SkyOS facts for kids
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| Company / developer | Robert Szeleney |
|---|---|
| Working state | Halted |
| Source model | Closed source |
| Initial release | December 15, 1997 |
| Latest unstable release | Beta / August 9, 2013 |
| Marketing target | Desktop users |
| Available language(s) | Multilingual |
| Supported platforms | IA-32 |
| Kernel type | Monolithic |
| License | Proprietary |
SkyOS (which stands for Sky Operating System) was a special computer program, like Windows or macOS, that helped your computer run. It was made for desktop computers and had a graphical look, meaning you could see and click on things.
SkyOS was a proprietary system, which means its code was kept secret by the developer. Work on SkyOS stopped on January 30, 2009, and there were no plans to continue making it better. However, in August 2013, the person who created SkyOS, Robert Szeleney, let everyone download a special test version for free. This allowed people to try it out from a Live CD or even install it on their computer.
Contents
The History of SkyOS
The journey of SkyOS began in 1996. The very first version was released to the public in December 1997.
For a long time, up until version 4.x, SkyOS was completely free to use. But when the beta testing for SkyOS 5 started in 2003, users had to pay $30 to get access to the new test versions.
In 2004, SkyOS started using a new file system called SkyFS. This system was based on another one called OpenBFS. Two years later, in 2006, the way SkyOS showed graphics on the screen got much better. It could now do cool things like desktop compositing, which made windows look smoother and allowed for transparency.
The last test version, called build 6947, came out in August 2008. After that, there were no more updates for many months.
Why SkyOS Development Stopped
SkyOS was mostly created by one person, Robert Szeleney. It became very hard for him to add new device drivers. Device drivers are like instruction manuals that tell the computer how to talk to different parts, like printers or graphics cards.
Because of this problem, many people thought the best idea for SkyOS would be to become open source. This means letting everyone see and help improve the code.
Robert Szeleney tried to fix the driver problem by working on a new core system, called a kernel. He thought about using parts from Linux or NetBSD. He even said he was making some progress. However, the development never really started again.
In 2013, the SkyOS website disappeared. Soon after, the final public version from August 2008 was released for free, so anyone could download it.
What Features Did SkyOS Have?
SkyOS had several interesting features that made it unique. It was designed to be easy to use and efficient.
The Core of SkyOS: Its Kernel
SkyOS was a Unix-like operating system. This means it worked in a similar way to other systems like Linux. It used a monolithic kernel, which is a single, large program that controls all the basic functions of the computer.
The operating system could also handle multiple users at the same time. It supported symmetric multiprocessing, which means it could use more than one processor in a computer to do tasks faster.
Graphics and How You Saw Things
SkyOS had its own built-in system for graphics. This allowed for cool visual effects like desktop compositing. This included double buffering, which made animations smooth, and transparency, so you could see through windows. The SkyOS graphical interface also let you use mouse gestures. These were special movements with your mouse that could do different actions.
SkyFS: The File System
SkyFS was the main filesystem used by SkyOS. It was a special version, or fork, of the OpenBFS file system.
SkyOS could also work with other common file systems, including:
- FAT32/FAT16/FAT12
- ISO 9660
Quick Searching for Files
SkyOS had a very fast search feature. You could search for files and their content in real-time using many keywords. This was similar to how Spotlight works on macOS. It would even create an index of your files and programs to make searching even quicker.
Bringing Other Programs to SkyOS
Many command-line programs, which are run by typing commands, could be made to work on SkyOS. If they were built using the GNU toolchain (a set of programming tools), they often needed only small changes, or sometimes no changes at all.
SkyOS also had special tools, called frameworks, to help create new applications. It even had a version of Mono, which helps run programs made for other systems. Some popular programs that were made to work on SkyOS included Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird, Nvu, GIMP, and AbiWord.
The SkyOS community even encouraged people to bring more programs over. They would vote for the programs they wanted and then help developers by giving them donations.
See also
In Spanish: SkyOS para niños
