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Can ArcaOS replace my current OS?

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Remy:
Since latest ArcaOS modifications starting from 5.0.3 I'm more an more under ArcaOs natively than using my windows 7 system. The most important missing options are USB3 but USB2 works much better than before and fat32 is now very good and a newer browser than the v49 build of firefox. From what I could read, USB3 is nearly to be ready, new browser too and UEFI as well into 5.1

Of course, to handle or rip 1080p or up videos, more memory is needed and 32bits is a limitation for very heavy apps.           

ivan:
I have been using OS/2 exclusively since OS/2 v 2.1 came out and am now using ArcaOS on a couple of AMD Ryzen based boards without many problems, the main one being, as Remy said, the lack of USB 3 drivers but I get round that with a real USB 2 addin card.  The other problem is that I can't run VirtualBox on those machines and therefore have to revert to an older OS/2 based machine if I want to test something on windows for a friend.

I also have Zorin Linux running on another Ryzen machine to allow me to use Calibre and Sigil for producing e-books although I use CoolReader on OS/2/ArcaOS for proof reading.

Doug Bissett:

--- Quote ---OS/2 is a great OS but a lot of stuff like fat32 drivers/usb/web browsers/java can also be pretty buggy in my experience with ECS. I don't have ArcaOS but can't imagine things have changed that much since ECS 2.
--- End quote ---

FAT32 is under heavy development. Hopefully that will be released soon. Right now, Lazy Write has a serious problem, but turning that off makes it work well.

USB 3 has run into a serious problem. Apparently USBMSD.ADD has so many bugs, that it just won't work with USB 3. From what has been said, they are rewriting it, but that will take some time. We are testing a preview version where USB 3 has effectively been disabled, but USB 2 (and older) devices should work normally with a xHCI controller. You can use USB 3 devices by using a USB 2 extender cable to eliminate the USB 3 connection. In my testing, some machines will run a USB 3 device, connected as USB 2, faster than USB 2 devices will work (it depends on the device, and the controller). There have been questions about whether mouse, and keyboard, will work. Yes, they do, but not until the driver loads (same as always). They can be used before boot, as long as the machine BIOS will operate them.

The web browser has had another step forward, with the new GCC 9.2 support. Still waiting though.

JAVA. Yeah, that needs some serious work. It also needs some donations to get it (and other things, including the browser) done.

ArcaOS is a huge step forward from eCS. Although there were a few things carried forward, most of it is new. One of the main things is that Arca Noae has permission from IBM to distribute patched OS/2 modules. Nobody else can do that, legally. The permission only applies to OS/2 sold by Arca Noae, as ArcaOS. They cannot retrofit patched software into earlier versions of OS/2. The patched kernel is much better than older kernels (but it still has a few problems).

We recently got an update for Apache OpenOffice. Apparently that also needs more funding.


--- Quote ---The other problem is that I can't run VirtualBox on those machines
--- End quote ---

Out of curiosity, what is the problem? VBox (vbox-os2-i386-v5.0.51.zip) works on my Asus A88XM-A machine (it isn't Ryzen). The main problem, that I have, is that VBox uses huge amounts of lower shared memory space (as well as upper shared memory), so I need to be very careful what is running, when I start it (I only run winXP as a guest). One good thing, is that it seems to release most (if not all) of that memory, when I close it.

David Kiley:
Good points Doug.
Looks like there are more developments than I thought.

Doug Bissett:

--- Quote ---Looks like there are more developments than I thought.
--- End quote ---

That list is not anywhere near complete. I didn't mention the on going development of the Multimac drivers (including WiFi, but USB 3 is more important), JFS fixes, ACPI enhancements, Boot loader changes (includes the RAMDISK that works in memory above the 4 GB mark - thanks to Digi), Air boot enhancements, AHCI fixes, UEFI (without CSM) support, and probably a couple of dozen other things. Still planned, but not in active development (AFAIK), is GPT disk support. None of this is easy, and there aren't very many developers working on all of it. Fortunately, they are the best available, so things happen, eventually.

You also need to remember, that you can purchase more support (usually only businesses), and these same guys have to do that too.

The bottom line is, that ArcaOS is a huge step past where eCS left off. It is still limited by the OS/2 architecture, but they are learning how to work around some of that. They are also limited by the contract with IBM, and that is the main reason why some "outside" enhancements are not implemented. OS4, for instance, could be in big trouble, if IBM decided to sue them for "reverse engineering" the kernel (even if OS4 was cleared, the legal costs would be staggering). Arca Noae cannot take chances with the legality of a lot of that stuff. FAT32 is close to the edge, but it has been around long enough that it probably won't be challenged (although it is likely that Microsoft wouldn't hesitate, if they thought it would get something for them). AN has dropped the FAT12/16, and ExFAT support, that others have done in the FAT32 driver, mostly because it is not clear that it is legal to do that. Then, of course, there are financial limits. Arca Noae would love to make money, but it seems that the costs, and the income, are almost balancing.

And on, and on. It is a delicate balance, and Arca Noae seems to be doing a good job of staying on the path.

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