README

Eulex
=====

  Eulex is a straightforward Forth implementation for i386 machines.

  It includes almost as much Forth as I know, as well as a barebone
environment with the keyboard, terminal, timer and speaker support,
necessary to provide some common Forth words. Indeed, it provides a
convenient line editing emacs-like keybindings and completion.

  As always, a lot of features are missing. If you want to have some
fun, consider to write some of them!


History
-------

  Originally, this project came up in 2009. A fellow and I started to
write an operating system. We were looking for a low level and easy to
implement language, which was fun and allowed to hack the language
itself, in order to incorporate it to that system, which we named
Eulex. I discovered Forth, and I figured out that it was a good
choice, as we wanted to recreate an old system. I set about writing an
implementation for the specification Forth79 in assembler, initially
on GNU/Linux and using the C library since it was a convenient way to
work, meanwhile my fellow implemented a simple C kernel for Eulex that
would house Forth. This implementation was never incorporated,
however.

  Two years later, without other idea which in I could work, I took a
primitive version of the C kernel of Eulex, and I used it as a thin
compatibility layer to run the Forth implementation on the metal. Then,
I made up my mind to write the whole system in Forth. So, Forth was
ported to 32 bits and pieces of C code were rewritten in Forth.
The C layer was an useful scaffolding, as it allowed not only to use
modern tools for debugging, but build the system in the right order.
Eventually, Forth replaced C and I could move the scaffolding away,
removing the whole C code.  As outcome of that, I share this barebone
Forth system with you, with the hope that someone will have so much
fun as I have had.

Happy Hacking

DVP