What are some alternative desktop operating systems?

Question

I know of Windows, Linux/Unix distros, OS X and OS/2. What other desktop operating systems are available or being experimented with?

Spare me the Linux/Unix based ones. I am a Unix fan but I'd love to hear of more variety.

Answer 1

There is an opensource windows OS that is currently in Alpha:

http://www.reactos.org/

Also, an opensource BeOS which is available:

http://www.haiku-os.org/

Another is a kind-of Amiga based opensource os:

http://aros.sourceforge.net/

Answer 2

There's also:

• SyllableOS
• AmigaOS (the official one, not AROS, but good luck getting hardware that will run it)
• MorphOS (ditto)

Answer 3

For Acorn fanatics there's RISC-OS. Acorn computer were commissioned by the BBC for schools in the UK to make a classroom computer, Acorn eventually went on to become ARM. Its still possible to buy RISC based desktop's using Intel XScale chips designed for embedded computers.

For a sort of 'UNIX-as-it-should-have-been' see Plan9 and to a lesser extent GNU-HURD

Answer 4

ReactOS is something I am going to watch - I have a VMware virtual machine of this OS and it actually runs Firefox on it. Basically, they are trying to clone Windows XP. From their homepage:

The ultimate goal of ReactOS is to allow you to remove Windows® and install ReactOS without the end user noticing the change.

Interesting, if nothing else.

Answer 5

For the console-enthusiasts there's always FreeDOS.

Answer 6

ReastOS is far from usable. I've tried all alternative OSes out there (at least all that were mentioned here), and I've fallen in love with Haiku. While it is not yet ready for production use, it is the most stable, it is actively developed and has a very enthousiastic community (look at the Haiku Code Drive: they raised $7,765.67 in two weeks without prior announcement).

It is built from scratch, but both binary and source compatible with the respected BeOS. And it's an absolute joy to use, despite the many bugs and missing features. Just don't try to live with just Haiku before they get to a release.

Answer 7

Minimalistic fasm based Menuet OS and it's distr Kolibri OS

Answer 8

Try Haiku - it's loosely based around BeOS, which sadly died a death many a year ago. I fondly recall being able to boot to a usable desktop in under 15 seconds with Be, back on a venerable old 486 with 8 megs of ram.

Answer 9

From Visopsys (VISual OPerating SYStem)

Visopsys (VISual OPerating SYStem) is an alternative operating system for PC-compatible computers, written "from scratch", and developed primarily by a single hobbyist programmer since late 1997.

Visopsys is free software and the source code is available under the terms of the GNU General Public License. The libraries and header files are licensed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License.

The bulk of Visopsys is a fully multitasking, 100% protected mode, virtual-memory, massively-monolithic-style kernel. Added to this is a bare-bones C library and a minimal suite of applications — together comprising a small but reasonably functional operating system which can operate natively in either graphical or text modes. Though it's been in continuous development for a number of years, realistically the target audience remains limited to operating system enthusiasts, students, and assorted other sensation seekers. The ISO and floppy images available from the download page can install the system, or operate in 'live demo' mode.

Answer 10

One OS that comes to my mind is BeOS.

More information is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeOS

Some work is being done in terms of development of patches and daily builds and can be obtained from here

http://www.bebits.com/app/2680

Answer 11

Sky OS
It is closed source pay-ware (30 EUR).

Answer 12

Most of the other suggestions seem to be fairly mainstream OSes. Try something really different - Oberon.

Answer 13

Since everyone seems to be suggesting *nix, and thats not what the OP wants Ill input my .02 and say: Amiga

Answer 14

   Sun Solaris, for instance.

Answer 15

I had a quick look at QNX a few years ago, when it was poised to be the basis for a next generation AmigaOS. Looked promising. I'm not sure if they pursued the desktop far after that though.