Who here's tried out some of the VERY alternative OSes that are out there? By this, I mean, who has used alternative OSesbeyond the Linux/BSD scene on their PC? I know that's it's been something of a hobby for me. I've used BeOS (very cool), Syllable (looking good), AROS (a sweet implementaion of AmigaOS for modern x86 hardware) and I used to do stuff with SkyOS until the people developing it decided to start charging for it. They keep promising that they'll release a free version once version 5.0 is done, but 5.0 has been in the works for years and is now looking VERY stable and usable, yet still nothing...

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I've used QNX (which no longer is free) and OS/2 Warp (for a long time, before '98 came out) and some really obscure OS-es during my first few years of computing experience. Also had a BBC Micro for a long time - which had an embedded ROM OS and ROM BASIC.

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QNX is still free for non-comercial use. I have the CD for 6.2 stitting around my house... I also used OS/2 from version 2.1 until Version 4.0, but I wouldn't really consider it a hyper-alternative OS. Instead, it was the same sort of second place alternative as Linux is today. Lots of old OS/2 people seem to have moved to Linux, btw.

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Let's see what I have in my pile of "oddities" disks...

AROS
Plan 9
BeOS

Huh, I could have swore there were at least two more...lost them probably.

But I would use AROS full-time, if I could get it online and find apps for it. A shame.

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I'm thinking of using Risc OS.. not a very alternative OS, but needing rather rare hardware.

And in my jobs I have used and still do use some other OS's like MVS (IBM mainframe) and OS/400 (IBM midrange). Especially OS400 is very nice for developing database appications, but an AS/400 is not a home machine even though some smaller models are quite attractive for the professional

BeOs was nice also; I might use it again.

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I've onced used BeOS, when I was still a n00b. It didn't realy work very well because it didn't supported my graka (S3 I guess) so it ran in graycolors , and it was rather slow (486 ).

Think I'm going to try some other alternative OSes soon

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I have used SkyOS since beta 8.2, really good, now they're at Beta 8.5 and 8.6 is in development.

I'm still trying to see if I can port a couple of things over since SkyOS is POSIX compliant.

xboxrulz

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I've been toying with the idea of making my very own alternative OS that is used from a floppy disk..What's a good way to go about this? (other than learning C)

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I tryed AROS, it was neat, but still can't be my main OS, due to the lack of software, I also tryed BeOS, but my burned CD got an error and I just did not find time to continue or in another words to lazy

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How about Vax?
I used to LOVE the vax networks at school.

A plant I used to work at uses (to this day) OS/2 to run all
the robots. All programming done to the robot cutters and
what not, was done thru a touch screen and OS/2.

REALLY obscure one, TalkerOS. OS designed just to run a telnet talker server. Entire thing could fit on a floppy, with talker and playerfiles
included. Go to your local Uni library, pop in the floppy and reboot.
POOF!! Your Talker is online til someone notices.

I run a Windows Pre Install enviroment alot of the time, I suppose that
could be considered obscure as well.

ViriiGuy

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