Try an OS

Start a real operating system from history on a virtual PC in your browser. A guide beside the screen tells you what to press and checks your progress. Nothing is installed on your computer, and the virtual PC has no internet.

• 

  1987

  MINIX

  A teacher wrote his own Unix-like system so students could study all of its code. It helped inspire Linux.^{1, 2}

  ▶ Start MINIX Read the story →

• 

  1994

  FreeDOS

  In 1994 Microsoft said Windows would replace DOS. A student decided to write a free DOS instead.¹

  ▶ Start FreeDOS Try the projects Read the story →

• 

  1996

  ReactOS

  A free system built from scratch to work like Windows.¹ It began in 1996 and is not made by Microsoft.^{2, 4}

  ▶ Start ReactOS Read the story →

• 

  2001

  Haiku

  Volunteers started this free successor to BeOS in August 2001, the month Palm agreed to buy BeOS.^{1, 2, 3}

  ▶ Start Haiku Read the story →

• 

  2004

  KolibriOS

  A graphical operating system small enough to fit on one floppy disk,² with its core written in assembly language.¹

  ▶ Start KolibriOS Read the story →

• 

  2008

  Android

  Android was announced in 2007 by 34 companies. Its first phone, the T-Mobile G1, went on sale in 2008.^{1, 3}

  ▶ Start Android Read the story →

• 

  2009

  Tiny Core Linux

  A Linux so small that it loads entirely into memory and starts brand new every time you switch it on.^{1, 2}

  ▶ Start Tiny Core Linux Read the story →

• Bring your own

  Run Windows 1.0, Windows 3.0, Windows NT 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me from your own disks. Your files stay on your computer; nothing is uploaded.

  Bring your own