SkyOS Beta 6753 is now available to download directly from the Beta Center.
LiveCD
The SkyOS installation is now started directly from a running LiveCD version. You can now explore and play with SkyOS before installing it to harddisk. Because of the intergrated BranchFS the LiveCD is a full read/write system.
New C++ API
For the first time the SkyOS C++ API is now available including a SDK and documentation.
Default HTML rendering engine
A while ago a proof-of-concept port of WebCore has been implemented for SkyOS.
For the new C++ API a HTML rendering engine depending decision had to be made. While implementing the new API there was the chance to evaluate the different available HTML rendering engines.
Focus has been on WebCore and Gecko, using following priorities:
- Render quality
- System integration
- Performance
- Support and maintenance
- etc.
After extensive testing it was clear that we will use the Gecko Rendering Engine again. It is very feature complete, easy to integrate, powerful and already very well tested on SkyOS.
Expect the new GeckoView Window Class soon.
Hardware support
- ACPI support has been added as well as ACPI Power Button drivers.
- Support for 45 more ATA/SATA chipsets.
Internals
- Many kernel updates like LDT support (required by Wine), updated signal handling, pthread support, and overall additional POSIX compatibility enhancements.
- New services to handle ACPI requests like Power-Off-Button.
- BranchFS
- An AGG Painter device to easily make use of optional Anti Grain Geometry library
Software
- A few applications like SkyPad, Task Manager have been rewritten using the new C++ API
- SpellChecker service
- Registrar service
- New Desktop using C++ API
- Initial support for GNU classpath, Kaffe and Wine
- A lof of new/update factory recipes for most recent software
- Many libraries/ports updated to new version
- Support for additional audio/video codec for MediaCenter/ISS
- New wallpapers
Bugs
More than 300 fixed bugs, improved POSIX compatibility as well as update system headers and standard libraries and many more
Software Store
New packages available in Software Store for this version. (e.g. Quake I/II/III, Mono, Kaffe, Dev86, etc.)
Future
We plan to release new betas about every 2 weeks from now on.
CONGRATULATIONS! This is by
CONGRATULATIONS!
This is by far one of the most anticipated releases ever, well done robert, and 2 week BETA's will be brilliant, i suppose it is possible as so much of the true backend work is done now.
Well done!!