Alternative Operating Systems
At one time, post‐millenium, I made an extensive survey of alternative operating systems. That work was halted, the hardware and texts destroyed, the results stolen and maybe now lie at the bottom of a river. But a few memories remain. The following is an informal salvage job (no, I have no time to give you images, click on the links).
BEOS
BEOS was an attempt to make a modern operating system better than what was available at the time. It included interesting advances like, as I recall, a multimedia‐friendly file system. It failed, as far as I know, because nobody would buy an operating system without a program base and culture about it. BEOS never had that. For a while BEOS was a giveaway on the CDs on the front of computing magazines. I don’t recall much, but tried for a few months. My memory is that I was impressed, and that I realised it wouldn’t run anything I needed. Likely, that was the impression of most who tried.
Haiku
Haiku was/is a compatible version of BEOS, leveraging Open‐Source tools. When you run it, it feels different, uncluttered and stable, with interesting ideas everywhere. But it is so far from the mainstream that I did not think I could do anything substantial with it.
Dammed Small Linux
At the time, little tool‐like Linux systems were popular. They offered, if not marked different performance, better performance. Usually some interesting graphical effort too, often using window managers like OpenBox. The problem with all these systems was that they sacrificed some Linux goodness. Especially they seemed to need to build their own packaging systems, which is a huge setback. Then these systems moved in their own weird ways, which nearly always failed them. For example, one of them (was it SliTaz?) tried to build it’s configuration GUIs using web‐browser forms. That’s much easier to churn out GUIs, but is very expensive to run, defeating a key reason for running a tiny system. Still, I recall I played with Damn Small Linux a lot, even installing it on EEE computers. There’s not much more functionality I want from a computer desktop than these systems provided. But they always fell short at maintenance and GUI.
Tiny Core Linux
As I recall, Tiny Core Linux is not trying to be a tiny Linux, but using stripped‐but‐common Linux components like Busybox and Openbox. So, underneath, it is close to full Linux power. Ask me, Tiny Linux is the genuine small Linux desktop, not the tiny distros above, or the lightweights I talk about below. Near‐stock OS, no compromises, but shredded GUI desktop, As I recall, Tiny has a nice text‐only installer and disk‐mounter. If only other systems would consider text‐only. Tiny Linux also proved a point to me, that Linux graphics are slow, period. If I needed a Linux with partial GUI, I’d try this again. But I don’t.
Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux has an interesting remit—you can load it on a memory stick, plug into a computer, it will run and, critically, if you save, it saves back to the memory stick. It can also, reputedly, be easily customised. Because of this remit Puppy Linux knows what it is doing, and has survived better than other tiny Linuxes. The community has built it’s own culture of using Vala as a base language, ferocious configuration building, and goofy graphics. It has survived, and has better configuration than any heavyweight Linux desktop—Gnome 3 should have checked Puppy Linux for inspiration, not customer feedback or the cosmos. Unfortunately, I have no use for the Puppy Linux remit but, if I did, I would be using it.
Bodhi Linux
Bodhi Linux is the most significant distro built on top of the Enlightenment graphics libraries. These libraries are significantly faster than the usual Linux setups, and are also reputedly easier to work with. But, it seems, it’s been too much of a lurch to use them in place of X‐Windows.
Despite the speed, Bodhi Linux doesn’t aim at being lightweight. It aims at being overwrought. At which it succeeds in spades, with lunatic configuration, jaw‐dropping graphics and outrageous desktop effects. It’s distance from the Linux mainstream means it’s not convincing for long term usage. However, I do think anyone with an interest in this area should try Bodhi. It is fast, openly configurable, and can look stunning. Three strikes over most Linux desktops.
KolibriOS
KolibriOS is an operating system. Maybe you should read the Dedoimedio review. It’s handcrafted in machine code (nothing to do with Linux at all). It has installed for me on any computer I have tried. It looks like a box of Opal Fruits. As I recall, it succeeds at connecting to the web, and seeing USB sticks. It has a web browser and text editor. It simply tears up modern operating systems for speed—I’m back in Win98 territory. Without the outside world, it’s everything I think is lacking from modern operating systems. Which would need a book.