Stop Microsoft
Operating Systems => Not Quite Mainstream OSes => Topic started by: feetpete on 6 December 2003, 15:03
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Ok, it's not Linux, it doesn't have a fancy GUI like MacOS X, nor does it have any enhancements like post 96 operating systems have, or the hardware support of modern computing systems (although it does support most modern PPC processors and can run under JIT on i386), and it doesn't have any killer apps on it (anything that is available is mostly outdated by several years)...
But, like Unix and Linux, it had proper multitasking since 1984, is entirely GUI oriented (supporting a windowed CLI even if your HD is bare and formatted)and can run off of a floppy under a minimum install (try that with Windows). It just kicks Windows' ass, even XP (although it's my opinion).
Not everyone likes it, and it's fair to suggest people have forgotten its existence (it is still under development and is in much need of an update plus support for modern hardware) but it's my personal favourite next to Linux. Mac OSX comes in a very close third.
Anyone else have a favourite OS they prefer? Positive comments welcome.
BTW SOLARIS: Where do you get the code/script whatever it is to make your signatures on your posts with my IP and OS info? I like it and it could be useful to me.
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This what you're talking about?
(http://www.danasoft.com/vipersig.jpg)
Just copy that image's url and put an (http:// tag before it and an ) tag after it in your profile (but you probably knew that already).
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It looks amazing:
(http://os.amiga.com/images/os4/130603_shot3.png)
And it's for PPC.
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Amiga OS is great. You can also try AROS on x86 if you wish.
I, however, am I NeXTStep fan
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There are some reports/pics of AOS4 from a recent show in Bath, UK here:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gline/bath_report/ (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gline/bath_report/)
and here:
http://amigaworld.net/modules/features/index.php?op=r&cat_id=1&rev_id=42&sort_by (http://amigaworld.net/modules/features/index.php?op=r&cat_id=1&rev_id=42&sort_by)
and an MP3 of Alan Redhouse's speech from the show here, 20Mb, (a bit muffled though):
http://www.rycochet.com/ (http://www.rycochet.com/)
Hyperion are working towards a beta version release at the moment.
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If it's entirely GUI-based, as XP is, does it not it have a command-prompt to fall back on when things fuck up? You can do that with Linux and every Windoze before 95.
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Amigas were really nice computers. Very powerful, nice multimedia, multitasking OS.
I don't remember why Commodore went under.
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quote:
If it's entirely GUI-based, as XP is, does it not it have a command-prompt to fall back on when things fuck up? You can do that with Linux and every Windoze before 95.
With "Classic" AmigaOS there wasn't a text-mode screen, even shells were rendered fonts with graphical gadgets etc. Even the boot-menu on an A1200 was a GUI (before anything had loaded from HD/floppy). This was because the ROM contained GUI elements and filesystem etc. Not having an AmigaOne I have no idea how this has changed on the new machines. Besides things never fucked up to the point of needing a complete reinstall in my experience. In several YEARS of using an Amiga I *never* had to "do a resinstall" EVER, except for when I got a bigger HD when a "reinstall" was copying files across from one HD to another and rebooting. However, there was a no-startup shell, and once Workbench (dekstop) had loaded you have AmigaShells like consoles in linux. Again - no idea how this has changed though, hopefully not radically.
On CBM going under, the simple answer was very bad management decisions - the engineers knew a good machine (e.g. the unreleased A3000+ with onboard SCSI, AGA chipset etc.), whereas the managers only knew a "cost effective" machine, e.g. the A4000 with onboard IDE and cheap-looking PC-style case and the A500-"successor", the A600 which was a massive flop. Also un-engineering and reimplementing the chipset which was tightly tied to the hardware was slow going, so two different attempts to provide a chipset with features to compete with burgeoning SVGA capabilities did not come to fruition :(
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forgive me for being ignorant but is there a way i can try this out on a pentium 3 based machine? i have mandrake, windows ME (it's for my university's windows software to run on godsdamnit!) and a spare ext2 partition i could wipe if there was an easy way to install amigaOS on there. or is it best to try it in an amiga emulator (or get a real amiga? i think my sister has one actually.... still, it'd be easier for me to stick it on my free partition.
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I used an Amiga emulator before. Worked decently. I can't quite remember the name of it, but I know I got it off a P2P.
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quote:
Originally posted by Fett101:
I used an Amiga emulator before. Worked decently. I can't quite remember the name of it, but I know I got it off a P2P.
UAE. (http://freiburg.linux.de/~uae/)
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The only problem with the Amiga emulators was that you needed to have a copy of the Amiga kickstart ROM on disk to make it work. If you owned a working Amiga, you could make one on a floppy fairly easily.
They used to be available on the net, but people are still maintaining and selling the AmigaOS, and were selling this kickstart ROM image too. If I recall correctly, you will infringe on the Amiga copyright if you download the ROM image for free.
Which is too bad. Alot of us would like to play around with an emulator. :(
[ February 22, 2004: Message edited by: M. O'Brien ]
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When has legality ever stopped anyone on a P2P?
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yeah, amiga os is the goods :D that acmiga screenshot looks beautiful! - it's just the right ammount of style vs minimilism
ive read / seen good things about beos aswell (and am interested in the open beos project)
both os's seem to be really good 'arty' type ones (like mac - multimedia centric)
linux is coo, just cos it's linux, and the mascot is a cute penguin (i mean, what other reason's do you need? (http://tongue.gif) )
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Damn, now I want to develop a AmigaOS lookalike WM based on some Fluxbox code.
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quote:
forgive me for being ignorant but is there a way i can try this out on a pentium 3 based machine?
You can't run AmigaOS 4.0 on x86. You can run AmigaOS3.5/3.9 though, problem being as stated that legally you need an AmigaOS3.9 CD and Kickstart 3.1 ROMs.
For emulators have a look at (Windows based):
WinUAE (http://www.winuae.net/)
or for Unix/linux:
UAE (http://www.rcdrummond.net/uae/)
Richard Drummond has been doing a great job bringing UAE up to scratch, it was lagging behind WinUAE somewhat.
Or you could try Amiga Forever (http://www.amigaforever.com/) (Windows) - the good folks at Cloanto sell this reasonably priced Amiga Emulator based around WinUAE with anice suite of tools and environments, the good thing is you get the ROMs too as Cloanto licensed them from Amiga Inc. They provide an OS3.9-look environment although this is running on an AmigaOS3.1 core. If you have it you could set up an AmigaOS3.9 system, their site details how.
The closest presently to a true x86 based AmigaOS is Amiga Research OS (http://www.aros.org/) which strives to give an AmigaOS 3.1 compatible OS running natively on x86. This is work in progress.
Lastly there was a stunning x86-AmigaOS solution called "Amithlon" which ran AmigaOS3.x on a tiny linux kernel on x86 which unfortunately has presently stopped distribution due to some <cough cough> "disputes" that seem to plague the Amiga market, as well as *another* similar solution called AmigaOS XL as well - in fact the "disputes" centred around Amithlon and AmigaOS XL and IP. For some info and links see:
Amiga History Guide (http://amiga.emugaming.com/emulators/amithlon.html)
and for some info re: the "disputes" see:
Amithlon.net closure notice (http://www.amithlon.net/reason.shtml)