Little Known Operating Systems

 

Operating Systems You May Not Have Heard Of (But Should)

While the Operating System (OS) is the most important system software powering 

the gadgets and devices we find under our fingers daily, we’re mostly familiar with 

the regular few: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and for mobile, iOS, Android OS, 

Windows OS, Blackberry OS, Symbian, Bada etc.

But outside of these usual suspects there are many more operating systems – 

big, small, easy, difficult, for general or very specific uses. Here’s 8 not-so-known 

operating systems you might find interesting.

These operating systems, though unknown to many, are unique and amazing 

software. If you cannot install any of these OS you can try them with a flash 

drive or via a virtual environment using VirtualBox or VMWare, which you might 

after you find out what they have to offer.

1. KolibriOS: Smallest GUI OS

Kolibri is the smallest GUI operating system. It was forked off from MenuetOS. 

Written completely in assembly language, it is available in two versions: 1.44MB 

with essential features and 3MB with additional features. Despite being small 

enough to fit in a floppy disk, Kolibri is a complete and working graphical user 

interface.

Kolibri can be booted using a floppy disk, optical disc, flash drive or hard disk 

drive. It can read many file systems including FAT32, NTFS, and EXT3/4. It has 

applications for all basic computing tasks, such as text editor, email client, 

HTTP client, etc.

2. Firefox OS: Mozilla’s Mobile OS

Mozilla has tried to bring a completely open source mobile platform. . 

Codenamed Boot2Gecko, Mozilla branded it under the name of Firefox OSafter 

its popular and open source web browser, Firefox. It is built on open web 

standards such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

It features an interface much like that of Android having home screen, 

notification bar, etc. It doesn’t support native apps, only web apps built using 

HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. One of the interesting features of Firefox OS is 

that everything inside it is a web page running on its separate browser 

process, like contacts manager, dialer, etc.

3. Slax: Pocket OS

Slax is a modern, live, pocket operating system based on Slackware Linux. 

Despite its small size of 220MB, it contains essential apps for basic computing, 

and you can extend its functionality using modules. Users can open a 

module (out of hundreds available e.g. Firefox, Libre Office) and the software 

will installed automatically.

Being a live operating system, it can run directly from the portable 

drivewithout the need of installation. You can just plug in your flash drive 

(with Slax on it), configure system’s BIOS to boot from the flash drive and 

voila, Slax boots up. It even features persistent storage, which means your 

data and preferences get saved in the flash drive, and are loaded automatically 

upon the next run.

4. Ubuntu for Phones: Content-focused UI

Ubuntu, the most popular desktop Linux distribution, is now available for phones 

under the name of Ubuntu for Phones, on top of Ubuntu for tablets, Ubuntu Server 

edition and Ubuntu Desktop. One of Ubuntu’s innovative features is that 

developers can write one app for all Ubuntu devices, which will be available 

via the Ubuntu Software Centre.

Ubuntu for Phones focuses on content rather than controls. It is designed 

to make your phone content easier to access â€“ every edge of the screen 

has a specific purpose, making all your apps, content, and controls instantly 

accessible.

5. ReactOS: Windows-like OS

ReactOS is a free and open source replacement for MS Windows, and is designed 

on the principles of Microsoft’s powerful NT architecture. Its kernel is 

written from scratch, and it is based on WINE. It supports many of Windows 

drivers, and is able to run many of Windows software, on a GUI similar to that 

of Windows XP/2003.

Though ReactOS is actively developed and maintained, it is not yet as functional 

as newer versions of Windows, such as Windows 7 or 8. Then again, ReactOS 

Foundation’s goal is basically to create a fully functional and compatible 

Windows replacement, which is open and free for the people.

6. Tizen OS: Samsung’s replacement for Bada OS

Samsung relies heavily on Android for its smartphone market share, but it’s trying 

to find alternative options. While it has the Bada OS, there are plans to replace 

the mobile OS on their smartphones with Tizen OS, an open source and 

standards-based software platform.

Tizen offers an innovative OS, applications, and user experience via flexible and 

powerful development environments based on HTML5. Its smartphone 

technologies provide 3D window effects, multi-tasking, multi-touch, sensor and 

location-based service frameworks, and support for multiple screen resolutions.

7. Tails: Amnesic and Incognito OS

Tails is a Linux distribution based on Debian. Tails stands for The Amnesic Incognito 

Live System, and can be run (without installation) from portable mediums such as 

optical disks and flash drives. As it is run entirely in the computer’s RAM, all files 

and browsing history is automatically erased once the system is turned 

off (amnesic).

Aimed at preserving your privacy and anonymity while browsing, Tails implements 

many security tools, including the Tor anonymity network, and cryptographic 

tools to encrypt and secure your files, email, and instant messages to protect 

your private information, including your identity (incognito).

8. Qubes OS: Security-by-Isolation OS

Qubes OS is based on Xen, X Window System and Linux. Qubes provide hardened 

security using the security-by-isolation approach, creating many security 

domains, which are implemented as lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs). These 

domains have their own set of security restrictions, isolating one domain from 

the next.

So if you separate your browser from your sensitive work data, a hacker or malware 

would not be able to access your information even if it has compromised your 

browser, thanks to the isolated domains and strategic compartmentalization. 

That’s the beauty of the security implementation of Qubes OS

[FunFunky]