Alternative Operating Systems - There's more than Windows, MacOS and Linux

[AmpleApricots]

Since I'm always curious about trying new things, I'm often interested in reading about alternatives to the mainstream operating systems and software. I'm throwing Linux and it's userland software into the "mainstream"-pot too, although it isn't really all that mainstream for workstations, you just find a lot of the more complex and popular userland software on the other two platforms too. I guess same goes for the *BSDs although I feel they might be different enough for it to be notable.

Tell me about the more exotic OSes you play around with or maybe even use regularly, and what you're doing with them. Did you come from a GNU/Linux Distro? What was different? What do you use the OS for, with what software? What interesting paradigms make it stand out from the mainstream? Please try to keep the TempleOS jokes to a minimum. Thanks.

 

[nohull]

TempleOS, I use it for anything and everything that God commands me to do.

 

[Ascendancy0]

Hannah Montana Linux. It gets the job done.

 

[Troonos]

TempleOS is the only OS that matters.

 

[gobbogobb]

Please try to keep the TempleOS jokes to a minimum. Thanks.

You’re not the boss of me. 640x480 is gods resolution, heathen

 

[Dick Justice]

TempleOS, I use it for anything and everything that God commands me to do.

TempleOS is the only OS that matters.

TempleOS is unironically cool and good.

 

[Feline Supremacist]

I've been thinking of using FreeBSD but I was hoping Haiku or ReactOS would be usable at this point.

 

[Bland Crumbs]

MS-DOS 3

 

[Red Hood]

You’re not the boss of me. 640x480 is gods resolution, heathen

The original Windows version of Command & Conquer: Red Alert runs natively in 640x480. If this isn't a sign that it's God's favored resolution, I don't know what is.

 

[The Real SVP]

There is AROS, the Amiga Research Operating System. Which tries to be multi platform Amiga OS. Then there are PonyOS and ToaruOS, if you want Unix without Linux or the BSD. And Xv6, if you want to learn how a Unix is made.

 

[HouseCat]

god i havent seen PonyOS being mentioned since 2013.
throwback. I wonder if its actually usable.

 

[Chi-com Soldier]

FreeBSD

You should take a look at FuryBSD.

 

[Dick Justice]

god i havent seen PonyOS being mentioned since 2013.
throwback. I wonder if its actually usable.

neofetch doesn't have an entry for it so I'm thinking no

 

[The Real SVP]

I wonder if its actually usable.

I can only get it to start in text mode without a writable RAM-disk under Hyper-V.

Edit:

Still works under VirtualBox. The package repository with the build environment is also still up. So, you could turn it into a "real" OS if you wanted.

 

[Cast Iron Pan]

TempleOS, I use it for anything and everything that God commands me to do.

Super VGA is the devil.

 

[tehpope]

Windows is the only OS not under he unix banner. iOS, MacOS, *BSD, Linux, and Android are all variants of unix. Even Sony since the PS3 have used FreeBSD for their system's OS.

I've been thinking of using FreeBSD but I was hoping Haiku or ReactOS would be usable at this point.

ReactOS might be worthwhile in like 30 years.

 

[Feline Supremacist]

You should take a look at FuryBSD.

Looks very nice will try

 

[Pickle Dick]

I've been contemplating replacing the archaic operating system that is on my eMac G4 (OS X Tiger, could upgrade to Leopard but its still old) with either MintPPC or MorphOS. The only trouble is that I don't know how well the compatibility is with apps on the former, and I do not know what the latter is, other than being based on AmigaOS and costing money.

 

[The Real SVP]

If you don't have a collection of legacy Amiga software or nostalgia for software development on AmigaOS you probably won't have a good time with MorphOS.

 

[Kosher Dill]

How many "alternative operating systems" have there even been that had significant software support?
CP/M? OS/2? BeOS?

Surprisingly there's a sort of continuation of OS/2 being actively marketed to this day:

Home - Arca Noae

Arca Noae is an OS/2-focused software and development company, providing expert consulting for a wide variety of OS/2 and eComStation installations.

www.arcanoae.com