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Its strength is transparency, small size, and closeness to the machine, not compatibility or breadth.

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It cannot:

• Run existing Windows or Linux software
• Offer broad driver support for modern peripherals
• Provide the same graphical desktops, networking, or security features
• Serve general-purpose consumer computing

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What it can and cannot do

It can:

• Control hardware with extreme efficiency
• Run interactive development sessions
• Implement specialized parallel algorithms on GreenArrays chips
• Serve as a complete, self-contained system for tasks that fit its minimal model

A pure Forth system typically has no such separation. The programmer and the running code have direct access to the whole machine, and the dictionary is both the library and the operating system. There is no package manager, no large body of prewritten applications, no conventional multi-user accounts, and no broad hardware abstraction layer supporting thousands of devices.

Differences from Windows and Linux

Windows and Linux each have a large privileged kernel. It provides strong process isolation, virtual memory with protection, networking stacks, file systems, device drivers, and security policies. Applications request services through well-defined interfaces and cannot interfere with each other or the kernel.

But the law is made, generally, by one man, or by one class of men. And as law cannot exist without the sanction and the support of a preponderant force, it must finally place this force in the hands of those who legislate.
— Frédéric Bastiat, The Law

• Standard PC processor: Get a colorForth or similar bare-metal image, write it to bootable media, and start the machine from it. The system takes complete control of the processor, memory, and basic I/O without loading any other operating system.
• GreenArrays: Use a development board that already contains the chips. A host computer running arrayForth loads programs into the nodes over a serial or other link. Once the image is written to flash, the board can run standalone without the host.

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Putting it on a computer

There are two main paths:

External static or dynamic RAM extends the limited on-chip storage, and flash holds the persistent boot image loaded at power-up. Evaluation boards supply power regulation, connectors, and interface chips so you can attach a display, a keyboard, and a host computer for development.

GreenArrays hardware

On a GreenArrays chip (such as the GA144), each of the 144 nodes is a complete, very small Forth computer. Each has its own dual stacks, a tiny local memory, and ports for talking to its neighbors. System functions are distributed across the array. Some nodes handle external memory access, some manage video timing, and others run application code. Nodes can also be loaded with small interpreters if higher-level words are needed. Messages pass from node to node, so the chip acts as one coordinated machine.

Device handling. Devices appear as ordinary Forth words: one reads a keyboard port, one writes to a video buffer, one transfers blocks to and from storage. Higher-level definitions build on them. There is no separate driver model, because the hardware registers are manipulated directly from the language. The editor, compiler, and command line are all present at once, so a person can examine, change, and test any part of the system while it runs.

Multitasking. Multitasking is usually cooperative rather than preemptive. Each task yields control when it is ready, so the system stays predictable and avoids heavy scheduling machinery.

Memory management. Memory management is deliberately simple. There are typically no page tables or protection rings. The programmer works with the physical address space or with small fixed regions allocated to each task. The stacks serve as temporary working areas, and the dictionary grows as words are added.

Main components

Boot process. When the machine powers on, a small loader copies the core Forth image into memory. This core contains the inner interpreter, the stacks, the dictionary structure, and a handful of primitive words written at the lowest level. These primitives work directly with processor registers and memory. Once the core is running, it can compile more words from source that is already present or loaded from storage. The compiler is part of the living system, so new definitions are available immediately.

What a pure Forth operating system is

A conventional operating system is a large collection of programs. It manages hardware, hides complexity from applications, and provides process isolation, memory protection, file storage, networking, and graphical interfaces. A pure Forth system takes the opposite approach: the language is the operating system. The dictionary of defined words is the system, and the interactive interpreter is the primary interface.