Python 2.7.18 AmigaOS Port Project

Project Aims

• Provide a functional Python 2.7.18 implementation for AmigaOS systems
• Maintain compatibility with legacy Amiga hardware (68000 series) while supporting newer PowerPC architectures
• Implement essential POSIX functionality through Amiga-specific workarounds
• Preserve maximum compatibility with existing Python 2.x codebases
• Optimize for AmigaOS's unique features like message passing and shared libraries

Amiga Port Limitations

⚠️ POSIX Compatibility Challenges:

• Limited thread support due to AmigaOS's process model
• Filesystem operations restricted to 31-character filename limits
• No support for symlinks on FAT filesystems
• Limited users/groups permissions implementation

⚠️ System Constraints:

• No native support for fork() system call emulation
• Reduced module availability (e.g., missing multiprocessing module)
• Memory handling optimized for Amiga's limited contiguous memory model
• Hardware-specific limitations on 68000 series (FPU requirements for certain math operations)

⚠️ Known Issues:

• Subprocess handling requires AmigaDOS workarounds
• Limited termios support for serial I/O
• No support for loadable kernel extensions
• Networking stack requires bsdsocket based TCP/IP stack and AmigaSSL

Current development focuses on maintaining core Python functionality while adapting to AmigaOS's unique architecture. Contributors are advised to test thoroughly on target hardware configurations.

Known Limitations

• No thread support (AmigaOS lacks POSIX threads)
• Limited dynamic module loading
• No fork()/exec() POSIX semantics
• Case-sensitive path handling differs from Amiga norms

Contribution Guidelines

• Test changes on real Amiga hardware or UAE-type of emulator
• Follow Amiga coding conventions for system calls
• Maintain compatibility with AmigaOS 3.1+
• Document all Amiga-specific API usage