Hello,

I will use this thread to share with you developments around my AROS-related projects. This will give you some insight in what you may and may not expect in coming months. First however I will give you a description of projects I maintain: AROS ABIv11, AROS ABIv0, AxRuntime.

AROS ABIv11
===========

ABIv11 is a code name I have given to my stable branch of AROS for 64-bit Intel and AMD processors. The code name is given to distinguish this version from the in-progress ABIv1 effort in main AROS repository. Stable branch in this context means that if a third party developer builds an application following these rules (https://github.com/deadw00d/AROS/blob/master/README.md#backwards-compatibility) today, I commit that the application will be working tomorrow, next month and in a year from now. This is the main place where changes from me and other developers happen.

ABIv11 is hosted in this branch: https://github.com/deadw00d/AROS
ABIv11 forms a base for the other two projects.

AROS ABIv0
==========

The version of AROS currently in use for 32-bit Intel and AMD processors. If you are using Icaros, Aros One or another distribution, you are most likely running ABIv0 as base system. Most of 3rd party applications available on Aminet or AROS-Archives are compiled for ABIv0.

ABIv0 is hosted in this branch: https://github.com/deadw00d/AROS/tree.../alt-abiv0
ABIv0 "sits" on top of ABIv11. Most of the changes that are introduced to ABIv11, will eventually be flow to ABIv0 as well without additional effort from initial developers.


AxRuntime
=========

This is a set of Linux libraries that allows re-compilation of Amiga/AROS application into a native Linux application. More information is available here: https://axrt.org/more

AxRuntime is hosted in this branch: https://github.com/deadw00d/AROS/tree...lt-runtime
AxRuntime "sits" on top of ABIv11. Most of the changes that are introduced to ABIv11, will eventually be flow to AxRuntime as well without additional effort from initial developers.

A short update from me on the plan (20230505):

1) Synchronize code bases between repositories and release new version of ABIv11 [DONE]
2) Release first stable version of IntuitionWM
3) Release new version of ABIv0 refreshed to newer common codebase

The work on IntuitionWM will mostly likely start somewhere in May.

The long term horizon remains unchanged:

"On a longer horizon, there will be a lot of work related to ABIv0 and AxRuntime. I want to update ABIv0 to be based on latest ABIv11 source code. This will be an enabler to:
1) develop a version of AxRuntime that is capable of running ABIv0 32-bit programs on top of Linux and
2) develop an emulator that will allow running AROS 32-bit programs under 64-bit AROS.

Once all these things are in place, we will have a Linux-native desktop (Scalos) and ability to run AROS ABIv0 programs (32-bit), AROS ABIv11 programs (64-bit) and AxRuntime-recompiled programs (64-bit). This way existing distributions could be re-created using Linux as a base without loosing existing functionality for users, enabling a gradual migration from 32-bit to 64-bit.

For people preferring native AROS we will also have ability to use ~80% of the existing software base on 64-bit AROS, which then is an enabler to transition to 64-bit base system."