AROS Research Operating System
AROS is an open source operating system reminiscent of the original AmigaOS. It currently supports x86, ARM, and PowerPC architectures. You can download and try the Icaros Desktop Light distribution which is a stable version of AROS in a Live CDROM iso format that you can also install on a virtual hard drive.
Limbo Configuration
If you want to just start the Live CDROM using QEMU on your windows desktop:
"c:\Program Files\qemu\qemu-system-x86_64" -M pc -m 1024 -soundhw ac97 -net user -net nic,model=rtl8139 -cdrom icaros-pc-i386.iso
Limbo Configuration
- CPU: qemu32
- RAM Memory: 1024 MB
- Mouse: ps2
- Graphics: std
- Audio: ac97
- Net: user
- Network Card: pcnet
If you want to just start the Live CDROM using QEMU on your windows desktop:
"c:\Program Files\qemu\qemu-system-x86_64" -M pc -m 1024 -soundhw ac97 -net user -net nic,model=rtl8139 -cdrom icaros-pc-i386.iso
Icaros - Installation
To install AROS to a virtual hard disk you will need to create first a 4GB drive on your Desktop using qemu-img though you can really choose a larger size for the disk.
"c:\Program Files\qemu\qemu-img" create -f qcow2 icaros.qcow2 4G
Now boot from the Live CDROM with this command line, make sure you don't use any -accel option
"c:\Program Files\qemu\qemu-system-x86_64" -M pc -m 1024 -soundhw ac97 -net user -net nic,model=pcnet -cdrom icaros-pc-i386.iso -hda icaros.qcow2 -boot d
Once the boot menu appears highlight the Advanced boot options and press Enter. When you are given a list of options select the VESA 800x600 resolution.
AROS will boot up really fast and the desktop (workbench) will appear on your screen.
Now click on the Install AROS desktop icon to start the installation.
The installation procedure will ask you to choose some options for the partition creation select the following:
Now you have to click on the Install AROS button on the workbench desktop to restart the installation.
This time some of the options will be disabled. Make sure the option "Use existing AROS partitions" is selected and click Proceed.
Now select the following components to be installed:
Click Proceed. Now you have to make sure that the Format Partition checkbox is enabled, if you want to use a different partition for the 'Work' you can select that and the Format Work partition checkbox otherwise leave it as is. Click Proceed.
Now select the Menu mode option "Graphics". Click Proceed again.
AROS should by now start to install the files on the virtual disk drive.
At some point the installation process will ask you to do a full installation of the extra software. There is plenty of interesting software so if you are into multimedia it is recommended to do a full installation.
When the installation of the extra software is done you can reboot the virtual machine, note the -boot and -cdrom options are missing:
"c:\Program Files\qemu\qemu-system-x86_64" -M pc -m 1024 -soundhw ac97 -net user -net nic,model=pcnet -hda icaros.qcow2
Now explore AROS and customize it before you transfer the image to your Android device and attach it to Limbo.
"c:\Program Files\qemu\qemu-img" create -f qcow2 icaros.qcow2 4G
Now boot from the Live CDROM with this command line, make sure you don't use any -accel option
"c:\Program Files\qemu\qemu-system-x86_64" -M pc -m 1024 -soundhw ac97 -net user -net nic,model=pcnet -cdrom icaros-pc-i386.iso -hda icaros.qcow2 -boot d
Once the boot menu appears highlight the Advanced boot options and press Enter. When you are given a list of options select the VESA 800x600 resolution.
AROS will boot up really fast and the desktop (workbench) will appear on your screen.
Now click on the Install AROS desktop icon to start the installation.
The installation procedure will ask you to choose some options for the partition creation select the following:
- Only use Free space.
- Drive Type: IDE
- System Partition: SFS
Now you have to click on the Install AROS button on the workbench desktop to restart the installation.
This time some of the options will be disabled. Make sure the option "Use existing AROS partitions" is selected and click Proceed.
Now select the following components to be installed:
- Install AROS core system
- Install Extra software
- Install Bootloader
Click Proceed. Now you have to make sure that the Format Partition checkbox is enabled, if you want to use a different partition for the 'Work' you can select that and the Format Work partition checkbox otherwise leave it as is. Click Proceed.
Now select the Menu mode option "Graphics". Click Proceed again.
AROS should by now start to install the files on the virtual disk drive.
At some point the installation process will ask you to do a full installation of the extra software. There is plenty of interesting software so if you are into multimedia it is recommended to do a full installation.
When the installation of the extra software is done you can reboot the virtual machine, note the -boot and -cdrom options are missing:
"c:\Program Files\qemu\qemu-system-x86_64" -M pc -m 1024 -soundhw ac97 -net user -net nic,model=pcnet -hda icaros.qcow2
Now explore AROS and customize it before you transfer the image to your Android device and attach it to Limbo.
Video Resolution
To make the video resolution persistent after a reboot you need to update the grub loader list. To do that following these steps:
Click on the Editor icon on the tray with the icon that looks like a notepad. Now right click anywhere on the app and choose from the popup menu: Project -> Load File.
Now click on the Volume button and then double click on the first entry on the list which is the AROS (HD0) volume.
and navigate to this folder:
arch/pc/grub
And open the file named grub.cfg
Scroll down to the "menuentry Icaros Desktop" section and update the first line with
vesa=800x600@60
instead of vesa=32bit
Right click anywhere and choose Project -> save. Now exit and reboot the next time AROS starts it will have 800x600 resolution.
Click on the Editor icon on the tray with the icon that looks like a notepad. Now right click anywhere on the app and choose from the popup menu: Project -> Load File.
Now click on the Volume button and then double click on the first entry on the list which is the AROS (HD0) volume.
and navigate to this folder:
arch/pc/grub
And open the file named grub.cfg
Scroll down to the "menuentry Icaros Desktop" section and update the first line with
vesa=800x600@60
instead of vesa=32bit
Right click anywhere and choose Project -> save. Now exit and reboot the next time AROS starts it will have 800x600 resolution.