Its list of supported hardware widened as it grew, and in Sun released the source code in the form of OpenSolaris, leading to advanced community development. And then Oracle purchased Sun, renamed the OS once more to Oracle Solaris, and decided to cease source releases, effectively closing the source once again. Sometime after this move, the community took it upon themselves to maintain OpenSolaris. They decided to ditch its development tools and processes and created the OpenIndiana Hipster branch to modernize the OS.
Hipster is compiled with GCC instead of Sun Studio and follows a rolling release model and the release team puts out installable snapshots every six-months. What makes OpenIndiana OI approachable to new users is that it runs familiar apps on its desktop. It uses the Mate desktop along with its cache of tools as well as a handful of mainstream productivity apps such as Firefox, Thunderbird and Pidgin.
It boots in a flash and gives you access to a number of useful apps. The OS boots in a snap and gives you the option to either launch the installer or boot into a Live session. The inclusion of a very capable partitioner in the installer is another pleasant surprise. The desktop is fairly simple to navigate and includes a handful of essential apps, plus handy administration and configuration utilities.
Visopsys does a nice job of masquerading as a regular desktop, but it really is a very capable CS project and should be treated as such. Nostalgic open source fans can still get their dose of Amiga-esque goodness through Icaros.
First-time users should appreciate the fact that the OS is distributed as an installable live CD to whet their appetite. Click on the eye icon in the panel to get an Applications menu, or on the filing cabinet to get a selection of manuals. It's worth noting that there have been a number of other operating systems that were previously popular but have since been discontinued. One of the most famous of which is AmigaOS, used in Amiga personal computers during the 's and which had a reputation for solid stability.
Much like its ancestor it's been developed with security and stability in mind for commercial applications. We see the claim 'zero downtime' repeated all over the place, and while it's theoretically possible to lock up your hardware with the wrong application, this is something that could have been a real killer feature. Developed between and , AtheOS — initially planned as a clone of AmigaOS but later following its own path — was the work of a lone Norwegian programmer, Kurt Skauen.
After Skauen abandoned the project, its GPL-licensed source code was picked up by the community and Syllable Desktop was born. The majority of it is composed of unique code, although certain components have been pulled from the vast library of open source Linux programs; there's also a Server version, which is more traditionally Linux.
Syllable's key selling point — ignoring the fact that it's free — is its speed and lightness. Slap this on a modern PC and you'll likely never have seen an OS so quick.
Syllable does lack the ports that make other indie operating systems attractive, though it contains a number of native apps for web browsing, email, VNC and more. We're not entirely positive that it's still active — the last official update was some time in — but if there's a very, very old PC you need to resurrect with reasonably modern system architecture, try this.
The development of SkyOS has sadly been halted, but it's still worth looking at as an example of an OS constructed from scratch.
Developed initially as an open source project by coder Robert Szeleney, SkyOS was based on concepts gleaned from other platforms but didn't originally borrow their code. That said, a few components are based on other packages — there's no sense, for example, developing an entirely new compiler when GCC already exists, and the SkyFS filesystem is forked from OpenBFS. Later in its life, Szeleney appears to have experimented with a version of SkyOS built on top of a Linux kernel in an attempt to help with driver compatibility.
The source was closed midway through its life, and Szeleney continued development based on feedback from a popular paid public beta program. Unfortunately the struggle to keep up with ever-diversifying computing standards became too much for the lone coder, and development was halted in , with the most recent beta made publicly available in Is it time to upgrade your operating system?
Looking to make the switch from Windows to Linux? Maybe you want to try dual-booting both at the same time. Follow this guide to install any brand new operating system on your computer. Find the system specs. Download the operating system or buy installation discs. Back up your current operating system. Determine the installation order. Boot from the install disc or run the installer.
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Related Articles. Article Summary. Author Info Last Updated: August 4, Method 1. Check the system requirements. If you've decided that you want to install a new operating system, you'll first need to figure out which one you want to use. Operating systems have varying system requirements, so if you have an older computer, make sure that you can handle a newer operating system. Make sure that your computer can accommodate this. If not, you may need to install an older operating system, such as Windows XP.
Linux operating systems typically don't require as much space and computing power as Windows operating systems. The requirements vary depending on the distribution you choose Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, etc.
Decide whether to purchase or download. Windows licenses need to be purchased. Each license comes with a key good for one installation. Most Linux distributions are free to download and install as much as you'd like, though some Enterprise versions are closed and require purchase Red Hat, SUSE, etc.
Research your software compatibility. Make sure that the operating system you want to install supports the programs that you want to use. If you use Microsoft Office for work, you won't be able to install it on a Linux machine. There are substitute programs available, but the functionality may be limited.
Many games that work on Windows will not work on Linux. The number of supported titles is growing, but be aware that if you are an avid gamer your library might not transfer over smoothly.
Obtain your new operating system. If you've purchased a copy of Windows from a store, you should have received an installation disc along with your product code. If you don't have the disc but have a valid code, you can download a copy of the disc online. If you are installing Linux, you can download an ISO of the distribution from the developer's website. Backup your data.
When you are installing a new operating system, you are most likely going to be wiping the hard drive in the process. This means that you will lose all of your files on the computer unless you back them up. Always make sure that any important files are copied to a backup location before starting the installation process. Use an external hard drive or burn the data to DVDs. If you are installing the operating system alongside your existing one, you most likely will not have to delete any data.
It is still wise to backup important files just in case. You cannot backup programs; they will need to be reinstalled once you have finished installing your new operating system. Method 2. Determine your installation order. If you are installing a Linux distribution that you want to run alongside Windows, you need to install Windows first and then Linux.
This is because Windows has a very strict boot loader that needs to be in place before Linux is installed, otherwise Windows won't load. Boot from your installation disc. Insert the installation disc into your optical; drive, and reboot your computer. Normally a computer boots from the hard drive first, so you will need to adjust some settings in your BIOS in order to boot from the disc drive. The key will be displayed on the same screen as your manufacturer's logo.
Once you are in the Setup menu, navigate to the Boot section. Obviously, this flavor is in use for several purposes. As we said, Kubuntu is an alternative PC operating system for particular purposes.
The navigator is simple and arranges all the locations in an accessible manner. This is the same when it comes to watching and browsing the images you have stored. If we put everything at once, Kubuntu is a complete package of required tools — from both open source and proprietary sectors. It should be clear that Kubuntu and Ubuntu have the same things at the core. If you are looking for a different visual approach with a better set of software, you can pick Kubuntu as a general purpose, a feature-rich alternative operating system for Windows.
Above, we have gone in-detail about the best alternative operating systems for Microsoft Windows or others. These are the major ones, but there are some not-so-popular Windows OS alternatives too.
Some of them are:. So, we have covered the six best alternative operating systems for Windows. Our list consists of both free and proprietary Operating Systems; Mac is an example for the latter. So, wish you better computing, folks! I must agree that Linux is great way to go. It also runs fairly well on older hardware.
Thanks for this informative article about operating systems, actually I was in dark regarding these OS choices until I found this article :. Hi Abhijith, Great list of operating systems you have shared which is alternative to windows. But in those I love Ubuntu most because i have used that earlier. I will try Remix OS in future. Thank you for bringing more information to this topic for me. Really appreciate for your amazing article. Thank you for this valuable information.
Thanks for sharing such a valuable information. I am not a techie and never thought I would be able to use Linux but this OS is quick and for a normal user very easy to get used to. There are so many great online softwares and browser add ons available now that I think even non technical people like me will be able to use Lubuntu.
I have it on dual boot but have not been back to Windows for months. I install it on every computer I service for older folks, that is running XP or Vista. Installation is easier than MS.
I am willing to pay for an alternative to MS, but my concern is software compatibility. They cover pretty well the world of software outside Windows and macOS. Your email address will not be published. Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer. Last updated on: December 3, Ubuntu — The Free Windows Alternative.
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