Other operating systems
English edition published on .
This category presents systems whose architecture or purpose calls for a different perspective from the catalogue’s usual families. Qubes OS uses Xen to organise isolated environments; ReactOS aims for Windows compatibility. Grouping them here does not mean they share a kernel, applications or installation requirements.
Qubes OS: separating activities with Xen
Qubes OS isolates activities in compartments. Its Fedora or Debian templates provide software environments without making Qubes a simple variant of those distributions. The official FAQ explains this architecture. Read the profile and the Qubes OS download preparation guide to check virtualisation, IOMMU and hardware compatibility before installing.
ReactOS: a project focused on Windows compatibility
ReactOS is an independent, open-source operating system that aims to support applications and drivers from the Windows NT family. It has its own kernel, so installing ReactOS is not equivalent to choosing another Linux distribution. The official project repository explains this goal.
Preparing to try ReactOS
ReactOS remains in alpha. The project recommends trying it in a virtual machine or on a computer without important data. The compatibility goal does not guarantee that every application or peripheral will work. Read the ReactOS profile and download and installation precautions before starting.
Explore other families
Continue with the Linux, BSD, Solaris, Chromium OS and BeOS categories. Our definition of a distribution (in French) helps distinguish a kernel, an operating system and a collection of software.
Category created on . The ReactOS source was checked on that date. The Qubes OS introduction was added on , after checking its official documentation.
