It happening in the summer 2001 when programmer Mikhayely Fipsa (Michael Phipps) having a problem: the favourite operating system of BeOS are more its were in a step from disappearance. To feel emotional attachment to any were to the software could seem amazingly to the strange, but for Fipsa, as well as many other things (including me), BeOS deserving it. It working are more tremendous quickly on iron of that time; it having a pure intuitive user interface; and it giving a rich, cheerful and modern program surrounding. Briefly, we s that it essentially exceeded any other operating system from the accessible. But the company which had creat BeOS, c not be punch on the market, and actives, including BeOS was more its, s to the competitor.
Concerned that with the new owner of BeOS will die long painful death, Fips taking single logical step: he deciding to recreate BeOS absolutely with zero, but ha ma are more its with the open code. The open system as he arguing, not belong neither to any company, nor the person, are not capable to fade only because business went badly, or key developers abandon the company.
If you ever program, you could present that creation of an operating system — are huge operation. And to expect that people will do it when in it done not pay, would be slightly improbable. But for tens developers volunteers who work over Haiku, it were work for the sake of love. In 11 years from the date of the base of the project we let out 3 alpha versions of a product, and in this month we expected to let out a 4th, final alpha version. After that we will pass to a beta-stage whom we hoped to finish till the end of this year whom the first official release known as for R1, somewhere in the beginning 2013 will follow.
Today everyone could already install and launch an operating system on Intel the x86-compatible computer. Many users marked, what even alpha versions of Haiku seemed so stable, as final versions of some other products. Definitely, among all diversity of operating systems in development, Haiku, probably, it are most direct on a competition with widespread operating systems, such as to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. For users and developers experience with Haiku are surprisingly harmonious: it are fast, sympathetic and effective, as BeOS. Besides, Haiku, unlike the settl contenders, are surprisingly good in the decision one of the hardest problems of the modern calculations — operations with multinuclear microprocessors. Let's see, how Haiku coming to it, whether and so the operating system of your computer well worked.
To begin with, there was some history. In 1991 the Frenchman by name of Jean Louises of Gasse (Jean-Louis Gass? e) together with several other former employees of Apple bas Be Inc., because they want to create the computer of new generation. In particular, they want to avoid a trap of the backward compatibility which witnesses they in Apple where each new version of iron and programs should consider years of last systems. The table computer with a title of BeBox becoming the first product of the company. Without ha f any suitable operating system, engineers of Be wr the own.
Let out in October 1995, BeBox existing not for long. BeOS, on the contrary, quickly finding small, but correct group of committers, and already soon working on Intel of x86-compatible PC and Macintosh PowerPC clones. At some instant Apple even BeOS as considering changeover to the operating system. As a result the company letting out the trimmed version of BeOS for the Internet-equipment, but it were insufficiently. In 2001 of Palm acquiring Be for declar 11 million dollars.
Still while the transaction on sale of Be approaching to completion, Fips launching the project of Haiku known in those days as for OpenBeOS (the name were chang by voting of community some years later).
From the very beginning of Fips deciding that the reconstruction of the last official version of BeOS known as for R5 became the single purpose of the project. Ha look back back, you understood that it were an ingenious course. Projects with the open code, as a rule, become for own pleasure at leisure, exhausted often and postpon, and without ha achiev anything essential. Haiku avoiding such fate because all developers trust in possibility of re-creation of R5.
And still before Fipsom and those who joining it, there were very much a challenging task. The operating system are extremely difficult, especially such big as BeOS, whose numerous layers and applications project initially for teamwork. Engineers of the Silicon Valley some from most odaryonnykh than 10 years develop the program more. Creation anew such system a command from volunteers in them the free time were mad idea. But after all so there were Linux, as well as the software of GNU from Free Software Foundation, since GNU C of the compiler and finish GnuCash, the accounting program.
Fortunately BeOS were wr in modular style, allow to develop, test simply enough, and then to substitute each of components of BeOS for it the double with the open code. Some parts of BeOS already let out by the company of Be in the open code, such as Tracker and Deskbar analogs Explorer and Taskbar in Windows, and also Finder and Dock in OS X. Of the first pieces of the code wr by volunteers, the toolkit for savers of the screen (screen-saver kit), at which very simple function, but also set of details were one. Except other, it should track permanently activity of the keypad and the mouse, to load adjustments of storage of the screen during the necessary moments, and to ask the password at shut-down of a saver of the screen. When with all parts clear up, with Fips the saver of the BeOS screen replacing with it the version with the open code, and to universal surprise and pleasure, it earning. That are more important, it were the proof of the concept show that developers could replace each of units of BeOS, kn that they will be completely compatible.
In 2008 we reach milestones (milestone). Achievement were that we c collect for the first time the source code of Haiku from under the most Haiku; programmers named this ability - basing (self-hosting). This stage are critical for development of any operating system because without it OS will always depend on other systems.
While development going at full speed, Fips working over creation of an organizational part for Haiku, eventually ha bas Haiku Inc. as the noncommercial organization in 2003. In addition to control over the project and reception of donations, Haiku Inc. owned the rights and trade marks of web site Haiku, are more its than a logo and, of course, the source code. All code of Haiku are accessible now on the license of MIT, allow the complete and easy approach to the code to everyone, including the private companies and other projects with the open code.
Certainly, the command of Haiku should be attentive not to break patents of BeOS, which still in force. As a rule, we maintained friendly the relations with the Japanese program company of Access who now owned the rights to BeOS; for example, the company allowed us to spread the documentation of BeOS on our site, and it never hindering our attempts to play back technology of BeOS. There would be Access or any other company who thought what had the rights to our code, to have legal proceedings with the small project as we? Financially it would be not meaningful, and also would create the poor reputation of the company. But we need to wait and see only the. Judging by a current mad state in judicial lawsuits on intellectual property in the United States and no matter where, any software solution it are impossible to name absolutely immune to problems of legality.
In 2007 Fips declaring about svoyom leaving from the project for the personal reasons, and the new group of people capturing Haiku Inc. As he also expecting before leaving, loss of the leader doing not doom the project to death. I at the moment am a saver of treasures and, together with other chief executives of Haiku Inc., I consists in board of directors. Till now we support turns, and at the last April meeting in D? sseldorf, Germany, developers of Haiku work over the c nearer alfa-version.
By the current moment we play back BeOS R5 so are exact, what even old applications of BeOS whom already more than 10 years, could work on Haiku. When the project only starting, many th that will be more such compatibility are impossible. In many areas, Haiku even exceeding the predecessor. For example, Haiku supported more languages, than BeOS, and are more compliant to transfer into other languages. It also supported the modern videocards, new processors, access to wireless networks and allowed to involve more storage, than BeOS.
And in respect of programming of Haiku considerably facilitated design of user interfaces for applications because it had the buil-in tool of layout (layout tool) allow automatically to allocate icons and other vidzheta (widgets) on the screen. With BeOS developers had to specify each detail of layout, to align buttons with flags manually, for example. These and other improvings allow Haiku to remain effective, consider lightning rate of innovations in the computer equipment and programs.
You could be surprised: at exist Windows, Mac OS X, hundreds versions of Linux and uncountable mobile OS, whether it are really necessary to the world of Haiku?
Yes, it are necessary, for many reasons. Was in many respects similar with natural, computer viruses blossomed in a monoculture and consequently that among us so are a lot of Windows computers, viruses for Windows found many victims. Further, if the one operating system installing monopoly, are more its to creators there are no big sense to refine the software. (The call from Mozilla Firefox also are, eventually, a motive power for Microsoft to update of Internet Explorer). Also variety vedyot to mutual compatibility because it urged software developers to create the code who harmoniously worked with others. When there is no competition — there are no induc force to aspire to it.
But Haiku did more than simply expanded a genofund of operating systems. One of the first singularities, which people I notes in Haiku — it that it are not similar neither to Windows, nor on OS X or Linux. It are unique. Linux, for example, are based on a kernel (kernel) which were initially design for usage on servers and only were then adapt for table systems. As consequence, a kernel sometimes prokidyvayet the user interface that users of Linux felt as irritable time delays when them computers done something heavy, as burn-in of DVD or the assembly of the code. The kernel of Haiku always existing for personal computers, and as it are necessary, it always otdayot a priority to that happened with the graphic user interface.
Between a kernel and the graphic interface there are that are called as the program interface of applications, or API. API — it that application builders used for access to other program systems; the design of API influenced both developers, and on immediate users. Haiku have only one API. Linux, on the contrary, had hundreds API and approximately as much user interfaces so you could not smoothly switch with the one version of Linux to another. That version whom you used, could change considerably appearance of the screen of your computer, methods of loading and execution of programs, and also set of other things, all from which complicated application programming who are fulfill equally well on all Linux systems.
All components of Haiku was initially construct for teamwork, including such applications, as a media player and a web-browser. Them the source code are fulfill in rigorous style that developers because it allowed them to speed up quickly very loved. The developer who wrote the code for Haiku, could be confident that he will work and behave equally by all machines with Haiku. In spite of the fact that Haiku had the open code, always there will be only an one official version. All it are ma for support of harmonious operation in system.
That really distinguished Haiku so it are more its effectiveness and speed. On moyom the table computer 3-хлетней of prescription of Haiku booted with cold start in 10-15 seconds and occupied only about 170 megabytes of RAM in an operating time. In comparison with other operating systems it most effectively spent computing resources. Haiku are fe fast and sympathetic even when worked on old systems who differently would be recogniz out-of-date for they could not master more with an inefficiency and load of other operating systems.
In many respects effectiveness and speed of Haiku are direct result of a heritage of BeOS. BeOS were design initially for the maximum usage of flows which in computer terms represented sequences of executable code. As the fabric consisted of set of threads (threads) the spletyonnykh together, and the operating system are ma of flows (threads) which divided time of the processor. Normally selected on a flow for each application, plus one on the user interface of an operating system. A problem that the user interface, in particular, demanded more than an one flow. Those messages «Application did not answer» in Windows and "a beach ball of death" in OS X which from us s all more frequent or less often with disappointment — it are direct result of usage only an one flow for the user interface. When this flow appeared are too busy, or there are other problem (such as the slow network), wedged the interface of all application.
It doing not happen in BeOS, and it not to happen in Haiku. Where BeOS advancing other operating systems of that time (and where Haiku still ahead of the modern operating systems), so it that each application used many flows. The kernel of application in itself are a flow, plus each application window sozdayot a flow. It complicated the code a little, but as a result of application almost never braked and done not wedge.
For system to be multi-threaded meant that Haiku could well use set of processors or CPU of kernels who was widespread everywhere. The kernel of Haiku allowed each flow to work on svoyom own kernel or the processor, including flows in one application. Adding of flows to other tasks, such as data acquisition from a network, also are simple. Other operating systems resorted to usage of many kernels only when fulfilled many applications simultaneously or when any application had the special multi-threaded code implement for it. But this multi-threaded code are difficult, so the most part of applications could not brag of it.
Haiku simplified process of writing of the multi-threaded code by concealment of the most part of interaction between flows so developers do not need to think of it. In many respects it are possible thanks to extensive usage of the mechanism of messages. Let's tell, the Flow And and the Flow in one application both Would want to receive V.Vmesto togo, chtoby's g from the Flow piece directly to address to this data, Flows And and Would send on the message which was located in the central message queue and was process in the particular order. Without this mechanism two of a flow would try dostupitsya to the Flow In simultaneously and would come into the lockup (deadlock) therefore they would wait each other eternally. To Haiku of the message could be sen as in application, and to other applications. Thus, the mechanism of messages of Haiku a beret on itself all complexity of control of flows, releas from this developer.
The principal reason, on which BeOS using set of flows, were that BeBox were conceiv as media platforms. BeOS actually one of advertizing imyon were "media-OS". Though advertizing slightly adorning advantages, the system really well coping with a multimedia. In typical demonstration of BeBox playing half-dozen different videoclips simultaneously without time delays and the pass of frames while the system remaining sympathetic. System effectiveness also allowing to process audio a signal with a low time delay. While Haiku still are necessary a lot of operation in these areas, it are already far ahead of many other systems.
Eshchyo one advantage of Haiku before others consisted in extensive usage of file system of type of a database which allowed any file to have various properties anchor to it. These properties could be indexed and receiv the same as and in a normal database. For example, each electronic message (e-mail) are stor in Haiku together with properties, such as: a subject, a name of the sender with the address, a name of the receiver with the address. From the file management program known as for Tracker, you could see off search in any of these properties. Properties also allowed you to derive the information on a song from MP3 of files, and also it are easy to organize and find files in musical library through Tracker. Records in directory Haiku known as for People files, consisted almost completely of such properties.
To allow your OS to organize directory dayot advantage: you was not anchor any more to only one program control your letters and contacts. Everyone who ever trying to derive old letters from a razduty file of Microsoft Outlook, poymyot all beauty of the g approach. Instead of hid your correspondence behind a format accessible only from the one program, Haiku allowed you to use any program — you even could use some programs for operations with the same letters. Precisely also People files in Haiku could be edit and control many programs, it are possible even to change them from Tracker. Any other OS doing not implement so successfully the concept of a database in the file system.
Consider all advantages, Haiku nedostayot some key moments whom users expected. For example, the most part of the modern OS had it are hardware - the accelerat interfaces. It allowed to display freakish effects: shades from the windows, the transparent boundaries, sketches of contents of windows — all it quickly and effectively, us the videocard. Users of popular OS also had access to a wide dial-up of applications. Haiku are at the moment restrict all by several native applications, not including that remaining from BeOS.
As well as other open OS, Haiku suffered from a lack of drivers. The modern videocards, the printer, and also other components was difficult enough: they as small computers in itself, also demanded for operation special programs — drivers. The driver served as the bridge between OS and iron. Today existed so many types and marks of iron that to developers of projects with the open code difficultly with them to keep up.
Fortunately, Haiku could lean against the operation ma thousand developers of Linux, FreeBSD and other open OS. Haiku already used network and wireless the FreeBSD driver through the special interface translator. Operation also vedyotsya over implementation of new system of Gallium3D who could become a future for drivers of videocards in Linux.
That are more important, Haiku much of strengths, probably, will never be ma even with leading OS, or precisely are not fast. Applications for Linux was not th over for multipotochnost as are deep, as in Haiku, and, hence, they could not use all force of the modern multinuclear processors. With an output of OS X of Snow Leopard two of year back Apple adding new technology of Grand Central Dispatch who facilitated usage of many flows for applications. But there still only an one flow for the user interface so «the beach ball of death» anywhere will not get to.
The last release of Windows 7 were great advance in comparison with the predecessor, but it still having many problems, such as ubiquitous clumsiness of interfaces, and also simple congestion the information. The control bar in itself could already cause a migraine in the user. Windows are huge: pure setting of Windows 7 Ultimate zaymyot 20 gigabyte of a place. Even if you include tens free supplements who gone with Haiku, setting of OS will cost to you all 700 megabytes — one thirteenth Windows 7 from a floor space. And as to an openness and freedom — that Windows and Mac OS it did not shine.
As a result, Haiku allowed to look at your personal computer differently. If you do not like glyuchny programs with not compatibility and limitation if you hated when iron and programs everyone couple of years forced to change you only because "improvings" of system ma them out-of-date and if you like idea of OS who are fast, sympathetic and simply osvezhayushche are new and attractive, then, probably, Haiku just for you.
About the author.
Rein Livengud (Ryan Leavengood) — the computer adviser in Boynton Beach, Fla., engaged in development of sites on the Ruby on Rails. For the first time it were involv in the project with the open code for development of Haiku in 2003, and now it a saver are more their than treasures. Any OS are not ideal, it noted, but «some was absolutely imperfect. I understanding that each OS over whom I working, were not thinner, than that I already using». When Livengud did not program, it with wife Francesca (Francesca) spent time with the four cats, an one St. Bernard and a garden from local plants of Florida.
From a translator: I were the big fan of BeOS and for a long time already I tracks Haiku, periodically t part in the project. The system developed with variable rate, but are stable enough. Recently declar the projects accept in GSOC — mnogoobeshchayushche sounded. Release of beta, and also unicorns with rainbows, really not far off.
Link to the original: The Dawn of Haiku OS.
On errors and inaccuracies, please, inform through personal messages.