SkyOS Now Free (As In Beer) 88
Beardydog writes "SkyOS, the commercial, alternative OS created almost entirely by Robert Szeleney, became free (as in beer) sometime last month. Alternative OS enthusiasts can be forgiven for missing it, as the website has been largely derelict, and the forums overrun with spam, since the project was halted in 2009. It's not clear from the announcement whether the ISO available is the traditional build, or the version rebuilt around Linux. The post announcing the free version provides a license name ('public') and registration code that must be entered during setup. While it isn't quite the open-sourcing that most followers hoped for, it's heartening to know SkyOS won't be completely lost in the mists of time."
For a blast from the past, check out our old stories about SkyOS.
Re:And we care...why? (Score:2, Informative)
>Android
First, Android is half closed. You have to bring your own bits to the table to make it work. Amazon did it with the Kindle Fire, and Google has Google Play. But basically no individuals are equipped to leverage Android on their own.
Second, every OS has to start somewhere. I can read your words in 1996 and imagine it about the Linux Kernel.
Re:Torrent-Please (Score:5, Informative)
has some torrent and magnetlink in the comments. Not sure if its a new version or the links work.
Re:And we care...why? (Score:5, Informative)
But basically no individuals are equipped to leverage Android on their own.
Applications are the easy bit. See F-Droid [f-droid.org]. The hard part is getting device drivers for your hardware...
Re:And we care...why? (Score:2, Informative)
I guess you don't know why AOSP is called AOSP and Android is called Android. That would be because not all of Android is in AOSP, because Android is not completely open.
too little too late (Score:5, Informative)
This would have been great... several years ago. His arrogance of demanding that he would only release the source if only someone fully dedicated to leading the project that was the final nail in the coffin. He never deemed anyone worthy of the position so it fell into obscurity. I think we would be better off if the source had just been deleted and page taken down.
Oh yeah, the reason it died is that he drove away the other developers.
SkyOS underwent many changes after this surge in popularity. Because of significant differences at the source level, Szeleney stopped thinking of what was under development as the fifth version of his operating system, and the name "SkyOS 5.0" was rebranded to simply "SkyOS". A more professional demeanor was taken throughout the project
"professional demeanor" means he started acting like an arrogant asshole.
As the years progressed and the other founding members of SkyOS distanced from the project,
turns out that people dont like to be pushed around by arrogant assholes.
SkyOS isn't an operating system, it's a cautionary tale.