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Re: open-source operating systems



On Mon, 23 Nov 1998, Edmund GRIMLEY EVANS wrote:

> I asked: 
> 
> > what open-source operating systems exist today?
> >
> > By "operating system" I mean something that provides at the very least
> > preemptive multitasking, and by "exist" I mean either fully functional
> > or working to a reasonable extent and being actively developed.
> 
> There were a few additions suggested to the four I mentioned, so here's
> the updated list:
> 
>  - Hurd
>  - Linux
>  - various BSD derivatives
>  - VSTa (http://www.zendo.com/vsta/)
> 	version 1.6.2 is expected soon
>  - Squeak (http://squeak.cs.uiuc.edu/):
> 	a Smalltalk that can run on bare hardware
>  - Sprite (ftp://ftp.cs.berkeley.edu/ucb/sprite/sprite.html):
> 	no longer being developed
>  - Caldera's DR-DOS
> 
> In addition to http://www.cs.arizona.edu/people/bridges/os/free.html
> there's also a list at http://camars.kaist.ac.kr/~lhg/os.html#FREEOS
> 
> My conclusion: there are surprisingly few free operating systems.

I don't think this is suprising at all: consider a programmer who wants to
get involved in OS. They will first of join some other project to get
experience, and so probably will stick with that rather than trying to
start again...

Matthew

-- 
Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo

Steward of the Cambridge Tolkien Society
Selwyn College Computer Support
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/8841/
http://www.cam.ac.uk/CambUniv/Societies/tolkien/
http://pick.sel.cam.ac.uk/


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