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'''FutureOS''' is an operating system for the Amstrad [[CPC6128|CPC6128]], 6128plus, [[C-ONE|C-One]] and [[CPC TREX|T-Rex1]].  The version for the CPCPlus supports some  of  its special features. FutureOS was/is beeing developed by [[TFM|TFM]] of [[FutureSoft|FutureSoft]] in [[Z80|Z80]] assembler. Its development continues from 1989 up to now (2008). FutureOS allows the user to control the computer is controlled by a GUI with with an icon section icons and a file section; , it can deal with files up to 4 MB big long files in one piece. It has a dynamic memory management system, which divides RAM into 16 KB blocks. Further it supports a variety of hardware expansions. FutureOS is delivered together with basic utilities in the same ROMs.

The core of the OS itself is executed directly in (Pseudo-)ROM or [[Dobbertin EPROM 224|EPROM]] (where it is divided in four 16 KB blocks). It jumps between the ROMs with the help of a little common area. Therefore the numbers of the four 16 KB ROMs are hardcoded.

'''FutureOS''' uses 2 KB (&B800...&BFFF) of the first 64 KB; the rest of the , all other RAM is available to can be used for applications. Additional RAM can be reserved occupied for DIRectory buffering. Furthermore the OS uses memory management, file-handling and Low/Mid/High-level routines to access the hardware.

From AmsDOS/Basic you can start '''FutureOS''' can be launched from AmsDOS with the RSX commands |OS or |FDESK. If you use |FDESK you can leave '''FutureOS''' and get back to BASIC where you have stopped before - the first 48 KB (not the screen) have been preserved.

'''FutureOS''' only runs well on a [[CPC6128|CPC6128]] or 6128plus (not CPC464 or 664), because of their they support for the RAM configuration &C3 (which is essential for the mouse pointerarrow of the GUI).

== UI GUI ==

The work surface uses a point-and-click interface, though it Desktop of FutureOS is not completely graphical divided in its naturetwo sections. The pointer First an icon-section, where you can be controlled with a joystick, mouse, trackball or light-penchoose your functions. There Second there is no command line. Therefore FutureOS stands somewhere in the middle between a console interface section below, where you can browse through directories of discs and a fullyhard-fledged GUI, since there are not the classical elements of WIMP that characterize a GUI but also there is no command linedisc partitions.

The work surface of FutureOS is divided into two sections. On top there is an area holding several icons, where the user Desktop can choose be controlled using a functionjoystick, mouse, trackball or light-pen. Below that the There is no command line. The user can browse through directories of discs interface is graphical, you click on icons and hard-disc partitionsfiles to select them for subsequent actions.

Applications can call the UI GUI as a subroutine. The icons are fixed, so you will always work with the same layout. Files can be viewed on-screen (scroll up and down) or printed. File headers can also be viewed. When typing a text file it is possible to set the number of columns and lines of the window the text is displayed indesktop.

Apart from Aside the UI mentioned above ROM resident GUI there is another part of FutureOSs surface for FutureOS, the command bar menu [[CBM|CBM]]. It consists of several flexible pull down menus and file selectors. You can easily use [[CBM|CBM]] for your own programs. Since all programs that use [[CBM|CBM]] look similar its also easy to use different programs in an intuitive way.

The file system of FutureOS can handle multiple simultaneous works at the same time with different floppy disc drives and hard disc partitions. After the selection of a device the devices FutureOS reads and buffers the directory entries DIRectories of the mediumall devices that should be used. Integrated utilities like the multi file copy can copy files from different physical sources to different physical destinations sources in one run.

The file system  is compatible with the CPCs native data-, file- and format structures (f. e. File -header, Disc -formats). It is not compatible with native [[AMSDOS|AMSDOS]] or [[CP/M|CP/M]] programs. FutureOS and compatible applications can be downloaded at: [http://www.FutureOS.de www.FutureOS.de].

Filenames can use all 256 different characters and user areas numbers from 0 to 254 (except for &E5, which is reserved for marks a deleted filesfile). Unlike Different to Amsdos, a file that is erased under FutureOS is will not be shifted to user &E5, but is it will be physically removed from the directory. Files can be viewed on-screen (scroll up and down) or printed. You can also view the file-header. When typing a text-file it is possible to set the number of columns and lines of the window the text is displayed in. File -headers are displayed as AmsDOS files file or the icon-like file-header of a FutureOS program. An AmsDOS file -header has 128 bytes of which some bytes are unused. FutureOS makes use of those unused bytes so that files have a length definition of 24bit and can have a physical RAM select. Therefore a file can be defined to be loaded everywhere in the external RAM. Also a FutureOS file-header can contain a graphical icon, a textual icon or a short description of the file.

The OS supports many of the hardware available for the CPC, including real-time -clocks, the Vortex disc drives, several mice & trackballs and the Dobbertin HD20 hard disc. Also the [[SYMBiFACE II|SYMBiFACE II]] (RTC and PS/2 mouse, RAM, ROM, IDE low level) is are supported in system .8 beta. One of the ambitions idea of FutureOS is was to support all any hardware available, like . For example there are 3.5" B-drives, Vortex F1-D-drives, HDDshard-discs, real-time -clocks, serial interfaces etc.  Hardware expansions expansion usually need drivers that , which can be flexibly flexible added to an OS. Contrary In contrast to this approach, a one of the goal of FutureOS is to provide a centrally-oriented monolithik architecture , where all drivers are implemented in a hardcoded way. This is possible since , because the CPC has clearly defined hardware expansions compared to a PC.

*''Disc drives and hard discs:'' FutureOS supports up to eight drives and up to four hard -disc partitions. It buffers the directories read from any mass storage device in the expansion RAM.

*''Plug and Play:'' If you connect a hardware expansion is connected to the a CPC , FutureOS will '''automatically detect''' that expansion, initialise it and make it available to the useraccessible. The architecture of the OS allows you to add and remove hardware on purpose. The user An example: You add a trackball, you use it, then you connect and use a joystick and then you use a proportional mouse for example. You can switch turn external hardware on or off in the configuration -bytes on or off (use ConfigOS utility).

There exist tools Tools like copy, format, verify or directory refreshingrefresh a disc exist. Multiple files You can be copied between copy files from different physical media in one godiscs and partitions to other discs and partitions at once.

A small From the Desktop you can call a little machine monitor is also provided. This monitor provides features like CPU register editing, of CPU registers and I/O ports, memory editing and display and manipulation edit memory or the content of the ASIC contents (6128 Plus)of the 6128plus. Memory blocks can be copied or initialised. It is possible to call a routine with defined CPU registers and memory.

FutureOS is was designed as an OS with fast routines and support for of nearly all CPC expansions. It has specialised file -handling and memory -management capabilities that support programs up to 4 MB. The idea is that development of games, graphic tools, word processors, sound (especially MP3), management of big amounts of data, and programming languages are possible in this environment. At this point, the user Today you can listen to hear MP3 filessounds, work with graphic, use C programs, watch movies &amp; demos and play games. <br>