Coffee for AROS - joint thread: AROS FORUMS

Coffee for AROS - joint thread

Last updated on 2 hours ago

coffeecatJunior Member

Posted 23 hours ago

I thought I’d share an overview of what I’m working on for AROS and ask for some feedback on where these efforts could be most useful.

I’d normally create a separate thread for each project, but several are still at an early stage, so I’m keeping this overview together for now. Most application names are working titles.

Everything I develop is intended to support both x86_64 and aarch64, with development progressing in parallel. I already have a working x86_64 toolchain, so I can build and test things there first. I’d also like to make future ports to other architectures easier.

Programming languages and libraries

1. Rust: The port is working, and I’ve already built several test programs with it. It’s also being used for a larger project: Burntime. For now, compilation happens on the host system. I plan to work more closely with jonx on the next steps.

2. Python 3: The work on Rust, together with some patches that have been accepted upstream (thank you!), has made me more optimistic about bringing Python 3 to AROS. There’s still work ahead here.

3. raylib + GLFW: I understand an i386 port exists, but I haven’t found its source code. If anyone has the sources or knows where to find them, I’d really appreciate a pointer. Being able to build on that work would help with bringing it to x86_64 and aarch64.

Also under consideration:

1. Go: I’ve explored the options and managed to get a native “Hello, world!” running. I haven’t decided whether to take it further right now.

2. Zig: I think it could be a good fit for AROS and Amiga-like systems, and I’d like to explore it.

Applications and desktop experiments

1. Terminal: Some of you have already seen this one. There’s now a small landing page: AROS Terminal.

2. AI coding agent: Currently called “hardcode,” with both a command-line interface and a Zune GUI. Kind of OpenCode/Crush for AROS. Working with OpenAI, Anthropic and OpenRouter.

3. Package manager: Built around AROS Archives, with CLI and GUI interfaces. This also includes a proposal for a package metadata schema to make packages easier to describe and manage.

4. Keyboard-driven window tiling: Following the discussion about EdgeSnap, I’m planning a small experiment using the API provided by its author. I’d like to explore a Hyprland-inspired workflow for arranging and managing windows from the keyboard. This would start as a proof of concept to see what we can achieve within the AROS desktop.

Games

1. Burntime for AROS: I’m roughly halfway through the port, and this is a project I’m committed to completing. It’s the largest project using the Rust port so far. The plan is to support both the original ruleset and a modernized ruleset currently in development (https://github.com/jakobharder/burntime?tab=readme-ov-file - agreed with the owner)

Feedback and collaboration

I have my own vision for the software I’d like to bring to AROS, but I’m interested in hearing what others actually need:

* Which of these projects would be most useful to you?
* What software, libraries, or development tools do you feel AROS is missing most?
* Is there existing work I should build on, or someone I should coordinate with?

If you’re already working on something similar, or would like to contribute, please reach out. I’m happy to share code, compare approaches, join forces, or help test each other’s work. Knowing what already exists and where people are getting stuck would help me decide where to put more effort.

Edited by coffeecat on 10-09-2026 07:54, 23 hours ago

2 users reacted to this post

Amiwell79, miker1264

Amiwell79Distro Maintainer

Posted 23 hours ago

Thank you!

Amiwell79Distro Maintainer

Posted 23 hours ago

There's no rendering and animation program; there are the Raystorm sources, but it doesn't create animations. Blender would be ideal, but maybe I'm asking too much.

arosbeginnerMember

Posted 22 hours ago

Hi,

For a beginner like me, you absolutely need:
- a modern browser: I think Chromium is in the works, and that would already improve the situation.
- a system for installing apps, a store, something that installs packages with a GUI.
- a series of standard terminal commands like wget or others.

But I didn't understand if your projects will be submitted as open source on github on aros or elsewhere.

1 user reacted to this post

coffeecat

terminillsMember

Posted 22 hours ago

arosbeginner wrote:

@arosbeginner - Hi,

For a beginner like me, you absolutely need:
- a modern browser: I think Chromium is in the works, and that would already improve the situation.
- a system for installing apps, a store, something that installs packages with a GUI.
- a series of standard terminal commands like wget or others.

But I didn't understand if your projects will be submitted as open source on github on aros or elsewhere.

2 users reacted to this post

coffeecat, retrofaza

coffeecatJunior Member

Posted 22 hours ago

arosbeginner wrote:

@arosbeginner - Hi,

For a beginner like me, you absolutely need:
- a modern browser: I think Chromium is in the works, and that would already improve the situation.
- a system for installing apps, a store, something that installs packages with a GUI.
- a series of standard terminal commands like wget or others.

But I didn't understand if your projects will be submitted as open source on github on aros or elsewhere.

I need to improve my explanation then

A system for installing apps, a store -> that's what I work on. Yes, it will be published as open source and for AROS
A series of standard terminal commands -> AROS Terminal. Not directly, but it enables a lot, also open source

Chromium - I have my fingers crossed, but I think it's overkill. We already have WebKit and it's a good engine. I think Kalamatee is working on GCC 15? --- and proven wrong, so great stuff, can't wait!

Edited by coffeecat on 10-09-2026 09:22, 22 hours ago

terminillsMember

Posted 21 hours ago

coffeecat wrote:

@coffeecat - I thought I’d share an overview of what I’m working on for AROS and ask for some feedback on where these efforts could be most useful.

I’d normally create a separate thread for each project, but several are still at an early stage, so I’m keeping this overview together for now. Most application names are working titles.

Everything I develop is intended to support both x86_64 and aarch64, with development progressing in parallel. I already have a working x86_64 toolchain, so I can build and test things there first. I’d also like to make future ports to other architectures easier.

Programming languages and libraries

1. Rust: The port is working, and I’ve already built several test programs with it. It’s also being used for a larger project: Burntime. For now, compilation happens on the host system. I plan to work more closely with jonx on the next steps.

2. Python 3: The work on Rust, together with some patches that have been accepted upstream (thank you!), has made me more optimistic about bringing Python 3 to AROS. There’s still work ahead here.

3. raylib + GLFW: I understand an i386 port exists, but I haven’t found its source code. If anyone has the sources or knows where to find them, I’d really appreciate a pointer. Being able to build on that work would help with bringing it to x86_64 and aarch64.

Also under consideration:

1. Go: I’ve explored the options and managed to get a native “Hello, world!” running. I haven’t decided whether to take it further right now.

2. Zig: I think it could be a good fit for AROS and Amiga-like systems, and I’d like to explore it.

Applications and desktop experiments

1. Terminal: Some of you have already seen this one. There’s now a small landing page: AROS Terminal.

2. AI coding agent: Currently called “hardcode,” with both a command-line interface and a Zune GUI. Kind of OpenCode/Crush for AROS. Working with OpenAI, Anthropic and OpenRouter.

3. Package manager: Built around AROS Archives, with CLI and GUI interfaces. This also includes a proposal for a package metadata schema to make packages easier to describe and manage.

4. Keyboard-driven window tiling: Following the discussion about EdgeSnap, I’m planning a small experiment using the API provided by its author. I’d like to explore a Hyprland-inspired workflow for arranging and managing windows from the keyboard. This would start as a proof of concept to see what we can achieve within the AROS desktop.

Games

1. Burntime for AROS: I’m roughly halfway through the port, and this is a project I’m committed to completing. It’s the largest project using the Rust port so far. The plan is to support both the original ruleset and a modernized ruleset currently in development (https://github.com/jakobharder/burntime?tab=readme-ov-file - agreed with the owner)

Feedback and collaboration

I have my own vision for the software I’d like to bring to AROS, but I’m interested in hearing what others actually need:

* Which of these projects would be most useful to you?
* What software, libraries, or development tools do you feel AROS is missing most?
* Is there existing work I should build on, or someone I should coordinate with?

If you’re already working on something similar, or would like to contribute, please reach out. I’m happy to share code, compare approaches, join forces, or help test each other’s work. Knowing what already exists and where people are getting stuck would help me decide where to put more effort.

I have a copy of raylib ... it's in a I would say hectic state right now ... but it does build against MESA on ABIv1 X86_64

1 user reacted to this post

coffeecat

miker1264Software Dev

Posted 21 hours ago

Ideas for AROS projects?

The Scintilla Text Rendering Engine for Syntax Highlighting. There already exists an open source text editor using Scintilla for Windows & Linux. It's called SciTE (scintilla text editor). A port of Sublime Text Editor would be quite useful, if possible.

There is also Pragtical Code Editor ported to OS4 by walkero. Similar syntax highlighting code editors would be most welcome on AROS.

Someone mentioned porting MUI 5 to AROS or at least updating Zune to be fully MUI 5 compatible?

If you are feeling ambitious you could finish porting Libre Office for AROS. I believe the project sources exist already. A small team, maybe OS4 or MorphOS attempted it but maybe some dependencies were missing. I'm not sure of the details or the status if the port.

Just some ideas.

Edited by miker1264 on 10-09-2026 10:38, 20 hours ago

2 users reacted to this post

coffeecat, sonountaleban

cdimauroMember

Posted 18 hours ago

coffeecat wrote:

@coffeecat - I thought I’d share an overview of what I’m working on for AROS and ask for some feedback on where these efforts could be most useful.

I’d normally create a separate thread for each project, but several are still at an early stage, so I’m keeping this overview together for now. Most application names are working titles.

Everything I develop is intended to support both x86_64 and aarch64, with development progressing in parallel. I already have a working x86_64 toolchain, so I can build and test things there first. I’d also like to make future ports to other architectures easier.

Programming languages and libraries

2. Python 3: The work on Rust, together with some patches that have been accepted upstream (thank you!), has made me more optimistic about bringing Python 3 to AROS. There’s still work ahead here.

This. Python is everywhere and it'd be good to have it on AROS.

2 users reacted to this post

sonountaleban, coffeecat

coffeecatJunior Member

Posted 11 hours ago

#10

Ladies and gentlemen, how can you live like this? What am I doing wrong/what am I missing?

I am working on a package manager/storefront for packs. I just spent couple of hours because:

- The x86_64-aros-v11 label alone is not enough to determine compatibility.
- The same binaries run on AROS One but crash on the mainline builds we tested.
- The version listed in the catalog may differ from the actual application version.
- Dependencies and installation requirements need additional verification.

If I read this right, this creates a significant barrier for newcomers: choosing a package labeled for their architecture does not guarantee it will run, and troubleshooting may require knowledge of SDKs, ABIs, and system builds.

I mean - I'm a newcomer

Edited by coffeecat on 10-09-2026 20:11, 11 hours ago

2 users reacted to this post

tom1000, terminills

miker1264Software Dev

Posted 11 hours ago

#11

You probably already know that the 64bit binaries for AROS One are compiled for ABIv11. The binaries for mainline AROS, I assume you mean ABIv1. These binaries are not compatible at this time.

Maybe you meant something else?

If you are trying to use AROS Archives as the location of packages that's a great idea. Keep in mind the older 64bit binaries may not work.

Edited by miker1264 on 10-09-2026 20:43, 10 hours ago

miker1264Software Dev

Posted 10 hours ago

#12

The AROS Operating System started in the late 90's. Many people have contributed over the years since.

It's the nature of AROS programming, if you're working on a project that interacts with system files you may find once you get into it that some library is missing, or some functions don't work as expected, or it's not there at all.

You may end up fixing ten old problems to get your program to work properly. It's the fix it as you go philosophy.

Kalamatee for the most part has fixed most of the old issues. He works very hard at that, making sure things work as expected.

There is a discord channel and there's also an AROS developer mailing list. Start with the Development Blog.

https://www.arosw...readmore=1

Also aros.org has information you may find interesting...

https://developer...

Edited by miker1264 on 10-09-2026 21:29, 10 hours ago

terminillsMember

Posted 7 hours ago

#13

coffeecat wrote:

@coffeecat - Ladies and gentlemen, how can you live like this? What am I doing wrong/what am I missing?

I am working on a package manager/storefront for packs. I just spent couple of hours because:

- The x86_64-aros-v11 label alone is not enough to determine compatibility.
- The same binaries run on AROS One but crash on the mainline builds we tested.
- The version listed in the catalog may differ from the actual application version.
- Dependencies and installation requirements need additional verification.

If I read this right, this creates a significant barrier for newcomers: choosing a package labeled for their architecture does not guarantee it will run, and troubleshooting may require knowledge of SDKs, ABIs, and system builds.

I mean - I'm a newcomer

Unfortunately this is the state of things. If it’s me(it’s not but if it was)… aros archives would be properly segregated by ABI and then Arch. On that note I would say don’t focus too much time on too many ABI’s. if you want to focus on different arches then I would pick an ABI that makes it easier for you to build across arches… if you want to build for the most current users then you would choose ABIv11… it’s a chicken and the egg situation ABIv1 is lacking in software so it has less users however ABIv1 is also the mainline. So you do what you feel is best for your goals.

deadwoodAROS Dev

Posted 6 hours ago

#14

coffeecat wrote:

@coffeecat -

- The x86_64-aros-v11 label alone is not enough to determine compatibility.
- The same binaries run on AROS One but crash on the mainline builds we tested.

choosing a package labeled for their architecture does not guarantee it will run

The role of the x86_64-aros-v11 suffix is exactly that - to distinguish between the ABIv1 and ABIv11 binaries and let them live together on the archives. The -v11 marks binaries usable with current distributions like AROS One. Archives without such marker are intended for ABIv1, see here:

https://archives.arosworld.org/?function=showfile&file=utility/print/ghostscript-10.0.0.x86_64-aros.lha

Please keep in mind: ABIv1 does not yet maintain backwards compatibility. If you are building third party software (one that is not re-build with every nighty) it may make sense to keep sources at hand and publish refreshed binaries whenever required (same goes for aarch64 of course).

coffeecatJunior Member

Posted 4 hours ago

#15

cdimauro wrote:

@cdimauro -
coffeecat wrote:
@coffeecat - I thought I’d share an overview of what I’m working on for AROS and ask for some feedback on where these efforts could be most useful.

I’d normally create a separate thread for each project, but several are still at an early stage, so I’m keeping this overview together for now. Most application names are working titles.

Everything I develop is intended to support both x86_64 and aarch64, with development progressing in parallel. I already have a working x86_64 toolchain, so I can build and test things there first. I’d also like to make future ports to other architectures easier.

Programming languages and libraries

2. Python 3: The work on Rust, together with some patches that have been accepted upstream (thank you!), has made me more optimistic about bringing Python 3 to AROS. There’s still work ahead here.

This. Python is everywhere and it'd be good to have it on AROS.

But from what I see, we will need more patches to the system.

1 user reacted to this post

retrofaza

arosbeginnerMember

Posted 4 hours ago

#16

@deadwood
Is there a way to merge Aros v11 into Aros v1? What's the difference between the two? A library?
Can't you find a compromise by talking to Kalamatee?

serk118ukSoftware Dev

Posted 3 hours ago

#17

3. raylib + GLFW
I already ported glfw 2.6 plus latest version of GLFW + Raylib to i386
Here
https://serk118.b...5.html?m=1

I was planning to port both to x86_64 since mesa updated, not sure how soon.

You are welcome to take on but aros integration already done.

Edited by serk118uk on 11-09-2026 04:31, 3 hours ago

coffeecatJunior Member

Posted 2 hours ago

#18

serk118uk wrote:

@serk118uk - 3. raylib + GLFW
I already ported glfw 2.6 plus latest version of GLFW + Raylib to i386
Here
https://serk118.b...5.html?m=1

I was planning to port both to x86_64 since mesa updated, not sure how soon.

You are welcome to take on but aros integration already done.

Yep, I even started writing you an email, but in the binary for raylib i386 you wrote - as far as I remember - that the sources take a lot of space. That's when I figured I might start from scratch.

Not urgent right now - got plenty of other things and AROS was not supposed to take more than 10% of my time

coffeecatJunior Member

Posted 2 hours ago

#19

Okay, so I think I'm starting to understand the ABI situation. I'd say it's messy but manageable. So now I just need to understand how often the distros are updated. Python and Go require changes that are not part of Aros One. If I build, e.g., Python against mainline (which is easy, and I see that Nick already accepted some of the PRs) and announce it works, but then users have to wait a year to get it... Then I need to adjust my targets and maybe support both from the start. Sorry that I'm asking- I need to catch up on the basics. I made too many assumptions up front.

Ideally, I'd prefer to build against mainline and know that users will get those, e.g., 3-6 months from now. For the package manager I work on, I will consider building the package from source. (GentooAROS

Edited by coffeecat on 11-09-2026 05:37, 1 hour ago

2 users reacted to this post

aha, miker1264

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Users who participated in discussion: serk118uk, terminills, deadwood, Amiwell79, cdimauro, miker1264, arosbeginner, coffeecat

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