Welcome to the PaulOS3 Execution Modes White Paper.
This document aims to describe the various execution modes that are planned for inclusion in PaulOS3. Different execution modes may involve different excecutable file formats for different purposes.
... and their abbreviations
Multi-tasking Windowed mode is the standard mode of operation for PaulOS3. It is the mode that it starts up in. It is akin to a standard windowing environment, with multiple programs running simultaniously in windows. No program has control over the entire screen, nor can any program acquire exclusive access to any input or output device, apart from in special circumstances.
When a program enters STFS mode, all other running programs are paused. In this mode a single program is executing, and it has access to the entire screen. The program now draws directly to the display, instead of drawing into a window on a desktop. Limited 3D capactity is planned, which will be implimented in the graphics driver, outside of the PaulOS3 core, to allow 3D acceleration to be supported depending on the graphics driver.
In STEL mode, a single program executes and has control of the entire screen. The main difference between this mode and STFS mode is that in STEL, the program being run is not a PaulOS3 program. The idea of STEL mode is to allow programs written for other platforms to run within PaulOS3. "Other platforms" has a rather limited scope in this context, refering primarily to the older class of games console, such as the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo.