Haiku Project looks interesting!

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So, there’s this other OS, it’s not Linux, nor a *BSD. It’s Haiku.

A continuation of BeOS, which was meant as a competitor to Windows, it has quite some interesting features.

It boots fast, REALLY fast, and I only tried its live mode in a VM! Yes, it’s rough around the edges (that’s why it hasn’t got a 1.0 yet), but already it looks promising. Its GUI is really responsive and looks and behaves quite different than the Windows or MacOS-esque GUIs, so takes some getting used to.

So, what do you think about it?

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@xahodo ,
Not to be confused with Gnu Hurd
I think it is very interesting. Will be trying it, probably a VM or in my spare machine.
There is a Linux Magazine article, which gives some facts without the hype

https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/216/Revielw-Haiku

but 2018 is a bit dated.
How much software does it have? Is there a repo?

It has made it to Distrowatch. It is No 91… quite high on the list! Similar to Void (84) and NetBSD (97).

It does not use systemd, it has its own home-grown init system . That appeals to me.

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I remember reading about BeOS twenty something years ago - it was touted as a possible replacement of Mac System7/8/9 - and maybe even Amiga workbench… And the guy who started BeOS had been with Apple for a while too…

Sound interesting - but I won’t be dabbling in it - much like I won’t dabble in ReactOS or that other one that used to run on BBC Acorns and suchlike…

But thanks for the interesting article…

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Looks very dated design like 95 !
Dont think i will bother

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New is not necessarily better.

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Will see if they update it.

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https://depot.haiku-os.org

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I think that could work best as some kind of an embedded system, where the software just works “as is”, does the job just right, no need to update/upgrade.
Something like an old ancient Ubuntu in an Allen&Heath mixer used in a theater.
Just works, does the job, noone cares the core system is way outdated… it gets the job done.

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There is a repo

https://git.haiku-os.org/haiku/

The last release was beta5 24-09-13, and it is only for IA-32 and x86-64 architectures.

It has a package manager,
It is fixed release and non-systemd
The packages listed by distrowatch look a bit sparse.
It has a strange filesystem called BFS

The best way to get a feel for it is to try an install in VM.
I prefer virt-manager for a linux VM.
Why not try it and then you could report back to us on what it is like to install and what apps you could get and what the DE is like?

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Looks more like OS/2 Warp maybe, or NeXTStep to my mind… I always found it quite appealing anyway…

It’s not even Linux or Unix - so the init system wouldn’t be related to anything on Linux or Unix right?
That’s kinda like saying Windows 10 and 11 don’t use SystemD… or MacOS (it uses something called “launchd”).

Anyway - I like MacOS / OS X and kinda glad BeOS (Haiku is basically BeOS) was never taken over by Apple as a Mac System 7/8/9 replacement… I also vaguely remember BeOS (and Haiku) being touted as AmigaOS alternative on M68K and PPC…

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Right. But it does seem to start processes and use forks, so it must be a bit unix-like.
It has a bash shell

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VMS (and “OpenVMS”) also had/has a “sh” or a “csh” shell and also X Windows - but it wasn’t (or isn’t) a “UNIX like” operating system :smiley: - some might argue that Windows NT (and thus Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11) are “VMS like” operating systems :smiley:

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They are so derived, but using VMS was nothing like using NT or Win . It was painful compared to BSD. I dont remember a shell, but I probably did not realize I was in one.

What I was really thinking was, Haiku’s init system might do much the same thing as Linux inits… start processes by forking.

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