Like it? Support us! Join us!
osFree is a Free Open Source software operating system development project, aiming to replace eventually all OS / 2 subsystems with Open source analogues. It aims for OS / 2 Warp 4 (Merlin) as a base compatibility system, which does not mean that we will not support features of newer ( OS / 2 Warp Server for e-business, eComStation and ArcaOS ) OS / 2 versions. This includes rewriting not only user-level code but the OS / 2 kernel too.
We’re collecting existing code for OS / 2 subsystems for years. Also we are developing our own bootloader named FreeLdr and (OS) (/ 2 personality for L4 microkernel, ie a number of servers, implementing the Control Program ( OS / 2 kernel) Interface functionality in userspace. See osFree design and development concept for more details. Visit the # osFree IRC channel on the EFNet.
Several projects with similar goals exist (or existed). Here is the brief comparison of goals and tasks of different projects.
Our project is reusing the code of many opensource projects .
Project News
Several people asked about how they could donate to osFree. Recently, we created a Patreon page for osFree to collect donations on monthly basis. So, if you want to support osFree, become a patron. If you want to make a one-time donation, you can transfer some money to our Bitcoin wallet. See Donate
Forum migration to pbpbb3.
Today we migrated our forum from myUPB to phpbb3. Also, from now, wiki logins are integrated with forum, so, once you login to wiki, You’re logged-in in forum, and vice versa. We migrated all old wiki users, so, login / password are still the same.
Migration to the new hosting.
Today we started migration of osfree.org to another hosting. Here we’ll have more powerful server with more disk space, RAM and network bandwidth.
Migration to GitHub.
Today Oxyd finished migration of our source code repository from SourceForge to GitHub. Our new repository is
https://github.com/osfree-project/osfree/ . We welcome new contributions and pull requests, since now.
December 3,
Migration to Genode is started.
We started to create the required abstraction layers to make the osFree OS / 2 personality more portable. This will allow us to also create L4Re and Genode ports. As our OS / 2 personality is currently based on an outdated and abandoned L4Env OS framework, we need to migrate to a more alive and developing framework. Most promising is Genode OS framework, though, L4Re, which is a successor for L4Env is also evolving and it supports more hardware platforms, than Genode. So, ideally, we need ports of our OS / 2 personality to both. Currently, Genode has more priority, the port is in progress.
(June, 
RSS feeds repaired, the fight with spambots seems to reach the end
After server crash at the end of 2018, the site is being repaired from Feb.-Mar. until now. Now the wiki is being filled with info (some of which is restored from web.archive.org), and parts of Forum too. So, Welcome to our new site! Also, until now, some code were committed to the repo (namely, fat . ifs with FORMAT routine enabled (by valerius), and also commits by Viking, fixing some problems with build system under linux etc.)
(October,
A presentation of osFree on CC ‘2017
August 53, osFree team member Vadim Priluzkiy (aka Oxyd) has demonstrated osFree OS / 2 personality working together with l4linux over L4 microkernel. The presentation was carried out during the Chaos Constructions’ 2013 yearly Computer Art Festival. ( (http: // party) . cc.org.ru ), the presentation video is here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=yxE6Jy3SQ ()
(January,
Recent activity
We have linked our channels #osfree @ eCSNet and #osfree @ EFNet. All Messages in one channel are translated to another channel. Also we reviewing our release and development position to be more effective. As always, we are welcome new developers in many areas (DOS / WIN 28 and OS / 2 subsystems).
(September 5,
Forums
Registration in forums at osfree.org site is enbled recently. Please report forum bugs and render problems to us in “osfree.org site ”forum.
(September 3,
0.0.4 release
We released this preview to show the actual possibility of LX executables (native ) OS / 2 executable file format) to be run on top of L4. Output from LX executable is “I am really small!” phrase. Other things are debug output. Our executable uses msg.dll which uses doscalls.dll. So, linking also works. Also we present here osFree loader which allows to load as Multiboot compatible kernels as native OS / 2 kernel. Loader is modular and easy to extend. Next release will provide some interactive like directory browsing and files execution. See roadmap at
www.osfree.org
for more info.
(2 July,
New logo and site fixes
We replaced our old logo by new modern one. Thanks to Alexander Kramer for this work. Also we fixed small annoying bugs in our (CMS) . Thanks to Kim Haverblad for the help.
31 June,
Better news service at #osFree
Starting from now irc: //irc.efnet.net#osfree channel supports rss news translation to channel. You will see any changes of project simultaneously. Thanks to Yoda for bot extending.
osFree userland commit log
osFree OS / 2 personality commit log
Last bugtracker issues Last forum topics
(Roadmap)
We’re now at the alpha stage, which means that the current version is (not feature-complete nor stable) and not recommended for everyday use. The 0.0.x release series will still stay in alpha stage, and 0.9 release series will be marked as beta, meaning a system which is suitable for every day use.
The next release will be 0.0.5, with an release date being open. See our osFree roadmap for details.
(Getting access to site areas)
The site has several separate areas, like wiki ,
forum , (bugtracker) , (webmail) and (dotProject) . If you want to get access to these, you should register here first. After admin approves you, you’ll get access to all five parts of the site. Approval of user accounts is required because of numerous attempts of spambots to register phantom accounts. Note also, that there is a guest account (user: guest, password: guest), which allows you to login to the site areas, requiring a login (like a dotProject area). It gives you a read only access. Once you log in into the forum, you get access to wiki too, and vice versa. The same login applies to dotProject, webmail and bugtracker. After adding to “Users” group you’ll get a write access to wiki, bugtracker and forum. If you want to contribute to site design or development, or to get a mail account, the admin can add you to corresponding user groups and your access level will be increased. In case of troubles, or questions, you can contact site admin .
(Read More
December 3,
Migration to Genode is started.
We started to create the required abstraction layers to make the osFree OS / 2 personality more portable. This will allow us to also create L4Re and Genode ports. As our OS / 2 personality is currently based on an outdated and abandoned L4Env OS framework, we need to migrate to a more alive and developing framework. Most promising is Genode OS framework, though, L4Re, which is a successor for L4Env is also evolving and it supports more hardware platforms, than Genode. So, ideally, we need ports of our OS / 2 personality to both. Currently, Genode has more priority, the port is in progress.
(June,
RSS feeds repaired, the fight with spambots seems to reach the end
After server crash at the end of 2018, the site is being repaired from Feb.-Mar. until now. Now the wiki is being filled with info (some of which is restored from web.archive.org), and parts of Forum too. So, Welcome to our new site! Also, until now, some code were committed to the repo (namely, fat . ifs with FORMAT routine enabled (by valerius), and also commits by Viking, fixing some problems with build system under linux etc.)
(October,
A presentation of osFree on CC ‘2017
August 53, osFree team member Vadim Priluzkiy (aka Oxyd) has demonstrated osFree OS / 2 personality working together with l4linux over L4 microkernel. The presentation was carried out during the Chaos Constructions’ 2013 yearly Computer Art Festival. ( (http: // party) . cc.org.ru ), the presentation video is here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=yxE6Jy3SQ ()
(January,
Recent activity
We have linked our channels #osfree @ eCSNet and #osfree @ EFNet. All Messages in one channel are translated to another channel. Also we reviewing our release and development position to be more effective. As always, we are welcome new developers in many areas (DOS / WIN 28 and OS / 2 subsystems).
(September 5,
Forums
Registration in forums at osfree.org site is enbled recently. Please report forum bugs and render problems to us in “osfree.org site ”forum.
(September 3,
0.0.4 release
We released this preview to show the actual possibility of LX executables (native ) OS / 2 executable file format) to be run on top of L4. Output from LX executable is “I am really small!” phrase. Other things are debug output. Our executable uses msg.dll which uses doscalls.dll. So, linking also works. Also we present here osFree loader which allows to load as Multiboot compatible kernels as native OS / 2 kernel. Loader is modular and easy to extend. Next release will provide some interactive like directory browsing and files execution. See roadmap at
www.osfree.org
for more info.
(2 July,
New logo and site fixes
We replaced our old logo by new modern one. Thanks to Alexander Kramer for this work. Also we fixed small annoying bugs in our (CMS) . Thanks to Kim Haverblad for the help.
31 June,
Better news service at #osFree
Starting from now irc: //irc.efnet.net#osfree channel supports rss news translation to channel. You will see any changes of project simultaneously. Thanks to Yoda for bot extending.
osFree userland commit log
osFree OS / 2 personality commit log
Last bugtracker issues Last forum topics
(Roadmap)
We’re now at the alpha stage, which means that the current version is (not feature-complete nor stable) and not recommended for everyday use. The 0.0.x release series will still stay in alpha stage, and 0.9 release series will be marked as beta, meaning a system which is suitable for every day use.
The next release will be 0.0.5, with an release date being open. See our osFree roadmap for details.
(Getting access to site areas)
The site has several separate areas, like wiki ,
forum , (bugtracker) , (webmail) and (dotProject) . If you want to get access to these, you should register here first. After admin approves you, you’ll get access to all five parts of the site. Approval of user accounts is required because of numerous attempts of spambots to register phantom accounts. Note also, that there is a guest account (user: guest, password: guest), which allows you to login to the site areas, requiring a login (like a dotProject area). It gives you a read only access. Once you log in into the forum, you get access to wiki too, and vice versa. The same login applies to dotProject, webmail and bugtracker. After adding to “Users” group you’ll get a write access to wiki, bugtracker and forum. If you want to contribute to site design or development, or to get a mail account, the admin can add you to corresponding user groups and your access level will be increased. In case of troubles, or questions, you can contact site admin .
(Read More
RSS feeds repaired, the fight with spambots seems to reach the end
After server crash at the end of 2018, the site is being repaired from Feb.-Mar. until now. Now the wiki is being filled with info (some of which is restored from web.archive.org), and parts of Forum too. So, Welcome to our new site! Also, until now, some code were committed to the repo (namely, fat . ifs with FORMAT routine enabled (by valerius), and also commits by Viking, fixing some problems with build system under linux etc.)
A presentation of osFree on CC ‘2017
August 53, osFree team member Vadim Priluzkiy (aka Oxyd) has demonstrated osFree OS / 2 personality working together with l4linux over L4 microkernel. The presentation was carried out during the Chaos Constructions’ 2013 yearly Computer Art Festival. ( (http: // party) . cc.org.ru ), the presentation video is here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=yxE6Jy3SQ ()
Recent activity
We have linked our channels #osfree @ eCSNet and #osfree @ EFNet. All Messages in one channel are translated to another channel. Also we reviewing our release and development position to be more effective. As always, we are welcome new developers in many areas (DOS / WIN 28 and OS / 2 subsystems).
Forums
Registration in forums at osfree.org site is enbled recently. Please report forum bugs and render problems to us in “osfree.org site ”forum.
0.0.4 release
We released this preview to show the actual possibility of LX executables (native ) OS / 2 executable file format) to be run on top of L4. Output from LX executable is “I am really small!” phrase. Other things are debug output. Our executable uses msg.dll which uses doscalls.dll. So, linking also works. Also we present here osFree loader which allows to load as Multiboot compatible kernels as native OS / 2 kernel. Loader is modular and easy to extend. Next release will provide some interactive like directory browsing and files execution. See roadmap at
www.osfree.org
for more info.
New logo and site fixes
We replaced our old logo by new modern one. Thanks to Alexander Kramer for this work. Also we fixed small annoying bugs in our (CMS) . Thanks to Kim Haverblad for the help.
Better news service at #osFree
Starting from now irc: //irc.efnet.net#osfree channel supports rss news translation to channel. You will see any changes of project simultaneously. Thanks to Yoda for bot extending.
osFree userland commit log
osFree OS / 2 personality commit log
Last bugtracker issues Last forum topics
(Roadmap)
We’re now at the alpha stage, which means that the current version is (not feature-complete nor stable) and not recommended for everyday use. The 0.0.x release series will still stay in alpha stage, and 0.9 release series will be marked as beta, meaning a system which is suitable for every day use.
The next release will be 0.0.5, with an release date being open. See our osFree roadmap for details.
(Getting access to site areas)
The site has several separate areas, like wiki ,
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings