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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : FRANK OS - Win95

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bfwolf
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Joined: 03/01/2025
Location: Germany
Posts: 182
Posted: 09:12am 10 Mar 2026
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Found by random yesterday:

FRANK OS Turns a Microcontroller Into a Tiny Retro Desktop PC
Based on FreeRTOS, this operating system has a start menu, file manager, and a terminal.

Applications are compiled as standalone ARM ELF binaries and loaded from an SD card. The OS also includes a MOS2 compatibility layer for running Murmulator OS 2 applications.

(Quotes from the website)

https://itsfoss.com/news/frank-os/

https://github.com/rh1tech/frankos?tab=readme-ov-file

MMBasic is also included!

I find that interesting and promising. Could be fun!

Regards, bfwolf
 
Volhout
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Joined: 05/03/2018
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 5759
Posted: 09:33am 10 Mar 2026
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bfwolf,

Interesting to see how they stripped MMBasic. To make MMbasic run in a window, all graphics must be re-done. A huge task if you ask me.

Volhout
PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS
 
matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 11033
Posted: 09:35am 10 Mar 2026
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Could be MMbasic for DOS. i.e. Geoff's original
 
Plasmamac

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Joined: 31/01/2019
Location: Germany
Posts: 607
Posted: 09:41am 10 Mar 2026
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Haha  
Plasma
 
bfwolf
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Joined: 03/01/2025
Location: Germany
Posts: 182
Posted: 09:49am 10 Mar 2026
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No, it seems to be a relatively recent PicoMite variant, already with structs!

https://github.com/rh1tech/frankos/blob/main/apps/source/basic/MMBasic.h

Perhaps it only runs in fullscreen mode?
But maybe we can learn something by taking a closer look?

Edit:
By the way: The project also uses the pshell that I recently presented here – including a C compiler on the Pico2!
https://github.com/lurk101/pshell
Edited 2026-03-10 19:54 by bfwolf
 
Volhout
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Posted: 09:51am 10 Mar 2026
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Nope....

from here


Edited 2026-03-10 19:52 by Volhout
PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS
 
Geoffg

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Joined: 06/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 3347
Posted: 10:04am 10 Mar 2026
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It looks like the MMBasic is the PicoMite V5.09.00.
I have not tested it to see if it is complete, but, if it is, it is a remarkable accomplishment.  In fact, the whole FRANK OS is remarkable.

Geoff
Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net
 
bfwolf
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Joined: 03/01/2025
Location: Germany
Posts: 182
Posted: 10:26am 10 Mar 2026
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  Geoffg said  It looks like the MMBasic is the PicoMite V5.09.00.


https://github.com/rh1tech/frankos/blob/main/apps/source/basic/Version.h
#define VERSION "6.02.01b6" // define the version number


  Geoffg said  In fact, the whole FRANK OS is remarkable. Geoff

Yes indeed! And that's thanks in no small part to you, @Geoff, and you, @Peter!
 
Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8656
Posted: 10:40am 10 Mar 2026
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It would have been so much nicer if the M2 board (the target hardware) could have been fitted into a sensible enclosure. I really don't like having plugs stuck out of the side of the box. It annoys me. One of my pet hates about the RPi. lol

It looks like a really nice desktop system though. :)
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
Martin H.

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Joined: 04/06/2022
Location: Germany
Posts: 1411
Posted: 11:27am 10 Mar 2026
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the only question is... Does it run PETSCII ROBOTS
Here is a short introductory video.
Edited 2026-03-10 22:15 by Martin H.
'no comment
 
Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
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Posted: 12:47pm 10 Mar 2026
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Hmmm... It appears that the picture of the "Frank M2" board that I found was actually the M1. The M2 appears to use the RP2350B. Doesn't fix the problem of having connectors all over the place though.  :(
Edited 2026-03-10 22:50 by Mixtel90
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
Volhout
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Joined: 05/03/2018
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 5759
Posted: 01:38pm 10 Mar 2026
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Connectors on all sides...
This is all due to the 10x10cm price at JLC.
Spend a little more on PCB, and buy a nice box for it.

Volhout
PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4277
Posted: 02:00pm 10 Mar 2026
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Looks to be very well documented, very ambitious and ... how did we not know about it ages ago?  (Apologies if it's just me that didn't!)

So far all I've thought is that it could do with more of a name check & thank you for Geoff & Peter (at the least).

John
 
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