The V2_OS Sourcecode.
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This software is developed by V2_Lab.
-International Lab for the Unstable Media- 
lab@v2.nl
copyrights retain to V2_Lab, unless otherwise indicated.
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***[ A word from Joost ]***
In these directories the complete sourcecode for the entire V2_OS. The sources are compiled and linked with Borland Turbo Assembler and Turbo Linker. 

The V2_OS system was originaly designed as a platform for me to program a realtime digital videoplayer with the possibility of special-effects and multiple-videolayers controlled over TCP/IP. It was not intended to have any other application ever be developed for it. Eventhough this was the case, I've chosen for a modulair architecture, mostly for supporting the possibility of expanding the system's functionality when it comes to interfacing over NIC, serial, etc... Or expanding possible input/output videoformats, or support special effects in a plug-in kind of way. 

After a few months of development, we discovered that the V2_OS, with it's disksupport, modules, servers, keyboard input, built-in tools and a bit of memory management has actually grown to a very clear, solid, complete and very fast platform for developing all sorts of processor intensive applications. 

At this point the V2_Lab found it might be a nice plan to put it online so a small group of people could take a look at it. So we have build the V2_OS website. 

After this, things all went real fast. We first submitted a notice to freshmeat.net. This caused a -to us- completely unexpected amount of coders (+/- 2000) surfing by and telling us they liked the system and wanted to code for it. Ofcourse we were very happy with this, and expanded our documentation a lot further. Then, one visitor of the site thought this might be a nice article for Slashdot.org

Slashdot accepted the article and we turned up on the frontpage of slashdot.org, causing our server to go completely mad by the amount of visitors deciding to take a visit. During this single day, over twentyfour thousand (!) people payed a visit. v2.nl was completely slashdotted.

The days after that, a lot of coders mailed us about their enthousiasm for the V2_OS, and took all kinds of initiatives to support the development of the system. Unofficial support sites were being build, people made their own applications, people wrote about it on hundreds of websites, helped eachother on the forum, sended us TONS of email and joined together 24/7 on IRC.

The V2_OS has created a real community online, and we in the V2_Lab realy love you guys & grlzz, and we'll keep on supporting you in your projects. We've purchased a new box in the Lab which we will set up to serve the V2_OS community. It'll serve, ofcourse the website, and forum etc, but we'll also be providing you with webspace and ftp access so you can build your own V2_OS pages collectively ! We'll be setting up a CVS repository to control the development of the system and it's applications. And without all your input the V2_OS would never be what it is today, so we're asking you to keep on telling us about your ideas to improve all this !

***[ About this sourcecode ]***
As explained above, the V2_OS was primarily build as a development platform by and for me, Joost Faassen. No one ever expected the overwhelming succes and attention the V2_OS has caused online. So, no one EVER expected these sources to be opensource, or even be seen by any other coder than me. 

With this I'd like to explain the lack of comments, and the 'hacky way' of solving several problems. I can realy imagine this can generate a lot of questions and unclearity. Therefor we've opened another one of our well-known forums dedicated for questions about the system-sourcecodes. Please try to ask your questions there before mailing us. The more you mail the less time we have to code ;)

***[ Preventing CHAOS ]***
By releasing the sourcecodes of the system, we can expect several 'mutated' versions of V2_OS. Maybe some people will start distributing their own adjusted versions causing incompatibilities with the software being released for it. We strongly disencourage these initiatives.

We would propose the following way of working:
Whenever you add functionality, or fix a bug, please mail us your adjustments so we can incorporate them in the latest version of the V2_OS. Then, daily, we'll wrap up all changes into the new sources and distribute them at the main site. 

This way, all software written for the V2_OS will always be compatible with the latest versions of the system instead of being compatible with one mutated V2_OS.

If you'd like to add a System32 service, please ask us for a free service number so we don't get any conflicts...

***[ Signoff ]***
With all of this said, I believe that by joining forces, we can make this thing real big. You've all have shown us already what you can do without sources. Now that the development of the systemfiles is being divided over all of you, I'm currious where we can get this thing.

Keep up your good work and enthousiasm,
and ehm
'Use the SOURCE luke !' ;)

-Joost_V2-
