Ok, i know this may sound like i do not know what i am saying, but as you may have guessed i am a bit clueless about software programming and what not. I would however like your expert advice on the following.

1. I want to customise a tablet for very specific functions. It would not run on android or microsoft OS or the IOS, how possible is that?

2. What are the cost implications for this kind of project.

I have more questions but i would take it one step at a time.

So please input and help a clueless brother out.

Thank you.

No one has any idea of what it takes to create an operating system here?

Hi charcoalblaq. I think, the reason you are not getting a reply to your question is that you are not explicit with your question. One would wonder why you should develop an operating system just to dedicate it to a specific function.
Instead of that ,why not look at accomplishing your task using embedded system. You can easily achieve this using FPGA.The advantage of using embedded system is its speed and cost.

Okay, let me be more specific. I want a tablet computer that performs specific functions and does not run on the conventional operating systems.

I do not know much about an embedded system, bt if it is able to carry out the functions i want then i guess it could work.

if you want to customize a tablet like an android tablet, you need to take the android kernel that was built from the linux kernel and then customize it or rather build your own operating system around it.
you need to do this so that you can take advantage of the already available android drivers and hardware to do your thing.

Sounds good.

What are the cost implications of that??

charcoalblaq: Sounds good.

What are the cost implications of that??

I do not know about the monetary value of that but I assure you that you will need a team of hardware developers(hackers) and software developers(hackers) to help you achieve your goal.
the size of the team depends on how complex you want your OS to be.

Ok. You seem to know alot of about this. I would get in touch with you when i am ready to implement this.

I am not a computer person and i would need your ideas on my expectations concerning this.

Thank you.

charcoalblaq: Ok. You seem to know alot of about this. I would get in touch with you when i am ready to implement this.

I am not a computer person and i would need your ideas on my expectations concerning this.

Thank you.

I am a "computer person" but I do not know alot about this as I have never developed an OS before nor have I been part of a team that developed an OS before.
sure, you can contact me, I will help you if I can. just hope that you get replies from more qualified people on this thread

Appreciate the effort though.

Would still need you though, you have a better idea of this than i do. Way better.

charcoalblaq: Appreciate the effort though.

Would still need you though, you have a better idea of this than i do. Way better.

no problem.

Otuabaroku:
Instead of that ,why not look at accomplishing your task using embedded system. You can easily achieve this using FPGA.The advantage of using embedded system is its speed and cost.

@ Otu... Have you use FPGA ?

Well, I think I have some knowledge as regards OS architecture..

in my spare time, once in month, I spend a few hours to play around with a hobby and very simple OS, implementing in C on a MIPS simulator....(links at the end of this post)
--------------------------------------------------
What you are asking is very possible but NOT so feasible...

Let me assume you have some basic technical knowledge and try to be as simple as possible... and list a few reasons out of many...

A few reasons are:
*You need a team of systems programmers who have attained the skill set of Software Architects, and SEVERAL millions of Naira to implement a basic or the SIMPLEST of OS's for ANY device that outclasses scaler processors that you may know of ...because the processors and system architecture of modern devices are far far and I mean by FAR MORE COMPLEX than what may be taught at B.Sc or M.Sc level
*You may not succeed in having all the Hardware data-sheets, schema, architecture-details of the tablet you want to customize...
*Some parts of the device like Camera, microphone, etc, may rely on proprietary code or drivers to run it.(A driver is a realtime software that acts as a bridge between your operating system's kernel and the Hardware)

YOUR OPTIONS
I wouldn't recommend the Linux Core Kernel because its not exactly ready-to-go on Mobile devices... Android, Ubuntu Mobile and Chromium Operating systems have modified or tweaked Linux kernels that optimize for Power, Interrupt prioritizer for Touch-Input, sensors, etc.

The SOURCE CODES of Android and Ubuntu Mobile Operating Systems are pretty good to go! Get the sources, learn a HELL lot of API's write a your Customized Software, integrate, compile, and wooo lala!!! ...this is still a bit expensive but its by far more feasible than trying to write from scratch.

---Evaluating the The Option I presented you:
~~assuming you have a solid knowledge of C or C++ programming.
-----learing the relevant APIs to make core changes may take you 6 to 11 months.
-----It would cost you N20,000 to millions of Naira ....worth of knowledge, internet, devices, and time(money)
-----then writing such stable program to integrate may take 1 day to 5years++ depending on the complexity and manpower available.
-----writing such program would still cost you a lot of money... (resource and time)


THE DARE-DEVIL'S option <<--sometimes I get sooo discouraged because I have gone far but haven't implemented anything so useable... but still doing it!! Its not for a feeble mind. I have been spending more money than I am making on any ad-hoc or contracted programming project.

Take a risk, take a leap... follow your passion. Don't let facts, other programmers or other veterans above my level discourage you, IF YOU TRUELY HAVE THE PASSION AND WILL!


LINKS if you still wanna do something outside Linux or Unix
---OS DEV... read this before thinking far
http://wiki.osdev.org/Getting_Started

---What I started with...
http://wiki.osdev.org/C%2B%2B_Bare_Bones

---A simulator
http://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/

--materials, get via torrents...lol
http://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/further.html

---something better to avoid Assembly...
https://sites.google.com/site/lccretargetablecompiler/

~-~-~When you grow out of these, you can take a leap and try out real systems like the "RaspberryPI"

---Even as simple as my intent is, its NOT so EASY... OS development is crazy and unparalleled.
---I am doing it to ground my self to attain some skill set of a Systems Software-Architect in FEWER years...

- - - - CHEERS - - - -
Timothy

.. I read of some few selt taught programmers who've ventured into d darksides of computer programmg: compilers, Os dev,computer graphics etc. There's one listmania on amazn i saved a few years ago , the creators signature read "selt taught . Learng to write a compiler and an operating system" followed by a long list of books (he was ostensibly consumg).is d task Uphill? You bet. But theyre some crazy minority fellows out there!
I also read an impressive list by a self taught Mathematician. The s.t maths guy had more list of books thn amazon wud allow to be listed!
One comment He made in d end of his list was " and now no one will know more thn you do in these fields and if there's a Phd who knows more, You know how to acquire the knowledge on your own" (paraphrase).
Theyre ppl with animal ambitions, tht can commit to a course 4 years!
Author of D programming lang ,walter bright, spent 10 years on a c++ compiler and this is after havg written other compilers bf. He tot it'd b a breeze.
I dnt wanna mention the creator of clojure who spent 2 years craftg tht dialect.