AmiDesk is an ambitious project by Pedro "Balrog", a well-known Ami developer and demoscener, as well as the person in charge of Balrog Soft, which seeks to recreate AmigaOS 1.3 using web technologies while maintaining API-level compatibility with the original system.
Developed primarily in HTML and JavaScript, AmiDesk goes far beyond a simple visual recreation of Workbench. One of its most striking features is the implementation of simulated preemptive multitasking on JavaScript, a traditionally single-threaded language. To achieve this, the system uses generator functions and `yield` calls that are automatically injected into JavaScript applications, making the mechanism transparent to developers.
According to its author, the implementation of Exec is approximately 95% complete, while other system libraries are currently around 50% complete. The environment already includes a functional shell, several C: commands, and a fully operational RAM disk.
One of the most significant advancements is the integration of a Motorola 68000 emulator currently under development. Thanks to this work, AmiDesk can now run certain components from original Workbench disks, including BCPL programs and some native binaries. Commands like Echo and Avail now function fully within the emulated environment. Furthermore, it's possible to mount Workbench ADF images and execute certain commands directly from them using the AmiDesk Shell.
The web version also includes a Workspace powered by Google Drive. The system automatically creates a dedicated folder for data storage and allows file import using built-in tools—a necessary solution due to the access limitations imposed by the Google Drive API. The page also includes several sample applications that can be imported and run within the environment, along with script support and various utilities that showcase the system's current capabilities.
AmiDesk is available for testing from any modern browser via its official website. The project documentation also mentions plans for a future bare-metal version for Raspberry Pi, although this branch of development is still in its early stages.
Balrog is widely known within the Amigurumi scene for a history that spans from classic developments like Amigochi, a virtual pet for AmigaFrom OS inspired by the Tamagotchi phenomenon of the late nineties, to high-quality demoscene productions made together with Samplemind within the group Amiga Skool. To highlight one of the most recent, The Colour Out Of Space, presented in the competition Amiga from the Revision Satellite Party 2024 held in Puçol, where he obtained second place.
More information and access to the project: https://www.amidesk.net
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