GI3D, the native SkyOS 2D/3D Hardware acceleration interface, has allowed for an much requested feature in SkyOS: screensavers. The entire screensaver framework is plugin-based, and even supports OpenGL screensavers. Additionally, GI3D brings to SkyOS translucent windows and full alpha blending.
SkyOS GI3D: Screensavers and Translucent Rendering
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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I am a beta tester for SkyOS. I am consistantly impressed with how fast Robert implements new ideas such as Screensavers. On my count, it only took him three days from the time somebody requested it.
And the GI3D is an unexpected suprise. Awesome.
I am looking forward to beta 8.4 soon.
Very cool, check the screenshots on the skyos.org.
I’m quite amazed by the speed of development that Robert and the SkyOS team are capable of.
Even if they’re pulling in chunks of code from other projects, porting that to work with their own existing code is no mean task.
Looking good, keep it up!
I’m not even a SkyOS user (although I think it has great potential), but this is amazing. It took years for X11 to get XCOMPOSITE. SkyOS is dozens of years younger, but has full compositing support and a unified 2d/3d rendering (think XRENDER only better) subsystem already. Props to Rob.
It’s impressive to see the news updates everytime for SkyOS as it always seems to be one step closer to catching up, and at this point about to step beyond, most mainstream OSes. Very nice indeed. I think I won’t mind investing into this OS soon.
On what cards? There’s no drivers for modern cards
Its software right now but negotations with a graphics card maker for their specs is ongoing. There is some details left to be done; hopefully we’ll know something by mid year.
To be fair, it’s a lot easier to implement something new, than to take a dinosaur like X11, and turn it into a modern animal without breaking it for everyone along the way.
Look at what’s happening to X – they’re replacing Xlib with Cairo (while keeping a compatibility library), modifying the driver model to allow Cairo to render directly to hardware via OpenGL, and modifying toolkits to use Cairo instead of Xlib – all without breaking the large existing software base. Quite a lot more work than the SkyOS guys have to do.
How tied to x86 is SkyOS? I can’t believe the progress this OS has been making. Very impressive. I was seriously considering joining the beta program just on principal except I no longer have an x86 box! It might be a lot of fun to run on my PowerBook someday, though. 🙂 Keep up the great work!
There are no plans to port Skyos to the PPC platform.
“Everyone else is emjoying hardware acceleration”
Really? name one altos (Not Windows, Mac or Linux) that has 3d accelerated graphics.
i think they should give access to beta code to the people, so more users get hooked to it … skyos needs critical mass of users … charge for “stable” versions
“Really? name one altos (Not Windows, Mac or Linux) that has 3d accelerated graphics.”
That doesn’t make any damn sense.
But, E for Effort.
best…..OS……ever…..
Yes it does, SkyOS is an altos so its only fair to compare it to other altos’
I really don’t get criticisms like lack of 3D. This is a site that tracks the development of alternative operating systems (Linux has been adopted by many large corperations and is supported just the same, it is not an altos). This is some great stuff for an altos. Believe it or not we KNOW there is no 3D on SkyOS and that’s being worked on.
I wonder if the rate of development is indeed linked to the income they’re getting from beta testers? All the same, though, I feel like making a free beta available would ultimately help bug tracking and hardware support in the final release.
SkyOS is looking very interesting, and looks like it might be fun to try — but I’m still on the sidelines, and wonder just what’s available for it. I mainly use my computer these days to draw (like in Photoshop), listen to mp3s, chat in gaim, browse the web in Firefox, and ftp website code up.
How do-able would this be in SkyOS, and could SkyOS deal with a NTFS partition?
to draw (like in Photoshop)
Gimp is available
listen to mp3s
SkyOS media center
chat in gaim
Gaim is available
browse the web in Firefox
Firefox is available
Thanks. Is this a LiveCD, or would I have to figure out a way to reprovision my HD?
And is the SkyOS Media Center pretty good? I mean, I could always use my Xbox, if SkyOS supports SAMBA shares.
isn’t there an ftp plugin for firefox? NTFS? I don’t think so yet. only FAT32 AFAIK.
SkyOS media center is based on VLC. It works fine so far.
Media Center is very adequate. It is a work in progress, and has a few outstanding bugs. For the most part, however, it is very easy to use and fast. Not to mention, very much embedded in our Viewer.
Really? name one altos (Not Windows, Mac or Linux) that has 3d accelerated graphics.
nVidia on FreeBSD. Thanks for playing.
nVidia on FreeBSD. Thanks for playing.
So, the only operating systems with hardware 3D acceleration are OSX, Linux, Windows and BSD. Bravo. Those are 4 out of hundreds of operating systems out there. Get real.
“Thanks. Is this a LiveCD, or would I have to figure out a way to reprovision my HD?”
Right now there isn’t a liveCD, even though there is a button durning install asking if you want to run it in live mode it does not work. Your gonna have to make space on your HDD I say about 500megs is fine…well thats what everone else says, but I run with a 4 gig SkyFS paritition.
“So, the only operating systems with hardware 3D acceleration are OSX, Linux, Windows and BSD. Bravo. Those are 4 out of hundreds of operating systems out there. Get real.”
ya and those 4 OSes u just named accounts for 99% of the market.
now u get real!
ya and those 4 OSes u just named accounts for 99% of the market.
Hence the term ‘altos’. Note that three of those four OSes are UNIX or UNIX-like. And not to mention FreeBSD’s 3D driver upgrades are few and very far between (last update was in August).
SkyOS might become what I never thought it would become, a viable option. Brilliant work Robert, now don’t take any vacation or anything like that. Keep working =)
AS far as I can see, there are 3 desktop OSes pretty soon. Windows, OSX and SkyOS. Yippie
“So, the only operating systems with hardware 3D acceleration are OSX, Linux, Windows and BSD.”
Or Classic Mac OS, Amiga OS or IRIX….right.
I can’t really see any real reason anyone would pay for this OS. Why? Because all the applications, it seems, are available (with many more) on free platforms and on Windows. What compelling reason is there, if any to switch? Price obviously can’t be a major sticking point when there is a free alternative, and I can’t imagine hardware support being up to the standards of Windows and GNU/Linux, so why would anyone bother?
Well, I suppose it might make sense for final users that want something more stable and lighter on the hardware than Windows ( and less expensive money-wise ), and at the same time want an easier and smoother out-of-the-box experience than the current desktop linux distributions.
And while the extensive hardware support guaranteed by Windows and Linux might be hard to chatch up with, this doesnt mean that SkyOS can’t ‘just work’ on a subset of mainstream hardware (admittedly, 3d hardware accel. is an issue).
For a user that mostly writes a few text documents, surfs the web, uses email and doesn’t need Photoshop or other specific pieces of software it might be viable.
It’s not for me, as I am a gamer (I need Windows) and a tinkerer (I need Linux) but it might work for someone else.
There are lot’s of businesses looking for a lot less restrictive licencing practices than those provided by MS. Who knows what the future holds for Linux. As a long term Linux user I can’t see Linux being ready for the mass market desktop any time soon. (I know others disagree). If SkyOS can fill the niche of an OS with non restrictive licencing practices, with an OS that is as easy to use as Windows – does not require constant reference to the command line like Linux and is as idot proof as OS X, then they may be on to something – providing that they somehow manage to vastly increase the application base too. They have made great strides in this department – but the task ahead of them remains vast. Particularly if you are not running the project as open source, since not only will you be building a new OS, you will be spending a vast amount of time porting applications too – and then you will be responsible for bug fixing updating and maintainance of these apps as well. It seems at some point or other rather obvious that the work load is just going to spiral out of control.
GJ
I can’t really see any real reason anyone would pay for this OS. Why? Because all the applications, it seems, are available (with many more) on free platforms and on Windows. What compelling reason is there, if any to switch? Price obviously can’t be a major sticking point when there is a free alternative, and I can’t imagine hardware support being up to the standards of Windows and GNU/Linux, so why would anyone bother?
That question pops up everytime, in every SkyOS comments thread. It’s a useless question that I take personally– you are kind of saying here that I’m an idiot for being on the beta team because SkyOS has the same applications that Linux and Windows have.
Remember what site you are reading. OSNews. Operating System News. A site by and for OS and computer enthusiasts. THAT is my main motivation for buying SkyOS: it’s a cheap new operating system, built from the ground up, and not some other Linux distro. I prefer to be different. I don’t use Windows. I don’t use Linux. I use OSX, BeOS, and solaris9 on my SPARC machine.
Also, your question on why would anyone want to buy SkyOS can be extended. Why should people move away from Windows to OSX/Linux? Windows offers the same functionailty after all, so why on earth should they switch?? Also, remember that not too long ago Linux was still a big nothing; everyone knew it but no one really cared for it from a market/profit pov. It’s only in the past, say, 2-3 years that it has gotten a meaning and place in the OS market.
—
To sum it up: your question is completely irrelevant. Of course SkyOS doesn’t offer me blatantly much at this point; but that will change in the future.
I’ve signed up for the forum and the beta program nearly a week ago and still have not received access to either. I payed for the ‘privilege’ but have yet to receive any of the benefits. So while Thom feels people think he is an idiot for paying to be in the beta program, I feel like one for paying and not being on the beta program. If this is what happens to other beta testers it will not be long before there is no money to develop new features.
Ever tried to talk to Robert or Kelly via email or PM on the skyos board ere lurking to this place?
You DO know, that the two of them have Jobs and a living besides SkyOS, don’t you? so, pls be patient. I’ve had to wait a few days too, ere I got access to the beta team (not as if I do much testing these days, as my own OS project demands too much attention as does life in general – you know the drill).
I second Thom (and seldom I agree with him ];->): this question about to pay or not to pay for a beta project access is growing a meter-long beard. It’s been asked so often now, that it isn’t even funny anymore. Please be so kind: either buy it or leave it. It’s the market which rules regarding to this: If a customer wants to buy something that’s his sole decision and o no business for others. Thanks very much. Laments about this are no option.
I understand that both Kelly and Robert have lives but they have to understand that when they charge for something they also have an obligation to provide it. I am excited by how SkyOS has progressed and have followed its progress for some time but I am disappointed by lack of response I am receiving (2 or 3 days is acceptable but a week is a not). If they do not have time to process new registrations they should delegate this role to someone else. I also realise that this is not the proper place to voice these concerns but I can’t access the SkyOS forums as I am not registered.
“Really? name one altos (Not Windows, Mac or Linux) that has 3d accelerated graphics.”
QNX and MorphOS to name two, oh and FreeBSD too.
QNX has 3d accelerated graphics on one chipset–a Coral-P, Good luck finding it in PCI form; its for car DVD players and such.
BeOS has HW accel graphics….granted those of us who have it are far and few between, and it’s for a few chipsets. Just like any OS you have to watch your HCL. I’m sorry but to expect someone who is using an AltOS to just jump willy nilly into it without checking an HCL is asinine. Trust me, those who are using the “grandma test” already checked the HCL for her, so she didn’t have to worry about it.
“I understand that both Kelly and Robert have lives but they have to understand that when they charge for something they also have an obligation to provide it.”
You’re right, we do. If you e-mail me, I would be glad to get it sorted out. You can find my e-mail address at our website.
I re-sent an email this morning to the one listed on the mail account so you should have it by now.
Once again, coding mad men in action resulting in very pretty OS that works.
“Really? name one altos (Not Windows, Mac or Linux) that has 3d accelerated graphics.”
Solaris on Sun Blade workstations, Irix on Sgi workstations, AIX on IBM Power workstations, and HP-UX on HP PA-RISC workstations.
I have noticed that these companies make both the hardware and the operating system, but SkyOS does not. They are also very large and respected, but SkyOS isn’t.
I believe that the video cards in Sun workstations are based on those from 3DLabs, and Sun has written their own drivers. SkyOS might be able to license the specifications for video cards. I don’t think that commercial video card companies will give the specifications for no cost.
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
BeOS proved magnificently what happens to, even relatively good, Niche OS’es that try to go commercial. They die.
The number of people who’re willing to pay for non-windows/osx desktop OS that does nothing more than them, and the free alternatives, is just not large enough to keep them going.
Very wise comment. Totally, utterly and egregiously incorrect and not insightful, but wise of you to post such flame bait.
Let me try to paraphrase (if it’s even worth it):
– Don’t spend a very significant amount of your time writing a very decent and polished OS and expect to profit from it.
– People will not pay for an OS that is not made by Microsoft or Apple.
arg. I’m just going to stop here. The idea that people will pay for Windows or OSX and not any other OS is absurd. oh well.
I’ve said it before: I’m vastly more excited about ReactOS than SkyOS. I have too many Windows-specific applications that I like too much and/or for which there are no cross-platform solutions that I need Windows. It’s Microsoft that I want to be rid of.
don’t then. they will offer a free version
What amazes me is that SkyOS is considerably more seveloped than React, and considering how hard it would be to clone NT, that probably won’t change.