Operating systems: list, capabilities, versions, reviews. Russian OS: they exist, but why?

The online publication 3D News Daily Digital Digest (www.3dnews.ru), the first independent Russian publication dedicated to digital technologies, published a review of Russian operating systems, which included AstroSoft’s own development - RTOS MAX.

The policy of import substitution announced by the state has breathed new life into the market for domestically developed software platforms. Over the past few years, it has been replenished with many interesting products - both original and created from scratch, and built on the basis of Open Source solutions.

The need to accelerate the development of the domestic software market, ensure maximum independence from foreign developments in the field of high technology and preserve information sovereignty was first discussed at the highest level in 2014, when US and EU sanctions sharply increased the risks associated with the use of foreign software in business and government organizations . It was then that the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation became seriously concerned about solving this strategically significant, in the opinion of officials, issue, along with stimulating demand for national products and developing appropriate measures to support domestic developers. As a result, restrictions on the admission of foreign software in state and municipal procurement, as well as rules for the formation and maintenance of a unified register of Russian programs, were approved at the legislative level in the shortest possible time. All this has had a positive impact on the software market in Russia, which has recently been replenished with many interesting projects and developments. Including in the field of operating systems.

RTOS "MAX"
Developer: "AstroSoft"

A real-time operating system (RTOS), written by AstroSoft programmers from scratch, without borrowing anyone else's code, and designed primarily for the Internet of Things and embedded devices. In addition, it is suitable for robotics, medical equipment, smart home and smart city systems, consumer electronics, etc. For the first time, the MAX real-time OS (the abbreviation stands for “multi-agent coherent system”) was demonstrated to a wide audience in January 2017. The platform not only implements all the classic functionality of products of this type, but also has a number of unique capabilities for organizing the interaction of many devices, making it possible to simplify the creation of mechanisms necessary for embedded systems: redundancy, hot-swappable equipment, etc. One of the features of MAX is support for shared memory at the device level. This mechanism ensures automatic synchronization of information between nodes of a distributed system, resistant to failures of individual components. RTOS "MAX" is included in the register of domestic software. In addition, the product is registered with the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) and is currently undergoing certification by the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control (FSTEC of Russia) for the fourth level of control of undeclared capabilities (NDV).

"Alt Linux SPT" is a unified Linux-based distribution for servers, workstations and thin clients with built-in information security software, which can be used to build automated systems up to class 1B inclusive and personal data information systems (PDIS) up to class 1K inclusive. The OS allows you to simultaneously store and process confidential data on one personal computer or server, provide multi-user work with restricted access to information, work with virtual machines, and also use centralized authorization tools. The certificate issued by FSTEC of Russia confirms the product’s compliance with the requirements of the following governing documents: “Computer equipment. Protection against unauthorized access to information. Indicators of security against unauthorized access to information” - according to security class 4; “Protection against unauthorized access to information. Part 1. Information security software. Classification according to the level of absence of undeclared capabilities” - according to the 3rd level of control and technical conditions. Technical support for Alt Linux SPT users is provided by the Free Software and Technologies company through the development partner Basalt SPO.

The Viola platform is a set of enterprise-level Linux distributions that allow you to deploy corporate IT infrastructure of any scale. The platform includes three distributions. This is a universal “Viola Workstation”, which includes an operating system and a set of applications for full-fledged work. The second is the server distribution "Alt Server", which can act as an Active Directory domain controller and contains the most complete set of services and environments for creating a corporate infrastructure (DBMS, mail and web server, authentication tools, work group, virtual machine management and monitoring, and others tools). The third is “Alt Education 8”, focused on everyday use in planning, organizing and conducting the educational process in institutions of general, secondary and higher education. In addition, the Basalt SPO product series includes the above-mentioned certified Alt Linux SPT distribution kit and the Simply Linux operating system for home users.

A Russian project to create an ecosystem of software products based on the Linux distribution, designed for complex automation of workplaces and IT infrastructure of organizations and enterprises, including in data centers, on servers and client workstations. The platform is presented in the “OS.Office” and “OS.Server” versions. They differ in the sets of application software included in the distribution kit. The office edition of the product contains the operating system itself, information security tools, a package of programs for working with documents, an email client and a browser. The server version includes an operating system, information security tools, monitoring and system management tools, an email server and a DBMS. Potential users of the platform include federal and regional authorities, local governments, companies with state participation and state corporations. It is expected that the OSi-based ecosystem will in the near future become a full-fledged alternative to Western analogues.

Astra Linux
Developer: NPO "Russian Basic Information Technologies" (RusBITech)

Development of the research and production association "RusBITech", presented in two versions: Astra Linux Common Edition (general purpose) and Astra Linux Special Edition (special purpose). Features of the latest version of the OS: developed means of ensuring information security of processed data, a mechanism for mandatory access control and control of the closedness of the software environment, built-in tools for marking documents, recording events, monitoring data integrity, as well as other components that ensure information protection. According to the developers, Astra Linux Special Edition is the only software platform that is simultaneously certified in the information security certification systems of the FSTEC of Russia, the FSB, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and allows the processing of restricted access information containing components of state information in automated means of all ministries, departments and other institutions of the Russian Federation secret information classified no higher than “top secret”.

The ROSA Linux operating system family includes an impressive set of solutions designed for home use (ROSA Fresh version) and use in a corporate environment (ROSA Enterprise Desktop), deployment of infrastructure IT services of an organization (ROSA Enterprise Linux Server), processing of confidential information and personal data ( ROSA "Cobalt"), as well as information constituting a state secret (ROSA "Chrome" and "Nickel"). The listed products are based on the developments of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Mandriva and CentOS with the inclusion of a large number of additional components - including original ones created by programmers of the ROSA Scientific and Technical Center for Information Technologies. In particular, OS distributions for the corporate market segment include virtualization tools, software for organizing backups, tools for building private clouds, as well as centralized management of network resources and data storage systems.

Calculate Linux is available in Desktop, Directory Server, Scratch, and Scratch Server editions and is designed with home users and SMBs in mind who prefer to use open source software instead of proprietary solutions. Platform features: full-fledged operation in heterogeneous networks, a mechanism for roaming user profiles, tools for centralized software deployment, ease of administration, the ability to install on portable USB drives and support for binary repositories of Gentoo updates. It is important that the development team is accessible and open to any comments, suggestions and wishes of the user audience, as evidenced by the huge number of ways to get involved in the Calculate Linux community and platform development.

"Ulyanovsk.BSD"
Developer: Sergey Volkov

A certified and secure operating system that allows you to process information in accordance with Federal Law No. 152 “On Personal Data” and implement systems for processing restricted access information that is not related to state secrets. ICLinux includes remote administration tools, has a built-in firewall certified for compliance with the RD ME for security class 3, supports RDP, X-Windows System, SSH, Telnet, VNC, VPN, NX, ICA and other protocols. The platform’s assets also include compatibility with the authentication tools of the Aladdin R.D. company. and a modular architecture that allows you to flexibly customize the operating system to suit customer requirements.

"Alpha OS" (Alfa OS)
Developer: ALFA Vision company

Another Linux clone, equipped with a user interface a la macOS with a set of familiar office applications and filled with deep philosophical meaning. No joke, on the developer’s website in the “About the Company” section, it says: “An operating system is a special phenomenon, a point at which technological, aesthetic and humanitarian concepts converge. A peak that is visible from all sides. For it to shine and become what it should be, a wide variety of meaningful experiences are needed. And we have it." There is so much expression in these words, what a presentation of information! Agree, not everyone can present their product to a wide audience so expressively. Currently, Alpha OS is presented as a desktop version for x86-compatible systems. In the future, ALFA Vision intends to roll out mobile and server editions of the OS to the market, as well as a distribution kit for devices based on ARM processors.

"Elbrus"
Developer: JSC "MCST"

A software platform developed specifically for computing systems with SPARC and Elbrus architecture. A special feature of the system is the radically redesigned Linux kernel, which has implemented special mechanisms for managing processes, virtual memory, interrupts, signals, synchronization, and support for tagged calculations. “We have done fundamental work to transform the Linux OS into an operating system that supports real-time operation, for which relevant optimizations have been implemented in the kernel. During real-time operation, you can set various modes for processing external interrupts, scheduling calculations, exchanges with disk drives, and some others,” explains the MCST company. In addition, a set of tools for protecting information from unauthorized access is built into the core of the Elbrus software platform, which allows you to use the OS to build automated systems that meet the highest information security requirements. The system also includes archiving, task scheduling, software development and other tools.

"Red OS"
Developer: Red Soft company

An operating system based on the Linux kernel, designed to ensure the security of processed data. "Red OS" complies with domestic information security requirements, has pre-configured configurations for each hardware architecture, uses GOST 34.11-2012 algorithms in the ssh and NX protocols, and also supports access control lists. In addition, the OS supports network authentication using plug-in authentication modules (PAM, Pluggable Authentication Modules) and includes a specialized distributed audit subsystem that allows you to monitor critical security events in the corporate network and provides the IT administrator with the necessary tools for prompt response to incidents IB.

GosLinux (“GosLinux”)
Developer: Red Soft company

GosLinux OS was created specifically for the needs of the Federal Bailiff Service of the Russian Federation (FSSP of Russia) and is suitable for use in all government bodies, state extra-budgetary funds and local governments. The platform is built on the CentOS 6.4 distribution, which includes developments from Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The system is presented in two editions - for servers and workstations, contains a simplified graphical interface and a set of pre-configured information security tools. The OS developer is the Red Soft company, which won the competition in March 2013 for the development, implementation and maintenance of automated information systems of the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia. In 2014, the system received a certificate of conformity from the FSTEC of Russia, confirming that GosLinux has an estimated trust level of OUD3 and complies with the requirements of the governing document of the State Technical Commission of the Russian Federation for the 4th level of control over the absence of undeclared capabilities. The GosLinux OS distribution for government agencies is located in the national fund of algorithms and programs at nfap.minsvyaz.ru. Currently, the GosLinux platform is being actively deployed in all territorial bodies and divisions of the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia. The OS was also handed over for trial operation to representatives of the authorities of the Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd and Yaroslavl regions.

A secure general-purpose operating system designed for building stationary and mobile secure automated systems in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Accepted for supply to the RF Armed Forces in 2002. WSWS is based on the Linux kernel and components, supplemented by discretionary, mandatory and role-based models for restricting access to information. The system operates on hardware platforms Intel (x86 and x86_64), SPARC (Elbrus-90micro), MIPS, PowerPC64, SPARC64 and is certified according to the information security requirements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The security measures implemented in WSWS make it possible to create automated systems based on the platform that process information that constitutes a state secret and has a secrecy level of “SS” (top secret).

"Zarya"
Developer: FSUE "Central Research Institute of Economics, Informatics and Control Systems" ("CSRI EISU", part of the "United Instrument-Making Corporation")

A family of software platforms based on the Linux kernel, which represent an alternative to foreign operating systems currently used in law enforcement agencies, the public sector and defense enterprises. The Zarya desktop operating system is compatible with most traditional office applications and programs. The Zarya-DPC server platform allows you to organize an application server or database server. To build data centers, it offers a standard set of server software, virtualization tools, as well as the ability to work on so-called “big hardware,” including mainframes. For embedded systems operating without human intervention, which must process information in real time, a special OS “Zarya RV” has been developed. The system corresponds to the third class of protection against unauthorized access and the second level of control over the absence of undeclared capabilities. The platform was developed by order of the Russian Ministry of Defense and is expected to be in demand by law enforcement agencies, the defense complex, as well as commercial structures working with state secrets and personal data.

Another software platform for deploying workplaces in the IT infrastructure of an enterprise using inexpensive terminal solutions. The WTware distribution includes services for downloading over the network, tools for working with printers, barcode scanners and other peripheral equipment. Supports COM and USB port redirection, as well as smart card authentication. To connect to the terminal server, the RDP protocol is used, and to quickly resolve issues that arise when setting up the operating system, detailed documentation is included with the distribution. WTware is distributed under commercial terms and licensed by the number of workstations. The developer offers a free version of the OS for the Raspberry Pi minicomputer.

KasperskyOS
Developer: Kaspersky Lab

A secure operating system designed for use in critical infrastructures and devices. The Kaspersky Lab platform can be used in automated process control systems (APCS), telecommunications equipment, medical devices, cars and other gadgets from the world of the Internet of Things. The OS was created from scratch and, due to its architecture, guarantees a high level of information security. The basic operating principle of KasperskyOS comes down to the rule “everything that is not permitted is prohibited.” This eliminates the possibility of exploiting both already known vulnerabilities and those that will be discovered in the future. At the same time, all security policies, including prohibitions on performing certain processes and actions, are configured in accordance with the needs of the organization. The platform will be supplied as pre-installed software on various types of equipment used in industrial and corporate networks. Currently, Kaspersky Lab's secure OS is embedded in an L3 routing switch developed by Kraftway.

As a conclusion

An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services to computer programs. All computer programs, with the exception of firmware, require work.

Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software to allocate CPU time, mass storage, printing, and other resources.

The dominant desktop operating system is Microsoft Windows with a market share of about 83.3%. MacOS from Apple Inc. ranks second (11.2%), and Linux flavors are in third position (1.55%).

In the mobile (smartphones and tablets) sector, as of the third quarter of 2016, Google's Android dominates with 87.5% and a growth rate of 10.3% per year, followed by Apple's iOS with 12.1% and a decline in the market per year A share of 5.2 percent, while other operating systems account for only 0.3 percent.

Linux distributions dominate the server and supercomputing sectors. Other specialized classes of operating systems, such as embedded systems and real-time systems, exist for many applications.

Let's look at the OS usage statistics according to the data. Attention, the statistics show the aggregate data of all Platforms:

• Desktop
• Mobile
• Tablet
• Console

TOP operating systems in Ukraine:

In Ukraine, the leading operating system in use is, of course, Windows - 73.33% of all devices, from desktop to pocket-sized. And since mobile technologies are taking their toll, Android also took 13.19% in Ukraine. The operating system produced by Apple OS X ranks third - 5.38%, and even if we add the iOS figure - 4.46% - this will not allow it to overtake Android in popularity in Ukraine.

Belarus has the following OS statistics:

The first is Windows - 71.27%, the second is Android - 17.74% and the same situation with OS X - 4.2% and iOS - 3.55%.

OS rating in Kazakhstan:

Kazakhstan is more mobile. And although Windows is still first - 63.85%, Android has 23.08%, that is, almost 1/4. The iOS rating is also higher here - 7.83%.

Popularity of operating systems in Russia:

Windows first place - 68.58%. Second and third place Android - 15.88% and iOS - 7.11%

Statistics of operating systems in the world:

Taking into account the aggregate statistics of desktop and mobile platforms, as of July 2017, Android OS is in the lead - 41.24% of all devices. Second and third respectively Windows - 35.24% and iOS - 13.2%.

A little history

In the 1940s, the earliest electronic digital systems did not have operating systems. Electronic systems of this time were programmed using rows of mechanical switches or via jumpers on circuit boards. These are special-purpose systems that, for example, generated ballistic tables for the military or controlled the printing of payroll checks from data on punch cards. After general-purpose programmable computers were invented, machine languages ​​(consisting of strings of binary digits 0 and 1 on punched paper tape) were introduced to speed up the programming process.

In the early 1950s, a computer could only execute one program at a time. Each user used the computer exclusively for a limited period of time and received scheduled time with the program and data on punch cards or punched tape. The program will be downloaded to the machine and the machine will run until the program completes. Typically programs can be debugged from the front panel using toggle switches and panel lamps.

Later machines came with libraries of programs that would be linked to a user program to assist with operations such as input and output, and generating computer code from human-readable symbolic code. This was the genesis of the modern operating system. However, the machines still performed one task at a time. At the University of Cambridge in England, the work order was once a washing line (clothing line) from which ribbons were hung with different colored pins to indicate work priorities.

An improvement was the Atlas Supervisor, introduced with the Manchester Atlas, introduced in 1962, "considered by many to be the first recognizable modern operating system"

Macos

MacOS (formerly "Mac OS X" and later "OS X") is a line of open-kernel graphical operating systems developed, marketed and marketed by Apple Inc., the latter of which comes pre-loaded on all Macintosh computers currently shipping. MacOS has been Apple's main operating system since 1984. It is a UNIX operating system built on technology developed at NeXT in the second half of the 1980s until Apple bought the company in early 1997. The operating system was first released in 1999 as Mac OS X Server 1.0, and in March 2001 as a client version (Mac OS X v10.0 "Cheetah"). Since then, there have been six more different "client" and "server" editions of macOS until they were combined into OS X 10.7 "Lion".

Before its merger with macOS, the server version—macOS Server—was architecturally identical to its desktop counterpart and typically ran on Apple's line of Macintosh hardware. macOS Server included workgroup management and administration tools that provide simplified access to key network services, including Mail Transfer Agent, Samba Server, LDAP Server, Domain Name Server, and others. With Mac OS X v10.7 Lion, all server aspects of Mac OS X Server were integrated into the client version, and the product was renamed "OS X" (dropping the "Mac" from the name). Server tools are now offered as an app.

Linux

Ubuntu, a desktop Linux distribution. The Linux kernel began life in 1991 as a project by Linus Torvalds, then a university student in Finland. He posted information about his project on a newsgroup for computer students and programmers and received support and help from volunteers who were able to create a complete and functional kernel.

Linux is Unix-like, but was developed without any Unix code, unlike BSD and its variants. Because of its open-license model, the Linux kernel code is open to study and modification, which has led to its use on a wide range of computing devices from supercomputers to smartwatches. Although estimates suggest that Linux is used on only 1.82% of all "desktop" (or laptop) PCs, it is widely used for use on servers and embedded systems such as cell phones. Linux has replaced Unix on many platforms and is used on most supercomputers, including the top 385. Many of the same computers are also on Green500 (but in different orders), and Linux runs on top 10. Linux is also widely used on other small, energy-efficient computers, such as smartphones. The Linux kernel is used in some popular distributions such as Red Hat, Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Google's Android, Chrome OS and Chromium OS.

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a family of operating systems developed by the Microsoft Corporation and designed primarily for computers based on Intel architecture, with an overall overall usage of 88.9% on Internet-connected computers.

Microsoft Windows was first released in 1985 as an operating environment running on top of MS-DOS, which was the standard operating system shipped on most Intel personal computers at the time. In 1995, Windows 95 was released, which only used MS-DOS as the boot system. For backward compatibility, Win9x can run real-time MS-DOS and 16-bit Windows 3.x drivers. Windows ME, released in 2000, was the last version of the Win9x family. Later versions were based on the Windows NT kernel. Current Windows client versions run on IA-32, x86-64, and 32-bit ARM microprocessors. Additionally, Itanium is still supported on the older version of Windows Server 2008 R2. In the past, Windows NT supported additional architectures.

Server editions of Windows are widely used. Microsoft has spent significant capital in recent years to promote the use of Windows as a server operating system. However, the use of Windows on servers is not as widespread as on personal computers because Windows competes with Linux and BSD for server market share.

ReactOS is an alternative Windows operating system that is developed on Windows principles - without using any Microsoft code.

Other

There have been many operating systems that were significant in their time but are no longer there, such as AmigaOS; OS/2 from IBM and Microsoft; Classic Mac OS, the non-Unix predecessor to Apple's MacOS; BeOS; XTS-300; RISCOS; MorphOS; Haiku; BareMetal and FreeMint. Some of them are still used in niche markets and continue to develop as minority platforms for enthusiast communities and specialized applications. OpenVMS, formerly from DEC, is still actively developed by Hewlett-Packard. However, other operating systems are used almost exclusively in academia, for teaching about operating systems, or for researching operating system concepts. A typical example of a system that performs both roles is MINIX, while, for example, Singularity is used solely for research.

Other operating systems failed to gain significant market share, but introduced innovations that influenced major operating systems.

Many of you may have heard that there are other operating systems for your computer besides Windows.

In this article we will make a brief overview of the most famous representatives of operating systems, and perhaps you will want to change your life by trying another OS.

Windows

Windows XP

This operating system appeared quite a long time ago; 3 Service Packs and a lot of pirated assemblies have already been released for it. There are so many of them that you are unlikely to find one that is similar to XP, released by Microsoft. One of the most famous such assemblies - ZverCD. It is so famous that it is sold in stores. Its main advantage is its ease of installation and the fact that the same disk contains many programs that will be useful to you, including the K-Lite Codec Pack (a collection of codecs for viewing audio and audio). video).What is also noteworthy about it is that the drivers are installed themselves during installation. I digressed a little from the main topic. So, the pros and cons of Windows XP.

Pros:

• The first and most important advantage of Windows XP is that you get used to it. You know how to use it, you almost never have problems with it, and if you do, then hackers, a weak computer, slow Internet are to blame - in general, everything except. Also, you are very accustomed to its interface, which you will most likely be uncomfortable with others.
• The second, important plus is that most programs and games are not released. Of course, they can be run on other operating systems, but it will be more difficult than on .

Cons:

• Windows xp requires more resources than other operating systems; it does not have such an abundance of settings as on other systems.
• Programs for it are mostly paid, that is, you will either have to pay or live knowing that you are using illegal software (of course, for many programs there are free alternatives that do not always differ much in functionality. They are not used mainly because they do not know about them or because of the same habit).

Windows 7

Now let's stop thinking about the past and look at what we have now. Windows 7 solved many problems that arose in Windows XP, introduced many conveniences that you will constantly enjoy, and along with it new problems appeared.

Pros:

• Improved visualization has appeared (ease of use, desktop widgets).
• Now, when you insert a device, Windows 7 will immediately install a driver for it from the Internet for you.

Cons:

• Despite the changes, windows is still windows. Therefore, the disadvantages are the same as for XP.

Linux

*nix is ​​a similar operating system created by student Linus Torvald. Significantly different from Windows, used mainly by programmers or for servers. But there are not only distributions for servers and programmers, but also for ordinary users, so why do the majority use Windows, and not a licensed one? It’s elementary, because, I’m not afraid to repeat, people are used to Windows, and some people don’t have time to relearn. We would really have to relearn if we lived in, say, 2005. There are now enough distributions available to choose the right one. There is even one that has an interface identical to the Windows interface. But we will focus on the most common and most suitable distribution for ordinary users - Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 10.04

I decided to take the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version because it is significantly different from the previous ones - it is Ubuntu 10.04 lucid lynx. It solves the main problem of Linux - connecting to the Internet. Unlike previous versions, you don’t need to configure anything in this version, you just install the Wicd program, click the “connect” button and you have access to the Internet. Internet access is very important on Ubuntu, updates are released almost weekly, also with each installation of an English-language program, you can check whether it has a Russian language by going to the language settings and installing all the updates there. Also, compared to previous versions, the number of problems has decreased. Ubuntu comes out every six months, which is also important. Now let's move on to the pros and cons.

Pros:

• Ubuntu starts up many times faster than Windows. You can also change the user quite quickly.
• There is no need to manually install drivers; it is possible to connect different sources to update the system and applications.
• There will be almost no problems with downloading and installing applications; you do not have to go into the browser to find and download the program, just go to one of the application management managers, find the desired application there and install it.
• Lots of settings. You can customize the system completely to suit yourself. The interface is customizable to the smallest detail. Also, there are many sites on which all setup processes are described. One of them is Ubuntuology. Everything is described there, starting with installation.
• Some programs have been ported from Windows to Ubuntu. That is, you can safely use your favorite browser Opera/Mozilla Firefox/Google Chrome on Ubuntu, talk through your usual Skype and Mail.ru Agent.
• No viruses. This means that you do not need to install an antivirus. There are dangerous terminal commands that you can accidentally run from the Internet, but it all depends on your attentiveness. Also, Ubuntu has a built-in Firewall.
• Ubuntu offers codecs for audio and video to download as needed. This is why an Internet connection is so important.

Cons:

• Setting up Ubuntu may seem complicated and time-consuming to you, because most of the time it is. You can do without it, but to really enjoy Ubuntu, you'll have to go through the setup process.
• In fact, there are few ported programs. In order for you to use the same programs as on Windows, you will have to install one of the programs designed for this (for example, Wine), configure libraries, fonts, install the Directx driver, if needed. Or install Windows on a virtual machine. In general, again setting up.
• Not all programs can be installed from the Application Center. Some will have to be downloaded from the Internet manually, and some of them are not in deb format (Debian installation package, installation is similar to installing exe), but in tar.bz2 format, that is, in archives. You will have to unpack and install them manually.
• Fans of the game may have problems. Of course, a lot of games are released on Ubuntu, but in order for you to have access to your Steam, for example, you will have to either install Windows on a virtual machine or configure Wine.

Also, after this version, versions of Ubntu 10.10 and 11.04 were released, but nothing new except the alternative Unity graphical shell that could be added to the pros or cons appeared.

MacOS

An operating system created by Apple Corporation. We will not analyze it in detail, we will describe it in general terms, without touching on individual distributions, since not everyone can afford it, only if it is a pirated copy, which is not so easy to install. The operating system itself is not sold separately; it is sold only with Apple laptops and desktop computers. One such laptop will cost you approximately 50,000 rubles, it is clear that there is an overpayment for the brand, but despite this price they are bought, which means there is still something remarkable in it.

From this article you will learn:

About what alternative systems for computers are.

That the operating system Windows not the only one who can organize the work of your PC or laptop.

In the variety of devices that surround us today, you often begin to get confused about what an operating system is. Or rather, in the very concept of an operating system, what types of operating systems are there, and what is an alternative to Windows? After all, we are really used to the fact that our computers are equipped with a product from Microsoft. This is not bad, Windows is familiar to many, and, as a rule, does not cause difficulties for carrying out work processes. In turn, many have heard about Linux, that it is an alternative, and the most inquisitive users work in it and install it on their PCs and laptops. Today there are quite a lot of alternatives for your devices. Operating systems are developed both by large corporations and small groups of like-minded people. Today we are talking about operating systems other than Windows, we understand what is on the market, and in no case do we encourage you to reinstall the OS Windows . The article is purely for the purpose of broadening your horizons, welcome to the cat, friends.

You know, in order to install most of the systems described below, I used virtual machines. I repeat once again - this is not a call to reinstall everyone, this is an opportunity to learn about what operating systems there are and why they are created.

Linux, FreeBSD and others

The beginning must be laid with those products that are talked about at every step. The list could not be complete, because the most important things must be brought to the fore. Linux operating systems are the most important of the alternatives because they are perfect for PCs. Linux today is known in many of its incarnations, because everyone has heard about Ubuntu, CentOS, Linux Mint, etc. I'm sure most of these products are quite familiar to you. After all, if it has ever occurred to you to install an operating system other than Windows, perhaps one of the distribution kits above is what you were considering.

Linux is a Unix-like open source operating system. At the same time, Linux is not alone, because there is such a system as FreeBSD. FreeBSD uses a different kernel, but is very similar in terms of standard software. If you install FreeBSD on your computer, you will hardly notice the difference.

Chrome OS

Google's Chrome OS operating system is based on the Linux kernel, but the desktop and entire user environment are completely redesigned for certain Google tools.

There is a lot of controversy about Chrome OS, because for the most part this system is not ideal. Its capabilities are limited as soon as the Internet connection is lost. Apparently, Google designed the system as a product pre-installed on specialized devices, Chromebooks, which are significantly cheaper than all laptops available today. As you understand, cheap devices always have some limitations in functionality, but if you consider the system with the Internet, it will look more than decent - just like the Chromebook itself.

Steam OS

Valve's Steam OS is currently available for beta testing. Anyone can go to the site, agree to the terms of the version, and download. Technically, Steam OS continues the tradition of Linux, including most of the standard software. However, Steam OS is the first (serious) operating system created for games. Or rather, for new, powerful PCs, which in the future will come with pre-installed Steam OS.

It is quite obvious that the developers, Valve, made the system for games. After all, Steam is the largest game store today.

Around 2015 it is planned to put Steam OS on stream. The operating system from Valve will be supplied with PCs from the same manufacturer. How easy it will be to install the system on a regular computer (not from Valve) is not yet known. I just want to say one thing: to take screenshots for this article, I had to work hard before seeing the Valve logo in the download.

Android

Do you think that I was mistaken in something, because Android is an operating system for mobile devices? In fact, this is not entirely true. First of all, Android is Linux, or rather the kernel of this system is from Linux, this is where the similarities end, and the system is significantly different from conventional operating systems.

Android was originally developed for mobile devices - tablets and smartphones. However, recently the situation has changed. The system is now available on desktops and you can easily install it alongside Windows. There are quite a few methods to run Android on your workstations. It is known that Intel is developing its own system port for high-quality functioning in conjunction with PC hardware.

Yes, for PC - the Android system today is far from ideal. You won't be able to use multiple apps to organize your workflows. However, if you are very interested, you can always install the system on your PC and see its functionality.

Mac OS X

Yes, Mac OS X is exclusive to the company's devices Apple . The system meets all the requirements for modern operating systems today. There was a time when Mac OS was installed exclusively on company devices. Today, times are different, and you can easily install the Apple system on any computer (preferably a laptop).

The difficulty in porting the system to other devices was the company's licensing agreement, which simply did not allow Apple software to be installed on excellent devices. In turn, Mac OS X will work perfectly if you can bypass the restrictions set by Apple.

So how do you install Mac OS X on your computer? Look for the community, or better yet, read the article on our portal about hackintosh and all the necessary parameters in order to be able to run Apple systems on your computer.

Haiku

Actually, the block about more well-known operating systems is over, it’s time to move on to something unusual and less familiar. Alternative operating systems are quite interesting, but it is even more interesting to know about those products that are not so common, but are also worthy of attention.

BeOS was a very lightweight operating system for computers with weak hardware. In 1998, the system was ported to the Intel x86 platform, but was unable to compete with Microsoft Windows.

Then serious passions flared up between the companies, with lawsuits and accusations of pressure on Hitachi and Compaq from Microsoft. To prevent companies from releasing equipment that meets BeOS requirements. Microsoft then settled the controversy by paying $23.5 million out of court to Be Inc. As a result, Be Inc. was acquired by Palm Inc.

Haiku is a freely distributed operating system based on BeOS (some redefinition of this system). Today Haiku is available on the Internet, it is not updated very often (the last release was in 2012), but overall the system is very well suited for weak computers (even today).

eComStation

There was a time when IBM collaborated with Microsoft to develop an operating system. Yes, it was a very long time ago. At that time this system was called OS/2. Even after Microsoft ended its cooperation with IBM, IBM continued to develop its project, at some stage OS/2 competed with MS-DOS and the original versions of Windows. However, it was not so successful and as a result, Microsoft was able to capture the market in the best possible way. At the same time, there are old ATMs and personal computers (cash registers) that still use this system in a slightly modified form. After all, IBM eventually sold OS/2, it underwent some changes and received a completely different name.

Today, the OS is being developed by Serenity Systems, and it is called eComStation. On our list, this is the second commercial system after Apple, which is provided under certain conditions (Mac OS X is also provided exclusively on Apple devices, which means it is paid to some extent).

At the same time, it is always possible to install a trial demo version from the developer’s website to evaluate all the capabilities of this product. I repeat, today eComStation is used exclusively for weak machines, mainly in the business segment for organizing commercial equipment.

ReactOS

Have you ever heard of ReactOS? No? It's strange, because this is one of the redesigned versions of Windows NT - completely free. The system was created as a public version of Windows that interacts with all Windows applications, as well as device drivers.

ReactOS is associated with the Wine project, which allows you to significantly expand its capabilities, because thanks to this code you can run Windows applications on Linux or Mac OS X. Again, this is not Linux - ReactOS is an attempt to make Windows NT a public operating system. As you probably know, all modern operating systems of the company Microsoft (starting with Windows XP) are based on Windows NT.

Today ReactOS is considered an alpha version. The goal of the project is to become compatible with Windows Server 2003. Quite a long and difficult development path, which in itself is not bad - after all, the project has room to grow.

Syllable

Syllable is a freely available operating system. Today there are a lot of operating systems and their derivatives in the article; you may not have heard of most of these systems. This is not surprising, since only good developments achieve degrees of fame due to the large number of competitors. There was also AtheOS, of which Syllable is a derivative. Initially, the system was supposed to be a copy of AmigaOS, but something went wrong. Syllable is a lightweight operating system using many components from GNU and Linux. To tell the truth, when I installed the system on my virtual machine, I could not even imagine such performance. A really fast and convenient operating system for weak computers, although I can’t vouch for how it works in practice (after 2-3 months of operation) (I haven’t tested it).

SkyOS

Most of the OS on our list are freely distributed products, you can easily download, install and use them. In turn, SkyOS is the property of the company that develops the system (it develops very slowly). Initially, the system was sold, then beta versions appeared, which also do not work without a key, but the key lies very close (on the same page from which the distribution was downloaded).

Development of SkyOS ended in 2009, but the latest “beta” version was released in 2013, which means the project is more likely alive than dead.

and similar

No list of alternative operating systems would be complete without Linux. It is an alternative operating system for PC. Linux comes in different flavors known as d distributionsLinux. Ubuntu andMint- the most famous of them. If you want to install an alternative operating system on your PC, then most likely you will install one of these Linux distributions.

Linux is a UNIX-like operating system, like other open source operating systems, such as the operating system FreeBSD. FreeBSD uses a different kernel, but uses much of the same software that you might see in typical Linux distributions. The experience with FreeBSD will be similar to the experience with Linux.

ChromeOS

Google's Chrome OS is built on the Linux kernel, but with desktop software and user-level programs replaced, so only software designed specifically for it can run on Chrome OS.

Chrome OS is not exactly a full-fledged operating system in the broad sense. It is designed to be pre-installed on specialized laptops known as Chromebooks. However, you have the opportunity install it on your own PC.

SteamOS

Valve's SteamOS is currently in beta testing. SteamOS is just a distributionLinux, which includes quite a lot of standard Linux software. At the moment, SteamOS is positioned as a new operating system for PC gaming. The old desktop is hidden under the external interface of this operating system.Linux but the computer runs in an interface specially designed by Steam for living rooms (similar to Xbox and Playstation consoles).

In 2015 you will be able to buy a PC with SteamOS pre-installed, known as Steam Machines. Valve will support installation of SteamOS on any PC, at the request of users.

Android

Android also uses the Linux kernel, but Almost everything in Android is very different from regular Linux distributions. Android, originally developed for smartphones, can also be installed on a PC, receiving “Android laptop” or even “Android computer”! It's not news that there are many projects created with the goal adapt Android to PC, even Intel is developing its own port of Android for PC. Android on PC doesn't allow it yet open many applications at the same time, but if desired, it can be installed on a PC.

MacOSX

Apple's operating system Mac OS X comes pre-installed on Macs, but now the Mac is just another type of PC, with the same standard hardware inside. Installing Mac OS X on a PC can only be prevented by the Apple license agreement and the incompatibility of the hardware of your PC. Mac OS X can only run smoothly on a PC with hardware that matches the Mac.

There is a thriving community of people building PCs running Mac OS X, known as Hackintosh.

Haiku

BeOS was a lightweight PC operating system that was ported to the Intel x86 system in 1998, but was never able to hold its own against Microsoft Windows. Be Inc eventually sued Microsoft, accusing it of pressuring Hitachi and Compaq not to release PCs with BeOS pre-installed. Microsoft withdrew the lawsuit by paying $23.5 million to Be Inc, although it did not admit guilt. Be Inc was eventually purchased by Palm.

Haiku is an open source redefinition of BeOS, currently in alpha testing. It's a snapshot of what might have come to PC if Microsoft hadn't put so much pressure on partners in the '90s.

eComStation

OS/2 was an operating system originally created by Microsoft and IBM. IBM continued development after Microsoft left the project and OS/2 began to compete with MS-DOS and early versions of Windows. Microsoft ultimately won, but there are still old ATMs, PCs, and other systems running OS/2. IBM eventually sold this operating system, called OS/2 Warp, which I think you're familiar with.

IBM is no longer developing the OS/2 operating system, but Serenity Systems has the rights to continue distribution. This company gave the name to the eComStation operating system. It is based on IBM's OS/2, equipped with additional software, drivers and other optimizations.

On our list, this is the only paid operating system with the exception of Mac OS X. You can download and install a free trial version for review.

ReactOS

ReactOS is a free, open-source operating system based on Windows NT architecture. In other words, it is an attempt to implement Windows as an open source operating system, compatible with all Windows applications and drivers. ReactOS shares some code with the project Wine, allowing you to run Windows applications on Linux and Mac OS X. ReactOS is not based on Linux - the project's goal is to be an open-source operating system modeled after Windows NT. (All modern Windows operating systems, starting with XP, are based on Windows NT).

This operating system is believed to be in alpha testing. At the moment, the developers' goal is 100% compatibility with Windows Server 2003, so the system still has a long way to go until it is ready.

Syllable

Syllable is an open source fork from AtheOS, which was originally intended to become an AmigaOS clone. It is a lightweight operating system "in the tradition of Amiga and BeOS, but created using the developments of the GNU project and Linux." As with most similar, small projects, the development team here is very limited.

SkyOS

Unlike many other hobby projects presented here, SkyOS is a proprietary system and not open-source. Initially, they even offered to pay for the operating system. Development was completed in 2009, but the latest beta version was made available as a free download only in 2013.

You can also put FreeDOS- open source version of MS-DOS, remember oldDOS times.