally as you click on one icon or button it gets you into another window or program or perform certain action). GUI elements in PET versions were more like program launcher itself (besides SETTINGS which was more interactive).
Version 1.10 for VIC-20 with 5KB RAM introduced colors, sound and more windowed programs like DISK and MATH calculator. More memory support was utilized by simply merging those programs into bigger ones reducing need for constant inter-loading of those modules from disk, culminating in version for Commodore 64 which needed only one (but considerable lengthy) system loading from BIOS launcher. It also added some additional features like 16 colors, sprites. Not to mention very humble beginning of BASICALLY API by introducing window generator subroutine. Recent changes in μOS for Commodore 128 are even less profound, one is spectacular reduction of loading time (thanks to C128 reworked disk routines). But all of those μOS versions work on underlying design of hyperlinked BASIC V2 programs that dates back to original version 1.00 for Commodore PET.

Thus, TRIANGULAR μOS design will be heavily reworked and expanded in those following areas:

1. EXTENDED BASIC COMMANDS
TRIANGULAR μOS will go beyond BASIC V2 code and will incorporate BASIC 7.0 and ultimately BASIC 10.0 commands and its extended code design features. System support besides C128 will include C65 and MEGA65. As stated before, μOS in C128 VIC-II mode runs slower than on C64, VIC-20 or PET, so future implementation of graphic and other types of commands should reduce current painstakingly slow operation of GUI and considerably increase its usability (not mention support for 3.5 MHz C65 and even faster MEGA65).
This task will be first to implement. It will be parted into 4 phases:
A. Graphics commands implementation
B. Sound and Joystick commands implementation
C. Structured programming introduction
D. Other new commands implementation in areas such as loading and saving files and other operations

2. SYSTEM ASSETS
System graphics (sprite mouse pointers, sprites, character fonts, custom backgrounds, bitmap graphics, etc.) and sounds will be more refined, customable and more numerous. That will change μOS looks.
This task will start after task #1 is started. Soon it will be followed with related to it task #3 and it will continue to be developed long-term with other tasks.

3. SYSTEM ASSETS LOADING SYSTEM
BLOAD and BSAVE commands will serve as great venues to load and save system resources (mostly graphic and sound type) from disk in very simple manner. This means separating assets from code (mostly graphic), which will reduce size and loading time of system core. This separation of system code and system resources will allow more easily interchangeable assets to be available for μOS without enlarging its codebase, since they will be stored in files on disk.
This task will start somewhere after start of task #2 and will continue long-term with other tasks.

4. BASICALLY API
Severe buildup of BASICALLY API will bring serious change in how TRIANGULAR μOS operate, opening system for simple (or advanced) BASIC programs that don’t need to contain huge chunks of redundant code to service μOS operations. Thus, those programs will depend on μOS GUI to display them and that is huge change in μOS design philosophy. That will be extended to service machine language programs.
This task will start somewhere after start of task #2 and will continue long-term with other tasks.

5. MACHINE LANGUAGE
BASIC 7.0/10 codebase will be finally converted at some level to ML. TRIANGULAR μOS should function as amalgamation of BASIC and ML code. μOS probably won’t reach 100% ML, since BASIC is very good already at some types of system operations. ML programs should be serviced by μOS BASICALLY API.
This task will start somewhere after start of task #4. Most necessary chunks of code (mostly slow graphic routines) will have top priority.

6. NEW FEATURES
New features, program and games will be added to TRIANGULAR μOS. Already GAMES are reduced to 1 game currently (SIMCITY). Other games will be added later - planned are:
- STAR WARS – in house sprite game inspired on PET and VIC STAR WARS
- CRAB IN NEW YORK – a conversion to BASIC of my 2017 ML game bearing that name:
www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=64285
- LIFE RAFT – C64 version transformed to C128 BASIC 7.0 and readded
Besides other programs and features will be added to TRIANGULAR μOS.
This task will start somewhere after start of task #4.

7. MULTIPLATFORM EXPERIENCE
I will try to make TRIANGULAR μOS run on C128, C65 and MEGA65. And preferably from one SYSTEM DISK if it will be possible.
This task will start after TRIANGULAR μOS maturation.

8. MULTITASKING (OF BASIC PROGRAMS)
One of my ultimate goals is to introduce limited and simple multitasking to BASIC μOS programs. I have some concepts how it could work, but time will tell if I will achieve that.
This task is not top priority and will start after TRIANGULAR μOS maturation.

***

In few days I will release version 1.30/C128 with some improvements and further streamlined code. Most visible change: system will have 3 games removed. BASIC 7.0 implemented in some graphic and especially sprite handling area of μOS.
What will appear in (re)release of TRIANGULAR μOS 1.30/C128 versus recent beta 1.30/C128 version:
- Support for BASIC 7.0 added
- Graphic and sprites handling moved to BASIC 7.0 syntax
- Sprite data moved to designate 0.5 KB area starting at 3584 / $0E00
- Serious bugs preventing proper functioning of μOS in C128 mode are fixed
- Further alternation of μOS memory variable area in tape buffer
- 3 games removed and only one game left: SIMCITY
- Some improvements and code further streamlined
- Manual, SDK and other documents revised and up to date

New releases (1.31/C128, etc.) with further changes will follow.

My current roadmap of TRIANGULAR μOS development:
- TRIANGULAR μOS 1.30/C128 – a release of functional BASIC 7.0 C128 TRIANGULAR μOS version
- Version 1.31/C128, 1.32/C128, etc. will add another changed and functions
- Version 1.40 should add support for C65 and MEGA65

xahmol: Thanks for your reply!


The speed reduction of BASIC 7.0, since it employs all those improvements, was not surprise to me. Maybe twice speed reduction was little disappointing, but on brighter side is great disk speed upgrade (or rather reversion back to normality from dysfunctionally slow stock disk interface of VIC-20 and C64) not to mention new powerful commands (that also could reduce that slowdown).


As of why BASIC.

TRIANGULAR μOS is currently written in BASIC because of its BASIC history. TRIANGULAR μOS was not intended as serious OS, but more as ‘try & play with it’. It started as my ‘fun’ personal project/challenge to create GUI OS in BASIC on smallest Commodore machine (besides KIM-1), so it started on Commodore PET with just 4KB of RAM, then I’ve released version for VIC-20 with 5 KB (and later more RAM through expansions RAM), next came version for Commodore 64 and finally for Commodore 128. I’m actually most proud of TRIANGULAR μOS for VIC-20 and PET thus far, because of their small memory footprint. I’m also not some great programmer, so this system never was intended to become greatest OS for Commodore machines, but more like a fun project which also became smallest GUI OS in the world (at least I don’t know any smaller). And it amazes people who know nothing about programming, because it fits in only 4 to 5 KB of RAM and those who are savvy in 8-bit world also are impressed by its small size and fact that it is written in BASIC and it functions somehow.

But in the future (rather far one), I’m planning to implement many parts of OS in ML. I’m thinking to have some mix of BASIC and ML, because those languages do some jobs better/easier than other. Also, I would love to have ability to write BASIC programs under this GUI, because it will make very easy to write GUI programs. ML support for is also planned. CC65 C probably too and other such as prog8 or similar.



As of C64OS and GEOS.

I love those systems. Actually, I’ve had some more serious thought about future of my OS in past, but release of C64OS had changed a lot: it has everything and much more that I could even imagine to do on C64. Especially I love task manager & memory management, raster split, opening file/data type by assigned program, interesting disk file clipboard, text wrapping and more. GEOS is also great OS. I don’t want to compete with them, because C64OS is just genial OS and GEOS being old commercial package has already huge library of software for it, plus as you pointed out it allows to work on same files in other modes and Commodore computer types. (Actually my sluggish WORDS text editor can do that on PET, VIC-20, C64 and on C128 ).


As of VDC.

I’ve even planned to employ 80 columns on either PET and also C128, but resigned. Sprites on C64 are more interesting to me than that. But I don’t completely reject possibility of utilizing VDC 80-columns in the future.

We're going to try out TRIANGULAR on the C128 and on the VIC-20 at this Sunday's FCUG meeting!

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group - www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - www.portcommodore.com/sccan
April 15-16 Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2023 - www.portcommodore.com/class