OS4 Misconceptions answered

Some people have some misconceptions regarding OS4 and what we do and what we stand for. So in this post Im going to address some of these misconceptions and get down to what makes these misconceptions wrong

We sell open source software.

Well, in a way thats right and in a way its misleading. OS4 is not our only product and its not the one that we “sell”. PC/OpenSystems LLC is split into two categories, we have support and services and we have software development and after January 2013 we will be producing hardware. OS4 OpenWorkstation, OpenServer and OpenDesktop are our inhouse Linux distributions, compatible with Ubuntu and Debian and our PC/OpenSuite for Windows and soon to be released PC/OpenSuite for Apple and that is the product line-up. We are certified resellers for Kapersky security solutions, we are certified resellers of Solaris and we are hardware resellers for Dell, HP, Acer and Gateway. But with the open source solutions we sell these products but they have free downloadable versions, these versions are not hindered or crippled in any way. These open source solutions are always the first thing we offer to customers though, anyway, the reason we offer the chance to give donations and to order product on installable USB keys are very simple. To fund those developments. When you donate to OS4 or buy the installable USB keys that money goes to funding. It buys replacement equipment, it funds domain registration, and it pays the developers because in order to make an incredibly good product like what we have, you have to pay people to do it. Im not into this trying to make a quick buck, Im not into it so I can take my girlfriend on extravagant vacations and $50.00 a plate dinners. We are in this to build a company, to be able to employ the best and brightest talent and to be able to give back to the community and to take care of our families. But this leads to the next misconception.

All you do is install Ubuntu add packages and remaster the system.

Wrong, here is the build process for OS4. On one of the machines we have the base system. This system has no applications installed. You have the kernel and you have an X server. That machine is audited, source code is audited, bugs are hunted down and fixed. We replicate this drive on the build systems and we add packages corresponding to whatever build it is, if its a desktop build we add packages for desktop use. If its OpenServer we add, server based applications, etc etc. Then it enter beta testing stage which produces about 60 or so builds, rebuilds and start overs. So there is a lot more entailed. The reason we use remastersys and the free tools that we use is because, for right now they are the best tools available.

We changed the desktop and no longer support our users

The switch to KDE was not one that was taken lightly and I know sometimes we put a bullet in the head of some project you were working. I understand that and believe me I feel your pain. But here is whats what. If you wrote your program in Gambas, you can still use Gambas. The runtime is still in there because we know that you guys invest not in our OS, but you invest in the productivity apps, you invest in your time and we dont get in your way. With OS4, you can still use whatever programming environment and application you want to use despite the toolkit. Gambas is still available, Eclipse, QT Creator, Anjunta and the Java JDK. We support our users and go beyond others, if Red Hat, Novell, Canonical and Mint only include tools for whatever desktop they include and in contrast we say “I dont care what you use, we will support you”

OS4 is the new kid on the block

OS4 was originally known as PC/OS. Development on PC/OS started in 2006 about the same time as Linux Mint and PC/OS was widely used, OS4 is the evolution of PC/OS. So why did we change the name from PC/OS to OS4. Well with PC/OS when you google searched it it came up with something totally non-related so we wanted something new and something that would sound good, simple and unique. The names we originally choose, PC/UX, Xenix (which does sound cool), Black Dog Linux (which we didnt want to get mixed up with Yellowdog Linux) and there were like three or four more, Xen Linux, PC Linux, Xen/UX... etc etc.

So those are a few of the misconceptions in regards to OS4. I hope this explains a lot to you guys and if you have any other questions, drop me a line.