| KolibriOS | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Developer | KolibriOS Project Team |
| Written in | FASM |
| Working state | Active |
| Source model | Open source |
| Initial release | 2004 |
| Latest release | 0.7.7.0+8770 / August 1, 2024; 15 months ago (2024-08-01)[1][2] |
| Repository | git |
| Available in | English, Russian, Spanish |
| Supported platforms | x86 |
| Kernel type | Monolithic[3] |
| Default user interface | KolibriOS Kernel API |
| License | GPL-2.0-only withbinary blobs[4] |
| Preceded by | MenuetOS |
| Official website | www |
KolibriOS is anopen-sourceoperating system forx86 computers, written completely inFASMassembly language. It has been developed since 2004, forked fromMenuetOS,[5] and supportsi586CPUs or newer.[6] KolibriOS is small sized and fits on a single3.5" floppy disk; despite this, it features a fullgraphical user interface,preemptive multitasking, networking capabilities, and many pieces ofbundled software.
The name "Kolibri" is theSlavic word forhummingbird and symbolizes the operating system's tiny size and fast speed.
KolibriOS was forked fromMenuetOS, a similar operating system that was built in 32-bit and 64-bit editions. It attracted much popularity in Russia and a number of other countries in the region, leading to a community contributing to the project.[7] The first version of KolibriOS, meant to be a driver fix for the Russian-language distribution, was released by Marat Zakiyanov "mario79" in 2004.[7] Shortly after the start of the KolibriOS project, MenuetOS's developer decided to only focus on the 64-bit version, which unlike its 32-bit counterpart wasclosed source.[8] KolibriOS on the other hand has only been developed in 32-bit and remains open source.[7]
KolibriOS has been developed by a number of contributors from different countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Estonia, Germany and Belgium. Distribution assembly is handled by Evgeny Grechnikov or "Diamond".[7]
There are two development branches: KolibriACPI, which has extendedACPI support, and Kolibri-A, anexokernel version of KolibriOS optimized forembedded applications andhardware engineering; only fewAMD APU-based platforms are currently supported.
Due to its small size (most distributions will fit on a single 1.44 MBfloppy disk image[9]) and being written in assembly, the OS boots in only a few seconds on various devices. It has support for booting fromNTFS,Ext2/3/4,FAT12/16/32,exFAT, andISO9660 based disks[5] and can also boot fromCoreboot andWindows.
KolibriOS has agraphical user interface based on, and optimised forVESA. It features pre-emptivemultitasking, streams, and parallel execution ofsystem calls. It has built-in application software (with more than 250 packages[7]) such as a word processor, image viewer, music player, andweb browser,[5] as well as acode editor with an integratedmacro assembler (FASM). KolibriOS features ashell supporting various common commands used onUnix-like systems.[10]
USB 1.1 and 2.0 are supported (UHCI, OHCI and EHCI). There is also support forUSB hubs, although the only USBHID devices supported include keyboard, mouse and USB flash drives. Internal hard disks withPATA/IDE andSATA/AHCI interfaces are supported natively. Supportedfile systems includeFAT12,FAT16,FAT32,ext2,ext3 andext4 (partially),NTFS (no extended functions such as encryption), read-onlyexFAT,XFS,CDFS (including multisession).
KolibriOS supports the fullTCP/IP stack and certainEthernetnetwork cards.[11]Intel High Definition Audio is supported on certain motherboards whileAC'97codec support exists for variouschipsets including: Intel,nForce,nForce2,nForce3,nForce4, SIS7012, FM801, VT8233, VT8233C, VT8235, VT8237, VT8237R, VT8237R Plus and EMU10K1X. Video is claimed to work on any card and drivers are available for specific Intel or AMD cards.
System requirements are:
In a 2009 review piece on alternative operating systems,TechRadar called it "tremendously impressive", noting its performance and streamlinedcodebase.[14]
Dedoimedo.com reviewed KolibriOS in 2012:[15]
I allocated a more than sufficient 64MB of RAM to KolibriOS and let it fly. Now, to really show you how fast this thing is, I recorded a boot session. It shows the simple KolibriOS boot menu. Next, I press the Enter key. Soon thereafter, we are inside a fully functional desktop. How soon? Well, you can enjoy the video embedded below or follow the Youtube link if you hate embedded stuff. Now, keep your eyes on the screen, as the video is rather short. I mean, really, really short.
Jesse Smith from DistroWatch Weekly wrote the following review about KolibriOS in 2009:[16]
The application menu is broken down into familiar groupings, such as Development, Games, Data Processing, Network and Help. There are also demo programs showing off various graphics and screensavers. Programs are easy to find and most applications work well. The help documentation is a bit scattered, as it covers a number of different topics, but there doesn't seem to be a pattern to what is explained and what isn't. In short, finding help is hit or miss, but what is explained is done so clearly.
In 2024, Simon Batt ofXDA Developers wrote that KolibriOS is "charming" and that it is "perfect" for giving new life to older PCs.[17]
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