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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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)

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

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