Alternative Operating Systems

You can't move anywhere on the Internet without a salesman or M$ supporter trying to point you in the direction of their latest Microsoft products or discoveries.

Nearly as numerous are sites offering Windows patches, fixes, ideas, assistance, dummies-guides, how-to's, themes, etcetera ad nausea. Well, you won't find any of that in THIS section. AltOS is a new addition offering news, tips and pointers to those brave pioneers who have broken free of the Microsoft stable, or those aspiring to try to ;-)

For those who may not be aware of it, Microsoft is just one vendor/manufacturer/supplier of software. They currently produce operating systems (e.g. 95/98) and application packages (e.g. Word, Office). There are a number of other operating systems with software of their own. Major software vendors frequently provide their packages for alternative operating systems as well, despite pressure from Microsoft to only support Windows.

For general information on alternative operating systems, check out the following sites:

• www.altos.org.uk/realindex.html
• dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Software/Operating_Systems/

Major vendors/distribution sites:

Apple | IBM | BeOS | Linux | Unix

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Apple

www.apple.com

• Apple Macintosh, PowerMacs, G3s, iMacs;
• Mac OS, Rhapsody, productivity software suites
• Well suited for end user systems.

IBM

www.software.ibm.com

• Warp4 Server - server applications and e-commerce solutions
• Workspace on Demand - network and intranet solutions
• Warp4 Client (OS/2) - an excellent end user's operating system but has been largely left to starve by IBM. It's future is uncertain, but it has a very enthusiastic following of end users in there fighting for it.

Local Action:

A Call to Arms for the OS/2 community:

Dear sir/madam;

I am pleased to inform you of a new addition to the Orion Solutions web site, the Warp 2000 - Next Generation page.

Along with our Java page, which outlines how Java gives consumers choice in both operating systems and hardware, our new Warp 2000 - Next Generation page has been set up.

Its mission is twofold.

1. To raise the awareness of the consumer, OS/2 user, and most importantly, IBM to the real possibility that if it does not push the client version of OS/2 Warp Server for e-Business, then it could well loose the Java battle, and its whole business, in the future. This new client we have dubbed Warp 2000 - Next Generation.
2. To create a links database of companies that are prepared to supply/pre-load Warp 2000, Companies that will supply both OS/2 and Java software to the platform, developers who are producing OS/2 and Java apps for the platform, as well as users supporting the platform.

This links list can then be used by users/suppliers/developers to cross pollinate ideas, products etc.

Above all this is a campaign to release OS/2 from its past (OS/2 is dead right?), Infuse it with promise (new technologies from OS/2 Warp Server) and point it firmly at the future - Java.

Anyway pop by the web site, advertise it if possible, grab a logo and put it on your site, with a reference back to our own naturally :-)

Here's where you find it:
www.orion-solutions.com.au/warp2000.htm

Happy Warping
Mark A Rogers
Principal Consultant, Freelance Journo, Nerd and OS/2 user since Version 2.0.

BeOS

www.be.com

BeOS - a new operating system - BeOS was designed only with one intent: To be the ultimate operating system for processor-intensive multimedia and Internet applications.

Linux

• www.linux.org
• www.linuxapps.com/

Linux is a "free" operating system, based on Unix. Very powerful, stable and reliable. Suitable for server applications (considered a potential alternative to NT server, and certainly more cost effective than NT's legal licensing requirements). Not yet suitable for novice users unless you have someone with Linux experience to set it up for you. A rewarding challenge for computer enthusiasts. Available for free download over the net from a number of distributors (warning - it's a full blown OS, it's a big and complicated download, and you'd probably be better off spending $90-$100 or so and buying a distribution on CD which usually includes some manuals. Once you have your installation CDs you can legally install it on as many machines as you like, unlike it's windows alternatives. Some distributions are made available on PC Magazine CD-ROMS - look out for them).

Major Linux distributions:

• www.redhat.com
• www.caldera.com
• www.debian.com
• www.suse.com

Local Action:

Murlug - The Murray Linux Users Group

Contacts:

• Howard Lowdnes (lannet@albury.net.au) - 02 6026 3400 OR
• Tim Rayner (trayner@csu.edu.au) - 02 6051 6886

Murlug Mailing List:

Murlug maintains a low volume mailing list for those interested in discussing things Linux. The Address of the mailing list is murlug@csu.edu.au. If you want to be added to (or deleted from) this list, please send an email to murlug-request@csu.edu.au, with the text "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the message body.

Events:

So far, Murlug has held 2 Saturday get-togethers - the first an "Installfest" (Sat. 19th September 1998), the second (Sat. 14th November, 1998) based around dial-up connections (internet) and kernel tweaking. A third meeting is planned for early February. At this stage the likely subject will be Linux Window Managers.

Other suggested topics for future meetings include:

• Kernel Configuration and building
• Window Manager configuration - KDE,Gnome, Afterstep etc.
• Sound cards
• Printer Setup
• Upgrades and RPM
• Windows style Networking (Samba)
• Novell Style Networking (Mars_nwe)

Unix

www.freebsd.org

FreeBSD - a free full-blown Unix. Not for the novice - more user "UN-friendly" than Linux. Very powerful, stable, configurable and reliable.

"The quality of FreeBSD combined with today's low-cost, high-speed PC hardware makes FreeBSD a very economical alternative to commercial UNIX workstations. It is well-suited for a great number of both desktop and server applications."

Local supporters of non-Microsoft systems are invited to contact us here for inclusion of your SIG (special interest group), event or web site in these pages.

Others are invited to open their eyes, and their minds, to worlds beyond the confines of Microsoft.