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SkyOS Now Free (As In Beer)

Beardydog writes "SkyOS, the commercial, alternative OS created almost entirely by Robert Szeleney, became free (as in beer) sometime last month. Alternative OS enthusiasts can be forgiven for missing it, as the website has been largely derelict, and the forums overrun with spam, since the project was halted in 2009. It's not clear from the announcement whether the ISO available is the traditional build, or the version rebuilt around Linux. The post announcing the free version provides a license name ('public') and registration code that must be entered during setup. While it isn't quite the open-sourcing that most followers hoped for, it's heartening to know SkyOS won't be completely lost in the mists of time." For a blast from the past, check out our old stories about SkyOS.

7 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. Re:And we care...why? by LordLucless · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You have to bring your own bits to the table to make it work. Amazon did it with the Kindle Fire, and Google has Google Play.

    Because an Operating System isn't an Operating System, unless you can get a bundled app store with it...

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  2. Re:And we care...why? by gagol · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Minix publish their source code under BSD 13 years ago (your link, second sentence). Its purpose was to provide a framework for OS programming. SkyOS is a one guy who wanted to code an OS and get paid for it. Hardly comparable.

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    Tomorrow is another day...
  3. Re:Torrent-Please by AHuxley · · Score: 4, Informative

    Last SkyOS 5.0 beta released for free via http://www.osnews.com/comments/27260
    has some torrent and magnetlink in the comments. Not sure if its a new version or the links work.

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  4. Re:And we care...why? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Informative

    But basically no individuals are equipped to leverage Android on their own.

    Applications are the easy bit. See F-Droid. The hard part is getting device drivers for your hardware...

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    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  5. too little too late by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Informative

    This would have been great... several years ago. His arrogance of demanding that he would only release the source if only someone fully dedicated to leading the project that was the final nail in the coffin. He never deemed anyone worthy of the position so it fell into obscurity. I think we would be better off if the source had just been deleted and page taken down.

    Oh yeah, the reason it died is that he drove away the other developers.

    SkyOS underwent many changes after this surge in popularity. Because of significant differences at the source level, Szeleney stopped thinking of what was under development as the fifth version of his operating system, and the name "SkyOS 5.0" was rebranded to simply "SkyOS". A more professional demeanor was taken throughout the project

    "professional demeanor" means he started acting like an arrogant asshole.

    As the years progressed and the other founding members of SkyOS distanced from the project,

    turns out that people dont like to be pushed around by arrogant assholes.

    SkyOS isn't an operating system, it's a cautionary tale.

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  6. Well that sounds encouraging... by slimdave · · Score: 5, Funny

    >> the website has been largely derelict ... the forums overrun with spam ... the project was halted in 2009 ... not clear from the announcement whether the ISO available is the traditional build, or the version rebuilt around Linux.

    Sounds great. I'll install it at once.

  7. I'll say one thing... by CFBMoo1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    For SkyOS, the interface looks way better then Windows 8.

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    ~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~