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Sixth - system for data storage, computation, exploration and interaction


1 Vision - A tool to amplify human ability

Makes lots of complex data intuitive to:
  - explore, understand
  - manipulate and compute on

by extensively relying on:
  - realtime 3D graphics with immediate feedback loop
  - flexible and distributed computation and data storage

“Virtual reality holds the key to the evolution of the human mind” Dr. Lawrence Angelo, The Lawnmower Man (1992)

2 Current status

3 Computation ideas

  • Program - stored instructions for execution by computer.
  • Process - Currently running program.
    • Process is self contained. Has a full copy of program code and every dependent library.
      • Memory used by processes is content addressed/deduplicated at low level in the system.
      • This allows:
        • Upgrading software installed in the system without breaking already running processes.
        • Easier migration of running processes between physical computers.
        • Possibility to suspend/resume arbitrary processes to permament storage.
        • Possibility checkpoint/revert running process.
        • Possibility to clone/branch running process.

4 Frequently Given Answers

  • Why such name ?
    • In short: it's just a number.
    • Many years ago inspired by the ideas of Forth (programming language) I decided to create my own implementation Fifth (computing/programming environment).
    • Then I realized I miss type safe object oriented capabilities. So I updated the name to Sixth and switched to Java.