My experiments with various computer operating systems

I sometimes like to experiment with various operating systems, previously this has been limited to Android on the x86 platform (x86 platform is basically what any home computer running Microsoft Windows is based on), which has had mixed results, it works to a degree on my desktop computer (AMD Athlon 64 x2 based), but the screen resolution is wrong for the monitor, it also works to the same degree on another computer (Intel Pentium 4 based), it fails to run on my previous laptop (a Compaq Presario CQ61), and it also failed to run on an ex girlfriend’s now dead laptop (a Packard Bell EasyNote from 2004, now dismantled and some of the parts reused eslewhere), the original plan was to get Android x86 going on it but as it was in such a bad state this was not possible.

Although I have got RISC OS to run on the Raspberry Pi with little difficulty I can’t say I’ve experimented with it having grown up with it as when I was at school 99% of the computers were supplied by Acorn Computers, the creators of RISC OS and the ARM CPU family.

My latest foray into x86 operating systems is with Haiku, which in effect is the continuation of BeOS, an operating system I had used for a small while in the early 2000s, though instead of being standalone it was booted from Microsoft Windows 98SE at the time.  Haiku doesn’t, however, share all it’s codebase with BeOS but most BeOS software should run fine on it, though it’s pretty obvious when it doesn’t.

I have also succeeded in the mobile sector with Windows Mobile 6.5 on a HTC TyTN/Hermes 3G PDA phone, that only officially supports Windows Mobile 6, sadly it does not support Android yet (possibly never will) nor does it support Windows Phone 7 or Windows 8 (much to my relief), my previous PDA phone, HTC BlueAngel (though it was never officially known as that) was able to run Windows Mobile 6.1 without blinking, sadly that no longer works as the battery died quite catastrophically so I can not use it until that is fixed but it is so low on the priority list it most likely won’t get done, and my focus is on Android right now in the mobile sector, my old LG GT540 runs CyanogenMod but is never used due to a faulty touchscreen, as I managed to scratch up the original and the replacement, this is no issue because my Samsung Galaxy S II is due to be retired in 2014 and I can experiment some with it if I find time.

Chromium OS

Chromium OS is the open-source version of Chrome OS available for download, however it’s not a conventional download and needs to be compiled, I have compiled it on my Dell PowerEdge SC1425 as it has enough power to do this, I have compiled it for generic x86 systems, and will run it on reference hardware that can boot from USB, this rules out my two oldest machines, my Pentium 4 machines will boot fine from USB but these are currently in use for other things at this time.  My idea was to roll this out across my previous work’s older computers that can boot from USB and supplement those with Chromebooks subject to consultation with my previous work and subject to various hardware tests, I left for another job before I could try this