Delta OS

The Delta Operating System (known as Delta OS) is a series of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Kadishenware (formerly known as HagsBurg Electronics).

In other words, Delta is a family of multitasking, multiuser graphical computer operating systems that derive from the original HagsBurg Electronics' Delta OS.

It is suitable for home and business computers, also for educational, server services and gaming.

History
The acronym for DELTA OS is "Dynamic Energetic Low-Cost Terminal Advanced Operating System" and the logo used were based on the Greek letter Delta (Δ δ), using the capital letter. The prototypical version, codenamed (DELTA-9) released as Delta DOS/OS in universities in Europe, Japan, Australia and the USSR for testing purposes.

Delta OS made its public worldwide debut during the Fall COMDEX 1983 computer expo under the names "Plan D", "Delta Environment", "Delta OS" and "Silver Delta Wolf". Each visitor who approached the HagsBurg's stand got a free demo copy of the operating system in 5.25 inch floppy disk and 3.5 inch floppy disk.

Due to high success of graphical user interface system protocols in HagsBurg, Delta Operating System quickly gained popularity in Pearl and some parts in Japan. Version 1.0 was released on May 13 1984, featuring overlapping windows, alarm clock, calendar, taskbar at the top, office suite known as Kiyosaki Office, multitasking command prompt (a text-based interface, using commands (read by an interpreter) to run programs and manage files, using some of DeltaDOS kernel files for compatibility), an icon editor program named Zeus, emulated chess game, window buttons to the left, advanced calculator (includes hexadecimal numbers), support for 5.5 and 3.5 floppy disk format, KraftPaint, disc duplicator, 3D effects-peppered screensaver, its own BASIC dialect and extension (DeltaBASIC) and notepad that can open files greater than 64kb. It also includes support for memory management, protected memory, access controls, and conflict-free extensions.

The license allows users to resell their copies, modifying them and distributing them, nowadays can be classified as free software license, resulting in first derivatives, such as Kostar OS, YENIK and Übruch, because HagsBurg wanted to share the code in order the spread the popularity of Delta OS even further. The first version was originally written for the Motorola 68k architecture, Zilog Z80, Intel 8086, Intel 8088, Motorola MC14500B and HagsBurg KX-6362 subarchitectures, all in one computer - different processors were used for different purposes, while the Motorola 68000 was for the general purpose of the operating system, Intel 8086 and 8088 were used for additional multitasking technology, KX-6362 and MC14500B for keyboard, mouse and DOS-like prompt. It was later ported to IBM XT, which removed some of features (some of whom later brought back). In order to extend its advancements, a number of additional lines of code were with using C and C++, especially to the kernel.

When the operating system first started its American market in July 21 1984, HagsBurg was sued by Apple Computers for copying "look and feel".

Few updates were released though 1985-1988, mostly for bug fixes and feature enhancements, such as version 1.1, released on December 18 1984, fixed bug problems at the 3D screensaver and added more fonts to the Kiyosaki Writer app and very few GUI changes to the operating system. Version 1.2 included leap second support, media player and support for KX-6374 processor. Version 1.3 added FileFX, a file server with networking services and address book named KarlAdreß.

Version 1.4, the biggest update of the 1.x line, was released on 19 April 1989, included 256 color support, VHS video support, CD playback audio, extended 3D support, Internet support, some of first-party Deltaconsole (the console counterpart of the operating system) games (such as Rolous I, II and III, ) and disk encryption tool. This version also introduced support for the Video Graphics Array and PS/2 mouse. It gained popularity for being preinstalled in the computer ZX-1634 "Laxeros" (although it is also preinstalled on other computers), that used 3.5 inches floppy disks, Video CD, S-VHS and wax cylinders. ZX-1634 was popular for using wax cylinder as one of formats used. The first server version, Delta OS Server, was based on this version. It was a revolutionary release to some OEMs.

In April 27 1991, HagsBurg implemented an operating system named DX (short for Delta-nix), a variant of Delta Operating System (based on version 2.0 Alpha) running on top of modified Unix System V kernel, which is slightly more advanced than the mainline version of Delta OS. It includes X11 Window System, which would be ported to mainline Delta OS shortly thereafter. It was the first version rhat support more architectures, such as i286, Intel 80386, Motorola 68030, PowerPC and KX-8302 (while keeping the older processors used in version 1 as backward compatibility), later introduced to the said regular version 3 months later as a feature of Delta OS version 2.0. As mentioned before, the operating system was based on UNIX System V Release 2.2. It includes some additional features from System V Releases 3 and 4, Unix version 8, PWB/Unix, 32V/Unix and BSD versions 4.2 and 4.3, and BSD Net/1 and Net/2. It is fully POSIX and System V Interface Definition (SVID) compliant and includes TCP/IP networkingfrom version 2 onward. DX was aimed for Unix customers and universities in Europe and Japan. Released in 1991, DX supplies the basic GUI of version 1.5, with some features of the incoming version 2.0; and it provisions Unix with the X Window System(X11R5) GUI, the Draft 12 POSIX standard, and overall improved speed.

Version 2.0 was released on August 8 1991, featured a major overhaul of the GUI, the taskbar color was light blue, incorporated features from Unix-based DX such as X Windows System (X11), as well as built-in video playback, supporting sound cards like the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro, as well as CD-ROM drives, which were then becoming increasingly available, MIDI I/O, full 16 colors in EGA and VGA mode, fixed issues related to the complex input system for the Chinese and Vietnamese language and Futhark script.

In December 1 1994, HagsBurg created Delta-DATX, based on DX. Delta-DATX used the entire version 2.5 source code and binaries in order to replace the version 1.5-based source code and binaries while barely modifying the UNIX-derived code. Additionally, part of the architecture is based on TRON project and Maykholl Open Architecture. The company claimed that it is 97% compatible with mainline Delta OS. Delta-DATX was intended for very powerful computers, such as DEX Alpha, ZX-7372.