{pwd}	OS-9 Easter Eggs
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OS-9 Easter Eggs by OS-9 Al

There are a few hidden "easter eggs" in the OS-9 operating system. Due to the small size of an embedded OS, most of the secret messages are very small. You will not find a hidden Breakout game in OS-9.

Ultra-C Compiler Credits:

The "-@" option will display the names of some of those who worked on the compiler. The names have been changed over the years. The most recent Windows hosted compiler I used produced this output:

C:\WINDOWS>xcc -@ a.c
Include file paths:
C:\MWOS_M~1\SRC\DEFS
C:\MWOS_M~1\OS9\SRC\DEFS
Library file paths:
C:\MWOS_M~1\OS9\68000\LIB
C:\MWOS_M~1\OS9\68000\LIB\HOST3
"Help Wanted, Apply Within -m --target=0 -IC:\MWOS_M~1\SRC\DEFS -IC:\MWOS_M~1\OS
9\SRC\DEFS --translate_names_1 -D_UCC -D_MAJOR_REV=2 -D_MINOR_REV=4 -D_SPACE_FAC
TOR=1 -D_TIME_FACTOR=1 -D_OSK -D_MPF68000 -D_MPF68K -D_FPF881 -D_BIG_END -w --Ex
tended_ANSI --gen_c_file_name=ucc_41300.i a.c"
"Tanveer Gani acstart.i -o=ucc_41300.i -l=clib.il -l=os_lib.il ucc_41300.i"
"Radhika Allada ucc_41300.i"
"James Jones -p68000 -o=ucc_41300.o ucc_41300.i"
"The Artist Formerly Known as Tom Brasier -t=1 -o=ucc_41300.a ucc_41300.o"
"Aaron Kamienski -a=_UCC -a=_MAJOR_REV=2 -a=_MINOR_REV=4 -a=_SPACE_FACTOR=1 -a=_
TIME_FACTOR=1 -a=_OSK -a=_MPF68000 -a=_MPF68K -a=_FPF881 -a=_BIG_END -o=ucc_4130
0.r -q -bt -m0 -u=C:\MWOS_M~1\SRC\DEFS -u=C:\MWOS_M~1\OS9\SRC\DEFS ucc_41300.a"
"Nate Niceswanger -t=os9_68k acstart.r -o=a -f=orowoe -x=2 -b=2 -l=clib.l -l=os_
lib.l -l=sys.l ucc_41300.r"

A few years earlier on a self-hosted 68K OS-9 system, the message looked something like this:

Include file paths:
/dd/MWOS/SRC/DEFS
/dd/MWOS/OS9/SRC/DEFS
Library file paths:
/dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB
/dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB/HOST1
"Help Wanted -m --target=0 -I/dd/MWOS/SRC/DEFS -I/dd/MWOS/OS9/SRC/DEFS --translate_names_1 -D_UCC -D_MAJOR_REV=2 -D_MINOR_REV=1 -D_SPACE_FACTOR=1 -D_TIME_FACTOR=1 -D_OSK -D_MPF68K -D_FPF881 -D_BIG_END -w --Extended_ANSI --gen_c_file_name=ucc_10500.i a.c"
"Radhika Allada /dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB/HOST1/ansi_cstart.i -o=ucc_10500.i -l=/dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB/HOST1/clib.il -l=/dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB/HOST1/os_lib.il ucc_10500.i"
"The Artist Formerly Known As Brian Bliss ucc_10500.i"
"James Jones -p68000 -o=ucc_10500.o ucc_10500.i"
"Tom Brasier -t=1 -o=ucc_10500.a ucc_10500.o"
"Aaron Kamienski -a=_UCC -a=_MAJOR_REV=2 -a=_MINOR_REV=1 -a=_SPACE_FACTOR=1 -a=_TIME_FACTOR=1 -a=_OSK -a=_MPF68K -a=_FPF881 -a=_BIG_END -o=ucc_10500.r -q -bt -m0 -u=/dd/MWOS/SRC/DEFS -u=/dd/MWOS/OS9/SRC/DEFS ucc_10500.a"
"Nate Niceswanger -t=os9_68k /dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB/ansi_cstart.r -o=a -f=orowoe -x=2 -b=2 -l=/dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB/clib.l -l=/dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB/os_lib.l -l=/dd/MWOS/OS9/68000/LIB/sys.l ucc_10500.r"

In earlier self-hosted (i.e. versions of the compiler that ran natively under OS-9) compilers also produced some interesting output with the "-nan" option:

cc --nan
*** Special Information ***
Microware Ultra C Compiler. Version 2.1
Mar 2 1998 / 00:08:37
Processors --> 0xE7
Help --------> 0xE7
Defined -----> _OSK FUNC_PROTO MERGE NO_CFE
"A child's face can say a lot.
Especially the mouth part of the face." -- Jack Handey

SCF Buffer Message:

The SCF (sequential character file manager) component of OS-9 has a feature that lets a program preload the buffer. This could be used to let the "again" key sequence (control-A) display a default command, saving the end user some typing. If you get to a login prompt (or fork a brand new shell instance) on an OS-9 system and type a Ctrl-A, you will see a credit message:

$ shell
[1]$ by Tony Hoffman, DL, RG and others

Memory Patterns:

Most programmers will choose fun characters to store in memory when doing memory paternization. OS-9 module headers include such hex sequences as F00D (X86) and 4DAD (???). You can find DEADBEEF in some memory areas as well.

Hidden Module Strings:

If you "dump" certain modules, you might find some interesting text. Here is some "CRUD" in the kernel (dump -m kernel, or from DOS, os9dump kernel):

00001950 0000 0000 4039 2042 6c4f 436b 735f 4f66 ....@9 BlOCks_Of
00001960 5f63 7255 645f 4f6e 5f74 6845 5f64 6953 _crUd_On_thE_diS
00001970 6b5f 5f2d 3940 5f62 4c6f 634b 5320 6f46 k__-9@_bLocKS oF
00001980 2043 5275 4421 205f 2d59 4f75 2050 4174 CRuD! _-YOu PAt
00001990 4368 2041 2042 5567 5f20 614e 4420 6455 Ch A BUg_ aND dU
000019a0 6d50 5f69 5420 6147 6149 4e3a 205f 4030 mP_iT aGaIN: _@0
000019b0 4020 624c 4f63 6b53 204f 4620 6352 5564 @ bLOckS OF cRUd
000019c0 5f6f 6e5f 7448 4520 4469 734b 5f20 205f _on_tHE DisK_ _
000019d0 2d5f 5f31 3040 5f62 4c6f 634b 5320 6f46 -__10@_bLocKS oF
000019e0 2043 5275 4420 6f4e 2054 4865 2044 4973 CRuD oN THe DIs
000019f0 4b2c 205f 4030 305f 624c 4f63 6b53 5f6f K, _@00_bLOckS_o

...

...more to come... Know any? Drop me a note.

Referencess:

• comp.os.os9 archives at google.com

Comments:

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Site contents © 2001-2002 by Allen Huffman. OS-9 and all related trademarks belong to Microware Systems Corporation (or, I guess, RadiSys since they now own Microware). This site has no affiliation with Microware (or RadiSys). While I would like to think that every bit of information on this site is accurate, most likely there are many errors. If you need official information about anything discussed here, go to the manufacturer. I'm just an end user who enjoys the product. Peace.