A compact, general purpose kernel for parallel and EmbeddedSystems, created by the Tao Group. 
** http://www.tao-group.com/
Intent embodies a number of vital ideas:
* Hardware Independence: Taos applications run on different processor architecture's without any re-compilation of programs, using a VirtualMachine.
* Load-Balancing: Taos provides an optimum distribution of processes over the network.
* Heterogeneous Processing: Parallel applications are able to execute over networks of dissimilar processors.
* Dynamic Binding: Only those parts of an application which are needed at any time are loaded into memory. 
* Multi-Threading: A piece of code loaded into memory, is available to all programs which need it. 
* Parallelism: Taos uses a process-based programming model. 
* Object Orientation: Taos has an object-based program design model. 
* Asynchronous Messaging: Messaging does not halt the sending process. 
* Minimal Kernel (12k): Taos has a very compact implementation, optimising performance and minimising memory requirements.
The following processors are currently supported, with others in development:
* ARM 6/7
* StrongARM
* Thumb
* X86
* ColdFire
* Motorola M-core
* Motorola PowerPC
* Hitachi SH 3 / 4
* Mips R3000 / R4000 /R5000
* NEC V850
As Intent evolved over the years, its name has changed:
* TAOS
* Elate
* Intent

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'''TAOS'''

The Taos OperatingSystem was, in essence, an OS designed to run on clusters of heterogeneous processors. Code was stored in VPASM and then compiled or translated at load time to native code. It was small, almost completely hardware independent, fast, loaded and removed OS and application components as and when needed, included message passing primitives, and was generally very nifty.
** http://www.uruk.org/emu/Taos.html

It originally had a desktop version, which evolved into the Elate and then was renamed Intent. It is targeted almost exclusively at the embedded market, where it appears to be doing well.
** http://www.google.com/search?q=tao+elate+intent+operating+system+embedded

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'''Elate'''

A development and rename from TAOS.  Example: it was the kernel used in Kind Software's port of GNU SmallEiffel:
** http://www.kindsoftware.com/products/opensource/SmallEiffel/

Now renamed again to Intent:
** http://withintent.biz/index2.php

Elate was used as the kernel in the new AmigaSdk.
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CategoryOperatingSystem