MenuetOS
Operating system
MenuetOS is an operating system with a monolithic preemptive, real-time kernel written in FASM assembly language. The system also includes video drivers. It runs on 64-bit and 32-bit x86 architecture computers. Its author is Ville M. Turjanmaa. It has a graphical desktop, games, and networking abilities (TCP/IP stack). One distinctive feature is that it fits on one 1.44 MB floppy disk.
01History
32-bit
MenuetOS was originally written for 32-bit x86 architectures and released under the GPL-2.0-only license, thus many of its applications are distributed under the GPL.
64-bit
The 64-bit MenuetOS, often referred to as Menuet 64, remains a platform for learning 64-bit assembly language programming. The 64-bit Menuet is distributed without charge for personal and educational use only, but without the source code, and the license includes a clause that prohibits disassembly.
Multi-core support was added on 24 Feb 2010.
02Features
MenuetOS development has focused on fast, simple, efficient implementation. MenuetOS has networking abilities, and a working TCP/IP stack. Most of the networking code is written by Mike Hibbett.
The main focus of Menuet has been on making an environment for easy assembly programming, but it is still possible to run software written in high-level programming languages on the assembler core. The biggest single effort towards high-level language support is Jarek Pelczar's work in porting C libraries to Menuet.
The GUI at version 0.99 supports display resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 (16 million colors) with window transparency. The OS has support for several classes of USB 2.0 peripherals. MenuetOS ships with the shareware versions of Quake and Doom.
For disk access, MenuetOS supports the FAT32 file system. Write support is only possible to USB connected devices.
As of version 1.49.60, MenuetOS can be booted on UEFI machines as well using Easyboot.
03Distributions
32-bit
- Menuet32
- GridWorks "EZ" distribution (comprehensive 32-bit archive packages) (CD/HD Boots)
64-bit
The 64-bit main distribution is now proprietary. Several distributions of the 32-bit GPL MenuetOS still exist, including translations in Russian, Chinese, Czech, and Serbian.
- Menuet64
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “MenuetOS”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Menuet.png by Vmt1970, CC BY-SA 3.0
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