HamsterOS: A graphical desktop OS that fits on a 1.44MB floppy
5 hours ago
- #vintage hardware
- #retrocomputing
- #operating systems
- HamsterOS is a new multitasking 32-bit graphical OS for 386/486-era hardware that fits on a 1.44 MB floppy disk, with DOS support and features like a CMOS crash counter.
- HamsterWeazle is a free GUI front-end for Greaseweazle, making it easier to interface with old floppy drives via USB.
- Historical examples like Plan 9 and QNX show that fitting a full GUI, networking, and a web browser on a single floppy was possible due to minimal hardware support and asset re-use.
- Discussion highlights the bloat of modern OSes and explores ideas for a 64-bit DOS with modern GPU drivers, using virtualization or DOS extenders.