Commodore OS (full name: Commodore OS Vision) was a free-to-download

Linux distribution A Linux distribution (often abbreviated as distro) is an operating system made from a software collection that includes the Linux kernel and, often, a package management system. Linux users usually obtain their operating system by downloading on ...

developed by

Commodore USA Commodore USA, LLC was a computer company based in Pompano Beach, Florida, with additional facilities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Commodore USA, LLC was founded in April 2010. The company's goal was to sell a new line of PCs using the classic ...

and intended for Commodore

PCs A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or techn ...

. The distribution was based on

Linux Mint Linux Mint is a community-driven Linux distribution based on Ubuntu (which is in turn based on Debian), bundled with a variety of free and open-source applications. It can provide full out-of-the-box multimedia support for those who choose to ...

, available only for

x86-64 x86-64 (also known as x64, x86_64, AMD64, and Intel 64) is a 64-bit version of the x86 instruction set, first released in 1999. It introduced two new modes of operation, 64-bit mode and compatibility mode, along with a new 4-level paging ...

architectures, and used the

GNOME 2 GNOME 2 is the second major release of the GNOME desktop environment. Building upon the release of GNOME 1, development of GNOME 2 focused on a greater design-oriented approach that simplified and standardized elements of the environment. It als ...

desktop environment. A community version for x86 was in development up through 2019. The first public beta version was released on 11 November 2011. It has been continually updated through Commodore OS Vision 0.8 Beta and never came out of beta phase. 1.0 did come out of Beta and was released on DistroWatch.com. This operating system is no longer in development. The company is now closed, and its web site is no longer active. Commodore USA's spiritual successor, My Retro Computer, has it available to download for archival purposes. Leo Nigro, former CTO of Commodore USA, who was responsible for the OS has announced he will make a new release in time for the return of the Commodore 64x.

History

The first beta release of the OS was released on 12 November 2011, announced as an operating system for "pre-installation on all future Commodore USA hardware". Commodore USA went defunct in 2013, the website hosting the OS is down and its last release was on 9 July 2012. However, it continues to have a small community support - with an unofficial 32 bit version of the operating system released on 22 February 2012. The software and drivers have continued to be available through a page set up by ex-Commodore USA employees who run the still active Commodore USA Facebook page.

Compatibility

Commodore OS was not compatible with Commodore 64 software. However, it did contain

VICE A vice is a practice, behaviour, or Habit (psychology), habit generally considered immorality, immoral, sinful, crime, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refe ...

, an

open-source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized sof ...

program which emulates Commodore systems.

Design

Commodore OS was designed as a way to imitate the look and feel of Commodore's legacy systems, and as a complement to the all-in-one-keyboard style of the personal computer. Commodore OS includes a collection of software intended to imitate classic Commodore software. It was fully compatible only to Commodore USA products often causing

kernel panic A kernel panic (sometimes abbreviated as KP) is a safety measure taken by an operating system's kernel upon detecting an internal fatal error in which either it is unable to safely recover or continuing to run the system would have a highe ...

on general PCs. An Improved Fusion version was promised but never released.

References

4
"cbmosvision"
Retrieved 15 July 2022. 5
"C-USA - My Retro Computer"
Retrieved 15 July 2022. 6
"Watch our new Commodore OS vision trailer!"
23 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022. 7

4 September 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2022.

External links

Commodore OS Website (Defunct)

Commodore OS archive

Customize Linux Mint in Commodore OS Vision [Italian
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