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About

This is an overview of the JOS Project. If you are new to the JOS project, this is the right place to start. Here is an overview of the project, infrastructure and rules.

Overview

The JOS Project is a collaborative undertaking by an international group of Java™ programmers and enthusiasts aimed at the creation of a free and open Java™ based Operating System (JOS). As a collaborative effort, we work together to research how a Java-based operating system should work. Together, we work to build components for a Java-based operating system. We encourage free license and open source software for APIs, frameworks, tools and sister projects. Whenever possible, actual software demonstrates the mechanisms we recommend and alternatives we have discovered.

Many of the platform-independent operating system utilities are compatible with existing operating systems so you can take the software for a test drive. Our members are using Linux and Microsoft Windows™ to developing these components. Some of the APIs and frameworks are already production-quality code and can be integrate into your Java applications today.

Research continues.

Research is now divided into many independent research projects. For mechanisms related to the development of an operating system, search for an individual project.

Early on, our approach to a Java Operating System had been to centralize all research in one giant project. This monolithic approach has proved disappointing. A successful research project must limit its scope and maintain its focus. One giant project is neither advisable nor necessary. It is not advisable because of size complicates logistics. A Java Operating System is a very big responsibility and requires many pre-existing, loosely-coupled mechanisms. It is not necessary because each mechanism can be researched independently, and should be.

Infrastructure

As an international group, we depend heavily on the Internet, e-mail and the jos-general mailing list to keep in touch.

• Mailing list. The jos-general mailing list is our primary channel, a forum for public discussion and decision-making.

• JOS Wiki. The JOS Wiki website is part of our project infrastructure. It provides more than 2000 articles on different topics. Some article review topics which have already been discussed on our mailing list. Other articles contain proposals, reference material and product information.

  Note: The wiki technology enabled our members to write articles on a wide variety of topics with a consistent design. For more information, see also Jos Wiki Status

• SourceForge.net Websites, for our project and many of our sister projects, are hosted on the Internet by SourceForge.net.

Rules

Members of the JOS Project are guided by only a few basic rules of conduct. For more information, see also our constitution and proposed policy book. If you are new to the JOS project, visit the WebHome of the JOS Wiki (our online collaboration area). There you will find a list of starting points for learning about the JOS project.

To be updated with the following sections:

• What is JOS
• Goals (summary)
• Brief History
• Major Projects
• Future Directions