Re: :zz: Peter's oooo...kay: Is ZZ an OS?

[Ted Nelson <ted@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Andrew-- welcome back--

>> Actually, ZigZag **is** conceptually an OS--
>>  meaning a very clean way of structuring data
>>  at the lowest level.  So I'm interested in making it one,
>>  someday, somehow.
>
>That's not an OS; that's a file system (a system for filing things!)

As I stated it, yes.  As I meant it, no.

If we create a system which has no constructs
 other than ZZ structures, it is more than a filing
 system.  It will be a complete conceptual environment
 and hence qualify as an operating system.

By that time, presumably the original scaffolding
 of Perl and database will have been replaced with
 something closer to the hardware, or more appropriate
 for efficiency etc.

Obviously we can *simulate* an all-ZZ system with
 the present structure, and taking it out to Unix commands,
 for a long time.   

Another way to look at it: if ZZ functions are available
 at what is presently called the "file level", so you can
 attach things to files via zz connections, and begin to
 redesign conventional files in terms of discrete connections
 among ZZ structures and (say) OSMIC streams,
 now you're creating a comprehensive environment
 independent of the fundamental constructs of conventional
 operating systems.  This is one of my intents.

>An OS is responsible for directly operating the hardware and providing
>a standardised way to access and manipulate computer hardware and system
>services, which is not something I expect ZigZag would be well suited for.

Well, maybe we'll just see, won't we !-)

ChrzT


===========================================
At 01:41 AM 10/2/98 +1000, you wrote:
>On Tue, Jun 30, 1998 at 12:03:24AM +0900, Ted Nelson wrote:
>> >Does it contain its own OS, 
>> 
>> Not currently. Maybe someday.
>> 
>> Actually, ZigZag **is** conceptually an OS--
>>  meaning a very clean way of structuring data
>>  at the lowest level.  So I'm interested in making it one,
>>  someday, somehow.
>
>That's not an OS; that's a file system (a system for filing things!)
>An OS is responsible for directly operating the hardware and providing
>a standardised way to access and manipulate computer hardware and system
>services, which is not something I expect ZigZag would be well suited for.
>However Zigzag, like other file systems, would certainly make sense as
>a component of an operating system, something we have certainly considered.
>
>Cheers,
>	*** Xanni ***
>-- 
>mailto:xanni@xxxxxxxxxx                         Andrew Pam
>http://www.xanadu.com.au/                       Technical VP, Xanadu
>http://www.glasswings.com.au/                   Technical Editor, Glass Wings
>http://www.sericyb.com.au/sc/                   Manager, Serious Cybernetics
>P.O. Box 26, East Melbourne VIC 8002 Australia  Phone +61 3 96511511
>
>
____________________________________________________
Theodor Holm Nelson, Visiting Professor of Environmental Information
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