The idea for a modern _(Forth) *(OS) has been kicking around since maybe 1995.
It's popular with folks who want a simple, understandable _(OS). Anyway, feel free
to add your ideas here (see _(Text Formatting) for info on TUNES CLiki
formatting rules).

Traditionally _(Forth) _(OS)es are _(no-kernel) systems, but recent incarnations
are integrated with "modern" _(OS)es _(kernel)s and so they have usual _(protection)
barriers.

Projects:
<UL>
  <LI>_(IsForth | http://isforth.clss.net) (for _(Unix)/_(Linux)).</LI>
  <LI>RetroForth (compact native written in _(Forth) and _(assembly) with _(NASM)),
      _("old versions" | http://retro.tunes.org),
      _("sourceforge site" | http://retroforth.sf.net), _("new versions" | http://bespin.org/~crc).</LI>
  <LI>_(BootOSA | http://mak.chat.ru) (_(old | http://maksimov435.rtc.neva.ru:8888),
      _("at FIG RU" | http://wiki.forth.org.ru/BootOS)).</LI>
  <LI>_("Enth & Flux" | http://www.ynet.com.au/sean/) (lots of experimental
      Color Forth type stuff).</LI>
  <LI>_(Aha | http://www.ultratechnology.com/aha.htm) Jeff Fox's project.</LI>
  <LI>_(colorForth | http://www.colorforth.com) _(Chuck Moore)'s _(Forth) _(OS).</LI>
  <LI>_(COLDFORTH | http://coldforth.teegra.net).</LI>
  <LI>_("OS/Forth" | http://www.forth.org/svfig/osf.html) a proposal at SVFIG
      _("old mirror" | http://twister.pp.ru:8100/tech/OS4th/).</LI>
  <LI>_(H3rL | ftp://linux01.gwdg.de/pub/cLIeNUX/interim/ABOUT) Hohensee's
      3-ring Linux, a _(Forth)-like language in the _(Linux) _(kernel).</LI>
  <LI>_(4TrOn | http://www.syntiac.com/4tron.html).</LI>
  <LI>_("JPB Forth" | http://jpb.forth.free.fr/Anglais/encadrement.html)
      a M68000 based _(Forth) system (hardware + software) with _(GUI).</LI>
  <LI>_(ForthOS | http://www.forthos.org/) started out as a port of eForth by
      _(Andy Valencia) to the x86 architecture in 32-bit mode, more recently,
      this work was dusted off to adapt it to the GRand Unified Bootloader,
      also known as "GRUB". While this was easily done, the itch was irresistable
      to spruce up the environment a bit... the result is ForthOS.</LI>
  <LI>_(ZOG | http://www.dedasys.com/freesoftware/zog.html) is _(FICL)
      on top of _(eCos).</LI>
  <LI>_(SOL | http://www.not-compatible.org/SOL/index.html) Is a small,
      _(FORTH)-like language and _(OS). It currently runs on 8086-based
      PCs with at least 64K bytes of RAM.</LI>
</UL>

Goals for a basic _(Forth) _(OS):
<UL>
  <LI>Boot up in a split second.</LI>
  <LI>Use a small portion of a floppy.</LI>
  <LI>Assembler/metacompiler so it can recompile itself.</LI>
  <LI>Editor, etc.. for a complete development environment.</LI>
</UL>

Blocks vs. Filesystems?
Do both? Say, 240 blocks on a floppy, 1200k for files.