[lug] Real Operating Systems

[Mr Viggy]

You need to define what you mean by "GUI"?  That desktop/task bar is not 
integrated at all.  As a matter of fact, it is a special version of 
Explorer!  I, for one, do not use Explorer as my "shell" (Windows calls 
that a shell).  Instead I use LiteStep, a "shell" (really window system) 
similar to Afterstep.  My Windows desktop has a wharf; pop-up menus; etc.

As for a kernel, Windows does have one.  Well, it's really made up of a 
bunch of modules (sound familar?).  Windows has a number what they call 
system/device modules (usually ending in SYS) and a number of 
client/user modules (usually ending in EXE/DLL).  There's even a DLL 
called "kernel32.dll".  It's description reads, "Windows NT BASE API 
Client DLL".  In effect, this is your GUI link into the OS.  And, it 
does have a version (5.00.2195.6079, for Win2K with SP3).

I'm sorry.  You called it a "desktop manager."  Technically, this is 
what Windows refers to as a "shell".  If you're running Windows 
95/98/ME; you can put a line in your SYSTEM.INI file called "shell=..." 
And that program becomes your shell.  In Windows 2K, just add/change the 
following registry entries:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows 
NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\system.ini\boot]
"Shell"="USR:Software\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"Shell"="C:\\Litestep\\Litestep.exe"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"DesktopProcess"=dword:00000001

Check out Litestep at:
http://www.litestep.net/
http://www.dev0.de/products_litestep_builds.html

Really, in theory, Windows back end is not that different than many 
other OS'.  Remember, Windows NT/2K/XP Pro actually evolved from VMS!

Viggy

D. Stimits wrote:
> John E. Koontz wrote:
> 
>> A few questions ...  as we all know, real operating systems have
>> kernels.  Does Windows (an operating system with a well-know GUI shell
>> and Web browser that claims to be a monolithic computer controlling,
>> web-accessing piece of software)  have as recognizable kernel?   Does
>> this kernel-oid thing have a name and version numbers, etc.?
>>
>> What about the GUI shell-oid?   Does it have a name and version numbers
>> different from the putative kernel?   Has anyone managed to substitute a
>> different shell for use with the kernel?
> 
> 
> My limited understanding of this (YMMV) is that the gui is integrated 
> with the kernel, they cannot be separated.
> 
>>
>> In regard to the GUI, does it have a distinct desktop manager?  If so,
>> what is that called, and does it have its own version numbers?
> 
> 
> No, it is monolithic/integrated.
> 
> D. Stimits, stimits AT attbi DOT com
> 
>>
>> Just wondering!  Perhaps these questions would be better for the
>> philosophy of operating systems list?
>> John E. Koontz
>> NIST OCIO CASD (182)
>> 303-497-5180
>>
>> N39° 59' 42.1" W 105° 15' 49.7"
>>
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> 
> 
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