MenuetOS facts for kids
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| Company / developer | Ville M. Turjanmaa |
|---|---|
| Programmed in | FASM assembly language |
| Working state | Beta |
| Source model | Open source (32-bit) Closed source (64-bit) |
| Initial release | May 16, 2000 (32-bit) |
| Latest stable release | 32-bit: 0.86B / September 2, 2019 64-bit: 1.51.30 / June 8, 2024 |
| Available language(s) | English, Russian, Chinese, Czech, Serbian |
| Available programming languages(s) | assembly language |
| Supported platforms | IA-32, x86-64 |
| Kernel type | Monolithic |
| Default user interface | Graphical user interface by Yamen Nasr [1] |
| License | 32-bit: GPL-2.0-only 64-bit: Proprietary |
| Official website | www.menuetos.net |
MenuetOS is a special operating system for computers. It's like the main program that makes your computer run. This operating system is unique because it's written entirely in assembly language. This is a very low-level computer language.
MenuetOS is known for being super small and fast. It can even fit on an old-fashioned 1.44 MB floppy disk! It works on both 32-bit and 64-bit computers. It has a graphical desktop, fun games, and can connect to the internet. The creator of MenuetOS is Ville M. Turjanmaa.
Contents
History of MenuetOS
MenuetOS has two main versions: a 32-bit one and a 64-bit one.
The 32-bit Version
MenuetOS was first made for 32-bit computers. This version was released under an open-source license. This means its computer code is free for anyone to see, use, and change. Because of this, many programs made for the 32-bit MenuetOS are also open-source.
The 64-bit Version
The 64-bit version of MenuetOS is often called Menuet 64. This version is great for people who want to learn 64-bit assembly language programming. Menuet 64 is free to use for personal and school projects. However, its source code is not available, and you are not allowed to take it apart to see how it works.
In 2010, MenuetOS also gained the ability to work with multi-core processors. This means it can use all the processing power of modern computers.
Cool Features
MenuetOS was designed to be quick, simple, and work very well. It has many useful features.
Internet Connection
MenuetOS can connect to the internet! It has a working TCP/IP stack. This is the set of rules that allows computers to communicate over a network. Much of this internet code was written by Mike Hibbett.
Programming Made Easy
One of the main goals of MenuetOS is to make it easy to write programs using assembly language. Even though it's built on assembly, you can still run programs written in other languages. A big step in this direction was when Jarek Pelczar helped bring C programming tools to MenuetOS.
Graphics and Devices
The graphical interface (what you see on the screen) supports high display resolutions. This means it can show clear images up to 1920 x 1080 pixels with millions of colors. It even has window transparency! MenuetOS also works with many USB 2.0 devices, like flash drives or keyboards.
This operating system comes with shareware versions of classic games like Quake and Doom.
File Storage
For saving files, MenuetOS understands the FAT32 file system. You can save files to USB devices connected to your computer.
Modern Booting
Since version 1.49.60, MenuetOS can also start up on newer computers that use UEFI technology. This is done using a special tool called Easyboot.
Different Versions
MenuetOS comes in a few different versions.
32-bit Versions
- Menuet32
- GridWorks "EZ" distribution: This is a collection of 32-bit programs that can start from a CD or hard drive.
64-bit Versions
The main 64-bit version is now proprietary, meaning its code is not open. However, older 32-bit open-source versions of MenuetOS are still available. Some of these even have translations in different languages, including Russian, Chinese, Czech, and Serbian.
- Menuet64
See also
In Spanish: MenuetOS para niños
- KolibriOS - This is another operating system that started from the 32-bit MenuetOS.
