Visopsys

Author
Andy McLaughlin
Project active since
Language
C
Kernel type
Monolithic
Platforms
IA-32
User interface
GUI
License
GNU GPL, GNU LGPL

Visopsys (VISual OPerating SYStem) is an alternative operating system for PC-compatible computers, written “from scratch”, and developed primarily by a single hobbyist programmer since 1997. Visopsys is free software and the source code is available under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

The libraries and header files are licensed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License.

The bulk of Visopsys is a fully multitasking, 32-bit, virtual-memory, massively-monolithic-style kernel. Added to this is a bare-bones C library and a minimalist suite of applications — together comprising a small but reasonably functional operating system which can operate natively in either graphical or text modes. Though it’s been in continuous development for a number of years, realistically the target audience remains limited to operating system enthusiasts, students, and assorted other sensation seekers. The ISO and floppy images available from the download page can install the system, or operate in ‘live demo’ mode.

Other operating systems can do more than Visopsys; it doesn’t include many applications. Its primary selling point is a reasonably functional partition management program (the ‘Disk Manager’) in the vein of Symantec’s Partition Magic. Visopsys and its Disk Manager comprise the popular Partition Logic system. It can create, format, delete, resize, defragment, copy, and move partitions, and modify their attributes. It supports both DOS/MBR and UEFI partition tables. It can also copy hard disks, and has a simple and friendly graphical interface. A basic version can fit on a bootable floppy disk, or you can use the entire system from a ‘live’ CD/DVD.

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