Apple GS/OS
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(May 2023) |
 The IIGS Finder running within GS/OS | |
| Developer | Apple Computer |
|---|---|
| OS family | GS/OS |
| Working state | Historic |
| Source model | Closed source |
| Initial release | 1988 |
| Latest release | GS/OS v4.02 (System Software 6.0.1) / May 6, 1993 |
| Kerneltype | Monolithic kernel |
| License | Apple Software License Agreement |
GS/OSis anoperating systemdeveloped byApple Computerfor itsApple IIGSpersonal computer.It provides facilities for accessing thefile system,controlling input/output devices, loading and running program files, and a system allowing programs to handleinterruptsand signals. It usesProDOSas its primary filing system. GS/OS is a component of Apple IIGSSystem Software versions 4.0 through 6.0.1, and was the first true 16-bit operating system for the IIGS.
Features
[edit]Speed optimization
[edit]The advantage of GS/OS over its predecessor, the ProDOS 16 operating system, is that it was written entirely in 16-bit code for the65816processor used in the IIGS,rather than primarily in 8-bit6502machine code that does not take advantage of the IIGS's unique features. This in turn allows GS/OS to offer vast speed optimizations (loading time, disk access, screen updates) compared with the previous OS, and provided room to incorporate many features of other Apple operating systems, includingApple IIIApple SOS,the MacintoshSystem 5,as well as concepts and features that would later appear in future Macintosh System Software releases (e.g. proportional scrollbars, thermometer progress bars).
New features and enhancements
[edit]In addition to continued enhancements to the IIGS Finder and loadable fonts, GS/OS offered plug-in device drivers (modem, printer, etc.), a thermometer progress display, AppleShare support, File System Translators for accessing foreign file formats, disk caching and support for storage devices up to 4 Gigabytes.[1]It also extends the ProDOS file system to provide forresource forkson files similar to those used on theApple Macintosh,which allows for programs to be written in a more flexible way. The newly included AppleAdvanced Disk UtilitiesandApple IIGS Installerhelped facilitate partitioning, formatting and installing software and drivers with visual ease. A command-line development environment called APW (Apple Programmer's Workshop) is available; much like theMacintosh Programmer's Workshop.[2][3][4]
File System Translators
[edit]GS/OS includes a facility known as file system translators (FSTs) which allows it to support multiple on-disk file systems in a manner transparent to application programs and to the user, a feature not found in ProDOS or most other microcomputer operating systems at the time. While GS/OS natively uses the ProDOS file system (from which it must be booted), it also fully supportsHFSused byMac OS.Other file system translators include those forMS-DOS,High Sierra/ISO-9660, Apple DOS 3.3, and Pascal, albeit read-only (full read/write support had been planned but was never completed).
Releases
[edit]Source:[5]
ProDOS 16 (GS/OS predecessor)
[edit]- 1986 – System 1.0 (ProDOS 16 v1.0), System 1.1 (ProDOS 16 v1.1)
- 1987 – System 2.0 (ProDOS 16 v1.2), System 3.1 (ProDOS 16 v1.3)
- 1988 – System 3.2 (ProDOS 16 v1.6)
GS/OS
[edit]- 1988 – System 4.0 (GS/OS v2.0)
- 1989 – System 5.0 (GS/OS v3.0), System 5.0.1 (GS/OS v3.0), System 5.0.2 (GS/OS v3.0)
- 1990 – System 5.0.3 (GS/OS v3.03)
- 1991 – System 5.0.4 (GS/OS v3.03)
- 1992 – System 6.0 (GS/OS v4.01)
- 1993 – System 6.0.1 (GS/OS v4.02)
Unofficial versions
[edit]- 2015 – System 6.0.2 (GS/OS v4.02),[6]System 6.0.3 (GS/OS v4.02)[7]
- 2017 – System 6.0.4 (GS/OS v4.02)[8]
See also
[edit]- Apple DOS
- Apple II
- Apple IIGS
- Juiced.GS– The last remaining Apple II publication
- KansasFest– An annual convention for Apple II users
- Macintosh Finder
- ProDOS
References
[edit]- ^Arnett, Nick (1988-09-19)."Apple Unveils IIGS OS, Speedier Apple IIc Model".InfoWorld.Vol. 10, no. 38. IDG. p. 39.ISSN0199-6649.Retrieved2016-08-03.
...Apple Computer last week introduced a new operating system for the Apple IIGS,.....The new GS/OS operating system for the Apple IIGS has an enhanced, more Mac-like Finder and speeds up booting......includes support for large storage devices, up to 4 gigabytes...GS/OS runs programs written for the earlier operating systems, Pro-Dos 16 and Pro-Dos 8...
- ^"Apple IIGS Programmer's Workshop - Version 1.0 (K2S002)"(PDF).goldstarsoftware.Retrieved2016-08-03.
...APW C is intended for use with the Apple Programmer's Workshop...
- ^"Morgue, Cortland Programmer's Workshop".byteworks.us.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-08-19.Retrieved2016-08-03.
...Apple decided to use a 16 bit version of ORCA/M as the standard development environment for the new machine, code named Cortland. On July 21, 1986, the last version of this environment that was still called Cortland Programmer's Workshop was delivered to Apple for shipment to the developer community. Later versions were called Apple Programmer's Workshop, or just APW...
- ^Westerfield, Mike (2013)."About the Author".Building IPhone and IPad Electronic Projects: Real-World Arduino, Sensor, and Bluetooth Low Energy Apps in TechBASIC.Beijing: O'Reilly Media. p. 317.ISBN978-1449363482.Retrieved2016-08-03.
...Mike Westerfield...Two years later he finished ORCA/M, which went on to become Apple Programmer's Workshop, the Apple development environment for the Apple IIGS...
- ^"GUIdebook >... > Apple II > GS/OS".guidebookgallery.org.Retrieved2016-08-03.
- ^"Announcing Apple IIgs System 6.0.2".callapple.org.2015-07-12.Retrieved2016-08-03.
- ^"The Source Awakens.. System 6.0.3, a New Release".a2central.2015-08-03.Retrieved2016-08-03.
- ^"The Source Is Strong With This One – System 6.0.4".a2central.Retrieved2017-01-04.
External links
[edit]- Apple IIgs GS/OS 6.0.1 Screenshots and details
- GS/OS at the Apple II History Museum
- A2CentralArchived2009-06-26 at theWayback Machine– Apple II news and downloads
