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\title{A computing system that embraces the language}

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\author{Ekaitz Zárraga Río}
%% \authornote{Both authors contributed equally to this research.}
\email{ekaitz@elenq.tech}
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%%   \institution{Institute for Clarity in Documentation}
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%%   \state{Ohio}
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\renewcommand{\shortauthors}{Zárraga Río E.}

%% The abstract is a short summary of the work to be presented in the
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\begin{abstract}
%% TODO
  Computing, as any other field, evolved from the previous work on the matter.
  During its development huge advancements have been done in many areas but
  only some are in use today, due to the inertia industry already had, which
  forced some sort of retrocompatibility. In this document a new computing
  platform is presented, one that makes use of some of the ideas that did not
  reach the mainstream and uses our current computing capabilities in order to
  achieve a personal computing device that embraces the programming language.
\end{abstract}

%% Document outline:
%% - Motivation: Simplification as a mean for more efficient computing and
%%   a more accessible manufacture. Modern computing systems are so complex
%%   that they require very good manufacturing to deal with the excessive
%%   computing waste.
%%   Also, maintenance should be reduced as much as possible, even leaving it
%%   in the hands of the user, as Oberon would, reducing the impact of the
%%   repairs, upgrades, and computing infrastructure needed for simple tasks.
%% - Kernels, Unix
%% - Interpreters
%%    - Shells
%%    - Are interpreters a kernel?
%% - Removing layers instead of adding layers
%%    - Unikernels: Good idea but miss the target.

%% Keywords. The author(s) should pick words that accurately describe
%% the work being presented. Separate the keywords with commas.
\keywords{Operating Systems, Programming Languages, Interpreters}
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%%   \caption{Seattle Mariners at Spring Training, 2010.}
%%   \Description{Enjoying the baseball game from the third-base
%%   seats. Ichiro Suzuki preparing to bat.}
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%% Dates for the article
%% \received{20 February 2007}
%% \received[revised]{12 March 2009}
%% \received[accepted]{5 June 2009}


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\maketitle

\section{Context}

%% We need to understand context ...
  All engineering decisions are taken in a context and those that are adopted
  by any industry are oftentimes driven by previous decisions taken in the same
  subject. Specifically, the computing industry, arguably due to its rapid
  emergence, has been heavily influenced by previous technology and
  \textit{backwards compatibility}. Reviewing the most influential ideas of
  computing one can obtain valuable information to be able to criticise current
  computing systems and propose pioneering alternatives.

\subsection{Von Neumann model}
  The von Neummann model introduced in 1945 proposes a general purpose device
  consisting of a \textit{Central Processing Unit} (CPU) and a \textit{Store}.
  The \textit{Store} is often implemented as a \textit{Random Access Memory}
  (RAM or, simply, \textit{memory}), which stores data in bytes, each of them
  with an \textit{address}, in a tabulated fashion.

  In the von Neumann model the data and the program are both written to and
  read from the \textit{Store}. This arrangement had carried criticism over the
  years but it is also a fundamental part of how modern Operating Systems work.

\subsection{Unix's heritage}
\epigraph{
  Applicants must also have extensive knowledge of Unix, although they should
  have sufficiently good programming taste to not consider this an achievement.
}{\textit{-- Hal Abelson}}

  Since its inception, Unix was a huge innovation in Operating Systems market.
  Its main features include \textit{multitasking} and \textit{multi-user}
  support, a programming interface, \textit{files as abstractions} for devices
  and other objects and a powerful \textit{shell} that facilitates program
  composition.

\subsubsection{The Kernel}
  In the Unix model, the Kernel, the core of the Operating System, is
  responsible for managing the hardware resources. For that job, it uses
  several concepts that systems designers and programmers are familiarized with
  and are discouraged to change. Those include \textit{virtual memory},
  \textit{processes}, \textit{shared-memory threads}, \textit{hierarchical
  filesystems} and \textit{system calls}.

\subsubsection{The Shell}
  The shell is run as a userspace program that has the hability to launch other
  programs using an outdated fork+exec mechanism that encourages memory
  overshoot\cite{fork:Baumann}.
  The shell in Unix systems is optimized for text processing as, in McIlroy's
  words, \textit{"text streams [are] the universal interface"}
  \cite{QuarterCenturyUnix:Salus}.

\subsubsection{Userspace programs}

  Programs are loaded in and given access to \textit{virtual memory}, and they
  can only run a subset of the CPU instructions of the machine, the
  \textit{unprivileged} set. For restricted operations, programs need to call
  the \textit{Kernel} using a \textit{system-call} that can be accepted or
  rejected by the latter, according to some rules for \textit{permissions} or
  resource availability. In order to achieve multitasking, many programs can be
  loaded in memory (\textit{processes}) simultaneously and the \textit{Kernel}
  \textit{schedules} which of the them will run at a given moment in time and
  pauses the rest accordingly.

%  ELF/Mach-O/EXE -> the kernel acts as an interpreter for them.
%  Virtual memory separates one program from another.
%  The CPU helps with that.
%  Each program is a process (invented concept)
%  Each process can launch threads \cite{Threads:Lee}

  \paragraph{Concurrency}
  If programs need to operate concurrently they can create many
  \textit{processes} or use \textit{threads}. A \textit{thread} is a
  lightweight version of a \textit{process} that shares the memory with the
  \textit{process} that created it. Resource sharing in a concurrent system has
  many security and reliability implications, and has proven to be a difficult
  subject for computer programmers over the years
  \cite{Threads:Lee}.


\subsubsection{Interpreters}
  Interpreters, like one in the \textit{shell}, are a fundamental part of
  modern day programming. Interpreters are run as userspace programs, acting as
  a \textit{host} for the program they interpret. The interpreter effectively
  hides the details of the Operating System, often even implementing a virtual
  machine for that job, in order to provide \textit{portability} and
  \textit{usability} to the programmers. That is why the most used and demanded
  programming languages nowadays are interpreted \cite{PLCommunity:Tambad}.

%  Unix was marketed as a system for multiple languages / supports many
%  languages via interpreters that ease the development experience. Describe how
%  they work and why they are useful
%  Interpreters are programs that run in userspace

\subsection{Computer hardware}
  Computer processors, often marketed as "\textit{general purpose}", are based
  on the von Newmann model\cite{LiberateFromVonNeumann:Backus}, a CPU and a
  Store that is, and designed for running an Operating System on them. They
  clearly separate \textit{privileged}, reserved for the kernel, and
  \textit{unprivileged} instructions, that any userspace program can use, in
  order to facilitate \textit{system-calls} and \textit{interrupt} and
  \textit{virtual memory} control.

  Contrary to what one could expect, most of the improvements in the processor
  architectures come from specialization for the said case, and not from
  generalization.

  Modern processors are heavily optimized for Operating Systems that follow the
  Unix model (including MS Windows), and a memory layout that resembles that of
  a \textit{C-like} program, which also comes from the days of Unix
  \cite{GeneralPurposeProcessor:Chisnall}, reducing the chance for other
  paradigms to succeed.


\section{Embracing the language}

%% TODO: embracing the language means embracing the people

From what we just discussed we can see most interesting things in Unix's ideas
are dangerous from von Neumann to shared-resource concurrency and others are
not comfortable for programmers, who prefer to use interpreted languages
instead as the abstractions they provide are easier to deal with. But CPUs are
optimized for the Unix case, instead of embracing the facilities the
programmers prefer to use.

\subsection{Personal computers}

%% TODO: What's `personal` in personal computer? embrace the user-programmer
%% TODO: make sure dates are right

Personal computers like those before the late 90s were simple. A user could
maintain them and even manipulate the electronics. The introduction of larger
RAM memories and more complex CPUs, made the personal computing industry pivot
towards Unix-based operating systems, as they were proven to work in complex
scenarios. This shift contributed to the extinction of many \textit{simple}
operating systems that flourished during the previous era but facilitated the
galloping increase personal computing specs of the 90s and beginning of the
2000s, doubling in performance every 2 years\cite{EvolutionComputing:Larus}.

%% TODO graphical user interfaces hid the programming part

Graphical User Interfaces, \textit{GUI}, became widespread with the
introduction of the Apple Macintosh computer in the early 1980s. This user
interface change made computers accessible and useful to many more
people\cite{EvolutionComputing:Larus} but at the expense of the access to lower
level capabilities, as \textit{protecting the user}, and the computing literacy
that traditional text-oriented usage encouraged.

%% TODO: explain the GUI apparition and how before everyone was a vernacular
%% programmer and now it's not like that
%% TODO: if we want to improve the connection with the vernacular programmer,
%% we need to ask ourselves: what's a language? \cite{MythsPL:Shaw}

For \textit{vernacular programmers}, because they represent the vast majority
of programmers \cite{MythsPL:Shaw}: simplicity (few concepts), explorability
(repl), flexible, practical, also valid for professional programmers,
extendable, can represent other kind of goals like \textit{HDLs} and even
\textit{data} via DSLs.

Operating systems like Oberon \cite{Oberon:Wirth} blur the line between
\textit{GUI}s and programming, making them work together instead of hiding the
programming part of the system, while keeping a simple core in its design that
keeps the system maintainable.


\subsection{Operating System}
\subsubsection{No kernel/interpreter separation}
\subsubsection{No threads/processes but tasks}
\subsubsection{No virtual memory}
\subsubsection{Capability based security "lambda-style"}
  Reduces the amount of permission issues inherited from von Neumann style and
  Unix.

\subsection{CPU}
\subsubsection{Optimization for tree structures}
\subsubsection{Hardware garbage collection}
\subsubsection{Extendable CPU}

  \cite{riscvSelfHostingComputer:Somlo}


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%% To Robert, for the bagels and explaining CMYK and color spaces.
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