Smallest OS with a GUI?

[JamezQ]

I don't need it, I just have always wondered how small exactly can a OS be with a gui.

It doesn't have to do a lot. I am not looking for any special features(Although if it can do something cool, that would be lovely). I just want to know how small can you get a gui.

It doesn't have to be linux based.

The smallest I have found so far is 1.4 MB

http://etricks.in/2010/02/kolibri-os-smallest-os-with-gui.html

Anyone know of one below 1 MB?

[MichealH]

Nope not that I know of...

Also BTW, Cool!

[Random_Dude]

I has going to say DSL, but damn...

[ronnielsen1]

The smallest I have found so far is 1.4 MB

Oh Wow. Makes Tiny Core bloatware

:lolflag:

[Dayofswords]

i dont think its gets smaller

[MaxIBoy]

A-Linux (This one (http://asm.sourceforge.net/asmutils.html), not this one (http://alinux.tv/)) is 787.6 Kib. It uses asmutils (first link.) Asmutils is a set of standard UNIX utilities, such as ls, cat, mv, etc, which are totally written in x86 assembly code.

Doesn't have a GUI per-se, but it can use a VESA framebuffer to display graphics.

[undecim]

There's also MenuetOS
http://www.menuetos.net/

EDIT: Just realized Kolibri is based on Menuet

[WinterRain]

I thought tiny core was small, but geez. Tried it out in vbox and is pretty cool. Boots in literally 1 second.

[JamezQ]

A-Linux (This one (http://asm.sourceforge.net/asmutils.html), not this one (http://alinux.tv/)) is 787.6 Kib. It uses asmutils (first link.) Asmutils is a set of standard UNIX utilities, such as ls, cat, mv, etc, which are totally written in x86 assembly code.

Doesn't have a GUI per-se, but it can use a VESA framebuffer to display graphics.


In there anyway to make framebuffer repeat over and over to make a gui like thing?

[phrostbyte]

QNX Research used to distribute a 1.4 MB copy of their OS on their website for personal use. It came with a full HTML3 compliant web browser (with JS support!), GUI, some kind of network support, and some GUI apps. Unfortunately I don't think you can [legally] acquire it anymore.

[angry_johnnie]

I'd say KolibriOS (http://www.kolibrios.org/). It's only about 3 Mb including GUI.

[JamezQ]

I'd say KolibriOS (http://www.kolibrios.org/). It's only about 3 Mb including GUI.

Thats the one I already found ^ ^

[JamezQ]

Ok... http://www.kolibrios.org/ is 1.4 mb, but is that REALLY the smallest os with a gui.

Is it smaller then the first mac?

http://lowendmac.com/history/1984dk.shtml
The damn thing tells me the memory it took to run(128k) however I can't find how big the actual OS is.

http://www.pcanswer.com/2009/01/21/larry-magids-1984-la-times-review-of-original-mac/
http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa051599.htm
Here we go, I'm not sure if says the size of the OS, but considering:

The system is driven by a 32 bit Motorola 68000 central processing unit. It comes with 128K of Random Access Memory (RAM), 64K of Read Only Memory (ROM) and one 400K disk drive.

I mean, all that adds up to 592k so the OS in the first mac which did have a GUI had to be smaller then 592k right? And that is much smaller then the 1400k OS, if I am correct.
..........................

And is 1.4 MB larger then the OS in the Xerox Alto?

http://altogether.brouhaha.com/
http://altogether.brouhaha.com/download/

The downloads for this, that is supposed to simulate the Alto are 32 and 49k! However I may just not know what I am talking about, perhaps simulation can be smaller then the OS and the source code may be bigger then the compiled version.

http://toastytech.com/guis/alto.html
http://www.velocityguide.com/computer-history/xerox-alto.html

This says the Alto has a 2.5 mb remove-able storage.
.................................
http://catb.org/~esr/writings/taouu/html/graphics/lisamw2.png


Here is an interesting picture, I'm not sure exactly what it means but it gives a lot of info on size. In the System Folder it shows 165k, does this mean the system is smaller then 165k? Or is the system a size of 1932k, also shown.

http://catb.org/~esr/writings/taouu/html/graphics/amiga.png

This says the OS is 93% full, with 39M free and 543M in use. I'm guessing M refers to KB because I feel it does not refer to 543KB of ram, or 543MB of storage. But correct me if I'm wrong, but does this mean the amiga 1000 OS, with a gui has to at least be smaller then 543K?
..........................
Sorry for the long rant, but I just want to know if 1.4mb is really the smallest. I mean, none of this has any real use, computers are holding terrabytes now, but I am just interested in finding an answer I am comfortable with.

[phrostbyte]

M is Megabytes in this context.

Apple Lisa, or Xerox Alto might be the smallest. It didn't have such things we take for granted today like pre-emptive multitasking however.

Regardless, even 1.4 MB is pretty damn impressive, even in the context of the 80s. Making software that small and actually efficient is a lost art. We tend to prefer flexibility and ease of programming over raw performance these days.

[JamezQ]

M is Megabytes in this context.

Apple Lisa, or Xerox Alto might be the smallest. It didn't have such things we take for granted today like pre-emptive multitasking however.

Regardless, even 1.4 MB is pretty damn impressive, even in the context of the 80s. Making software that small and actually efficient is a lost art. We tend to prefer flexibility and ease of programming over raw performance these days.

For good reason, computers can handle it now. However I am not asking for a OS with supa-cool features, I am asking for the smallest GUI, thats all. Honestly for if I want a small OS with a GUI that is awesome and full of features, I use puppy linux, nothing beats that. But yea, I guess you can put it down to, how much code does it take to make it so you can move a mouse cursor on a screen.

Are you sure M refers to MB? 543MB back then is a darn lot.

http://oldcomputers.net/amiga1000.html

I'm not saying your wrong, you probably know something I don't, but wikipedia says:


Removable Storage:
3.5" DD Floppy drive, capacity 880 KB

Maybe they could use multiple ones at the same time, but that is still over 500 Floppys...

[mmix]

Contiki with GUI(optional)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiki

colorforth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ColorForth

parallax
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_Propeller

uclinux with fbui, octaos, solar os, movitz(not yet bootable),
retroforth, ...

maybe port framebuffer to homebrewcpu ;-)

[JamezQ]

Contiki with GUI(optional)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiki

colorforth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ColorForth

parallax
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_Propeller

uclinux with fbui, octaos, solar os, movitz(not yet bootable),
retroforth, ...

maybe port framebuffer to homebrewcpu ;-)

Thanks for these :D Does the os that ColorForth comes with have a GUI?

[cammin]

Oops, guess I was too slow.

[JamezQ]

Oops, guess I was too slow.

???

[sanderd17]

I knew about SliTaz, that's about 30 MB but I see here that's definatly not the smallest :P. I didn't now somethin under 10 MB would be possible.

[JamezQ]

I think we have a winner.


http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/Programming/RaysStuff/Main_small.JPG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U57KSBturww

.............................
Now those look like the same program, and I could be wrong, but the code in that program comes down to 288.7k! Again, maybe there is more coded stored somewhere, but if not, this is pretty cool.(Even though it doesn't really "do" anything I can see but point and click... but thats all I want :P)

There is also another program of his that is a demo, and that is only 191.5k. It looks like it only has one box with a few buttons and options that you can change, pretty cool.

[K.Mandla]

There are 8-bit GUI systems that have been around for decades.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEOS_%288-bit_operating_system%29

KolibriOS is probably one of the best that will run on "modern" systems. DexOS is similar.

http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/another-one-disk-wonder-dexos/

[JamezQ]

There are 8-bit GUI systems that have been around for decades.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEOS_%288-bit_operating_system%29

KolibriOS is probably one of the best that will run on "modern" systems. DexOS is similar.

http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/another-one-disk-wonder-dexos/


Thanks for the links, so, was GEOS smaller in size then the Alto?

And I might ask later for the for the most portable os, that would be fun, but for now I'm still just looking for the smallest GUI. I have had quite a few fun links to look at so far, it has been fun. I would prefer if I could run the OS in some VM, but it is not necessary.

[CLOUD666]

The smallest OS with GUI is DexOS, its less than 100k including GUI, its got a desktop GUI and a game sys like GUI, and even with its full TCP/IP stack its less than 120k.
It runs on x86 32bit pmode (built in menuetOS function wrap, so it can run any app for that OS).

But if we are talking small the same maker coded a 32bit pmode OS with high res 640x480 32bpp basic GUI, with built in cdplayer that fits on the boot sector of a floppy, yes thats right less than 512bytes in size ;) .
see here
http://www.dex4u.com/cdpod.htm
or here:
http://dex.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=573&start=0

[blueturtl]

If Microsoft hired an army of guys like the ones behind DexOS and Kolibri... I wonder how small Windows 7 could have been...

Watching these guys makes me feel like the insignificant programmer that I am. :D

[del_diablo]

I wonder how small Windows 7 could have been...I wonder how small Windows 7 could have been...I wonder how small Windows 7 could have been...

Since 5-6 gigabyte is dedicated to the worst enginnering decision i have seen(winsxs), i doubt it.