Computers in Siora

[Zabuza825]

So, I've realized that for any kind of thing in computer tech RP to advance with any sort of detail there are a few questions we need to answer.

What operating systems are dominant in Siora?

Basically, "What's our Windows? What's our Mac? What's our Linux?" That sort of question (though Linux technically isn't a OS of it's own, it's a kernel, but we'll get to that in a moment).

For simplicities sake, I'd imagine the most dominant one would be some OS made by a Nylander company. But that doesn't change the situation - what would this OS be called? What company will have made it?

What OS kernels are there in Siora?


The OS kernel is the most fundamental component of a computer operating system - without it the OS literally cannot function. Basically, it's the layer that lets the computer talk to the programs installed on it (I know you techie people are yelling at me saying this is oversimplified, but I'm trying to put it in terms that anyone can understand so shut up).

RL there are two major kernels out there - Windows NT (used for Microsoft Windows) and UNIX (used for Mac, Linux, and many more). So, what do we have in Siora?

How much of those kernels are open-source?

Open-source means the source code (computer code) that makes up the kernel is freely available for anyone to view and use for their own stuff. This has it's upsides and downsides. On the upside, making something open-source is the best way to have it spread quickly. On the other hand, many private corporations LOATHE open-source stuff because by it's very nature open-source means they can't make much money off of it. The opposite of open-source is often called closed-source or proprietary (I'll be using closed-source here).

In real life, Windows NT is (perhaps unsurprisingly) closed-source.

UNIX on the other hand is a weird one. Originally, UNIX was NOT intended to be open-source. But eventually there were derivatives of the original UNIX made that was open-source. Now you see UNIX on most non-Windows operating systems (these OS's are called Unix-like operating systems), in everything from Mac to Linux to FreeBSD to Solaris

If we want things to be like RL, we could have two main kernels - one open-source and one closed-source. On the other hand, we could ditch the RL trope, and have one major kernel that's open-source, or a whole bunch of smaller kernels that vary in licensing (keep in mind though that this would make cross-compatibility a nightmare).

What is the main CPU architecture?

You're probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about. How many of you remember 2006, when Mac announced they were switching from PowerPC to Intel processors? That's basically what that whole thing was about. Apple switched theri Mac OS from CPU's of IBM's PowerPC architecture to Intel's x86 architecture.

RL there are a lot of CPU architectures out there, each with it's own advantages and disadvantages. But there are really only 3 that are relevant today in the world of personal computers.

• x86 - This was the most common architecture until a few years ago, almost all OS's support this.
  
• x86-64/AMD64 - This is probably the most common architecture today. It's basically the same thing as x86, only upgraded from 32-bits to 64-bits. I know this is oversimplifying, but that's the gist of it.
  
• ARM - This is the type of processor that you probably have in your smartphone, it doesn't matter if it's Android or iOS I'm willing to bet with a 99.999% certainty that it has an ARM processor on it. ARM is also popular on microcomputers like the Raspberry Pi.
  

So, what are the main CPU architectures in Siora called?

What are tha major CPU manufacturers?

You're probably wondering why the fuck this question is here. Well, it's simple really. RL, we only have 2 major distributors for x86 and x86-64 systems. You've probably heard of them, they're Intel and AMD. Ever wondered how we ended up with this practical duopoly over the CPU market?

The answer is simple - licensing and patents. Basically, the rights to the x86 processor architecture lies with Intel. In order to avoid becoming a monopoly in the CPU industry (and thus risk antitrust litigation), they licensed rights to make x86 processors to two other companies. Those companies are AMD and VIA Technologies. VIA Technologies are no longer a big player in the home CPU market, so if you've never heard of them that's why. AMD has evolved to become the only major challenger to Intel, even developing x86-64 (which is why it's also called AMD64), which then shared the rights with Intel and VIA Technologies (for the same reason Intel shared the rights of x86).

No other company has been licensed to make x86 and x86-64 processors, which is why we're currently stuck with two choices of companies for CPU's - Intel and AMD (again, VIA Technologies stopped being a big player in the CPU market a looooong time ago).

ARM processors aren't limited in manufacturers this way because the company that made the architecture has licensed the rights to the architecture to literally hundreds of companies.

So, what is the predominant situation in Siora? Several company's coming together to restrict access to a processor architecture? Or a company being willing to sell the rights to their architecture to anyone willing to buy?

That's all I can think of for now, but if I think of any more I'll add them in.

[BrumBrum]

Ogo have Jelly OS which is their android this is especially big in big Ogo countries.
Thunderstorm is big in Goldecia and strathae and is a carpathian product.

[Arkiania]

I think the two major operating systems would be from Ogo and Thunderstorm.

I dont think on Siora there has to be a duopoly. We are a fantasy world, we could do things different. However I think one could that on Siora maybe a company like IBM licenses their research which would make x86-64 the standard. Not only that we are a couple years ahead of earth so it would be assumed that 32-bit would be almost completely phased out.

But for manufacturers I will assume the Kuroari is fairly large since nobody else has come with tech giant that produces processors.

[BrumBrum]

That makes sense Ark. Maybe what we have is a set of standard file formats, kernals etc and different companies produce os's from there. Similar deal with processors too, have similar standards for processor architechure but companies innovate.Could even have just one kernal.

[Zabuza825]

I think the two major operating systems would be from Ogo and Thunderstorm.

I dont think on Siora there has to be a duopoly. We are a fantasy world, we could do things different. However I think one could that on Siora maybe a company like IBM licenses their research which would make x86-64 the standard. Not only that we are a couple years ahead of earth so it would be assumed that 32-bit would be almost completely phased out.

But for manufacturers I will assume the Kuroari is fairly large since nobody else has come with tech giant that produces processors.

Regarding Ogo and Thunderstorm being the "main" OS's, I'm not sure about that. I dunno about you but I find it hard to believe that countries like Severyane or Nerysia would be willing to let Thunderstorm, a Carpathian OS, become the main type of OS in their country. Probably best to have a OS from a different country be biggest, I propose Nyland simply because it seems to make the most sense (big fucking country with big fucking economy, that generally stays out of international affairs? sounds like a winning combination to me).

As for Ogo's OS, correct me if I'm wrong but I've only seen them make Jelly OS (which is our Android), which is an entirely different market from the normal home PC OS.

Regrding the processor thing though, I like the idea of having one company that made the architecture being willing to just license any company that wants to make processors of that architecture. Let's people who want to make their own CPU manufacturers start up their own companies without having to piss around by making their own architecture (which they could still do if they want but they don't have to do that with this) and it sets us apart from RL.

As for Kuroari being the only big processor manufacturer, I've mentioned that Akitsu would have it's own CPU manufacturing company, it just wouldn't be very big because it'd use it's own proprietary architecture (called the I (伊) architecture) and probably wouldn't be very big outside of Akitsu and possibly it's neighbors (but I'm not sure about that). Also I haven't gotten around to RP'ing it yet.

That makes sense Ark. Maybe what we have is a set of standard file formats, kernals etc and different companies produce os's from there. Similar deal with processors too, have similar standards for processor architechure but companies innovate.Could even have just one kernal.

I don't mind there being set standards for kernels, but this doesn't really help much in terms of getting names.

Yeah, I want to come up with names for this stuff.

Oh and for those of you saying "why do we have to be like RL and have one dominant OS?"

First of all, this doesn't prevent people from making a different OS popular in their country.

Secondly, compatibility. When it comes to OS's, even the small differences can cause massive problems in compatibility. If you've ever used Linux you'd know what I'm talking about. Using Linux as an example, let me give you a basic idea of what I mean:

• Linux has three major types of distributions that OS's are based on - Debian, Gentoo, and Fedora - none of these are compatible with each other.
  
• Even within Debian we have many different distributions. The biggest is Ubuntu, which is NOT compatible with Debian even though it's based off of Debian.
  
• Within Ubuntu we have some derivatives, for example there's Linux Mint (meant to be a mix of Debian and Ubuntu), which is compatible with some but not all Ubuntu applications.
  

This is why if you go to a download page for a Linux program they'll ask what distribution of Linux you're on.

If every country has it's own OS, then it would be ridiculously hard for a company to be able to sell it's software outside of it's home country. I mean, how the hell is a company supposed to make a piece of software compatible with EVERY OS from EVERY country? Most companies would just say "FUCK IT" and make it for the most common OS that's used in the market they're targetting and then just not worry about making it compatible for any other OS (do you really think they're going to spend time and money developing for an OS that'll probably only be a small fraction of their sales?).

Simply put - if we want to be able to realistically say that software can be easily bought and sold, we're going to have to have one "dominant" OS. This would probably be adopted only by those who are too lazy or don't care enough to make their own OS popular in their country (I am strongly against making it mandatory for people to use this OS), but at least it makes it easy for software creators to sell their stuff if we have a OS that's made in Nyland called Fönster (it's the Swedish word for Window, I dunno you got a better name?) or something that those who don't care enough about the computer scene to RP stuff in it can just use and be done with it.

I also ask about kernel names (let's not get too detailed into how these kernels work, please) for those of us that want to make our own OS's and be a bit more detailed as to what they're derived from. We can have one major kernel (it'd probably be the easiest to have it somehow have been standardized, I dunno maybe our version of UNIX actually widely adopted widely, rather than what happened RL which is UNIX influenced Windows NT but never really was fully adopted by Microsoft) and have many other kernels derived from it to set us apart from RL.

[BrumBrum]

Just to let you know JellyOS has a tablet/computer version too. This works mainly online but now has offline usability for programmes as well and is now able to store stuff locally on the computer more easily.

[Ayzek]

Aeon Corporation's Tidlost/Tidloss closed-source kernel would be dominant, unless you guys wanna change it up. Its open-source rival would be UNIX? ONIX? OIX. OpenX. OPIX. ...I'm open to ideas. Not opposed to just leaving it UNIX/Linux either, given the latter's open/generic status. Tidlost's latest OS would be Tidlost 10. Tidlost's hipster rival would be...Sun Inc.'s...OSK closed kernel, used in the AX? Alf X? OS.

x64 would be the dominant PC architecture, I guess. We can go with ARM for mobile devices, cause why not.

For the record, JellyOS is not our android. It's more of our IPhone. And even then, an obscure IPhone outside Kvaenna/west Brigidna. Our Android'd be...Hubble's Android? I'm not opposed to just leaving that the same too. Unless someone can come up with a more badass name.

Major Nyland-based CPU manufacturers could be the Athena Corp (intel), and ADM (AMD).

Did I miss anything?

[Alvino Castillon]

You missed how Kazemura is the best ever and has all the kewlest- seriously though.

We should try to establish a few dominant OSes though. Having too many would be severely detrimental to development of software as it would require coding for a ton of OSes to gain a larger market. Which... Is expensive. And hard. Like really hard.

Kazemuran focus would probably be on hardware and gaming. So, I'll probably adopt Tidlost/Tidloss (seriously... That name Lines. Lol) as the main OS for Kazemura. Same with Almaniania.

[Ayzek]

TIDLOST IS COOL. NOW PICK ONE. >:V

Or suggest a much more cooler name.

[Zabuza825]

Aeon Corporation's Tidlost/Tidloss closed-source kernel would be dominant, unless you guys wanna change it up. Its open-source rival would be UNIX? ONIX? OIX. OpenX. OPIX. ...I'm open to ideas. Not opposed to just leaving it UNIX/Linux either, given the latter's open/generic status. Tidlost's latest OS would be Tidlost 10.  Tidlost's hipster rival would be...Sun Inc.'s...OSK closed kernel, used in the AX? Alf X?  OS.

x64 would be the dominant PC architecture, I guess. We can go with ARM for mobile devices, cause why not.

For the record, JellyOS is not our android. It's more of our IPhone. And even then, an obscure IPhone outside Kvaenna/west Brigidna. Our Android'd be...Hubble's Android? I'm not opposed to just leaving that the same too. Unless someone can come up with a more badass name.

Major Nyland-based CPU manufacturers could be the Athena Corp (intel), and ADM (AMD).

Did I miss anything?

I'm not against having two big processor companies from Nyland, but could we please have the CPU architecture be something that is licensed to any company that wants it? That way, people can start making their own CPU companies if they want to and then not have to worry about it not being compatible with software. Not to mention it sets us apart from RL.

And I would very much prefer to change things up from RL.

Which means I would very much prefer to have a single, open-source kernel that most OS's are based off of. Let's say that UNIX actually took off here. For the record, this doesn't mean that companies can't have their own completely original kernels or that there wouldn't be smaller kernels out there - it just means the dominant kernel would be our UNIX.

PS - Unix and Linux are NOT the same thing. Unix is a kernel and family of OS's. Linux is also a kernel and family of OS's, but while Linux was based off of Unix they are NOT the same. Fun fact - Apple's macOS is also based off of Unix, though Apple has their own derivatives of Unix that they use.