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ArcaOS

From Alfawiki
Arca Noae, LLC
Company typeLimited liability company
IndustrySoftware development
FoundedOctober 23, 2015; 11 years ago (2015-10-23)
FounderLewis Rosenthal
Headquarters
United States
ProductsArcaOS
Websitearca.noae.ca

ArcaOS is a commercial operating system derived from OS/2, created and distributed by Arca Noae, LLC under an official license from IBM. Launched in 2017, it enhances OS/2 Warp 4.52 by integrating support for contemporary hardware, addressing bugs, and incorporating additional utilities and applications,[1] while also offering some degree of Linux/Unix interoperability. It is designed primarily for professional users who require running OS/2 software on modern machines, as well as individual OS/2 enthusiasts.[2]

Similar to OS/2 Warp, ArcaOS operates as a 32-bitCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name single-user system featuring multiprocessing,[3] and preemptive multitaskingCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name capabilities on the x86 platform.[4] It functions on both native hardwareCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and within virtual machine hypervisor environments.[5]

Hardware compatibility

ArcaOS accommodates symmetric multiprocessing configurations with support for up to 64 CPU cores, although it is advisable to disable hyperthreading. Version 5.0.8 complies with ACPI 6.1 standards, incorporating the ACPICA release dated 20220331.

Despite being a 32-bit system, ArcaOS provides partial PAE functionality, allowing allocation of RAM exceeding 4GB for use as a RAM disk. It is compatible as a guest operating system on virtualization platforms such as VirtualBox, VMware ESXi, VMWare Workstation, and Microsoft Virtual PC.

In addition to the original device drivers from OS/2 Warp 4, ArcaOS comes equipped with drivers developed by Arca Noae and third-party contributors:

  • Network interface cards utilize Arca Noae's MultiMac technology—derived from FreeBSD driver sources—or GenMAC drivers. Wireless networking remains limited but there are intentions to broaden MultiMac chipset compatibility.
  • USB functionality has been modernized with a new 32-bit driver replacing IBM's earlier 16-bit version, supporting both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 standards.
  • Audio hardware is managed by the Uniaud generic driver maintained by Arca Noae, which is based on the ALSA framework; device-specific audio drivers are also included. Plans exist to introduce a new audio driver based on FreeBSD components.
  • Video capabilities include the Panorama generic unaccelerated VESA driver alongside the accelerated SNAP driver, which provides features such as hardware acceleration and multi-head display support for selected chipsets, with future expansion targeting others like the Intel HD series.
  • Storage support encompasses IDE, AHCI, NVMe, and various types of SCSI controllers.
  • Printer functionality is delivered through the eCups initiative, which is founded on the open-source Common Unix Printing System.

Software

In addition to the applications bundled with OS/2 Warp 4, ArcaOS includes several important software packages such as:

Cross-platform functionality

ArcaOS facilitates the execution of applications from various platforms and simplifies software porting through several mechanisms:

  • Utilizing OS/2's MVDM alongside WIN-OS/2 allows native operation of 16-bit MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 programs. Improvements include support for volumes exceeding 2GB and compatibility with these applications on UEFI systems lacking a traditional BIOS.
  • Odin, derived from Wine, implements a subset of the Win32 API, enabling direct running of certain Win32 applications or assisting in porting Windows software such as the OS/2 variant of OpenJDK.
  • The kLIBC layer offers Unix compatibility to ease Linux application porting. ArcaOS comes bundled with Linux utilities including the Bash shell and GNU coreutils, while additional software like GCC can be installed through its package manager.
  • A dedicated port of OpenJDK allows Java applications to run independently of platform-specific constraints.

File system support

The primary file system in ArcaOS is JFS, complemented by HPFS for legacy compatibility. Installation and boot operations are supported on either filesystem.

Additionally, it supports FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32 file systems via the OS/2 kernel’s FAT driver or a proprietary Arca Noae FAT32 IFS driver included from version 5.0.3 onward. Optical disc formats such as ISO 9660 and UDF are also compatible.

ArcaOS integrates the open source Samba project to facilitate serving and accessing CIFS/SMB shares, managed through the graphical ArcaMapper tool.

The NetDrive utility for OS/2 extends file system access by providing IFS drivers for NTFS and NFS. While ArcaOS includes a limited NetDrive license, the full product enables mounting a broad range of local and remote file systems.

Installation process and updates

ArcaOS offers a contemporary graphical installation interface that replaces IBM’s OS/2 Warp installer. It supports booting directly from optical discs or USB flash drives, removing the necessity for boot floppy disks. The installer also permits upgrading existing ArcaOS installations to newer versions without requiring a complete reinstall.

Software installation and update management are handled through the Arca Noae Package Manager (ANPM), an OS/2-native graphical frontend based on RPM and YUM technologies. Packages are provided via a combination of free and subscription RPM repositories, facilitating efficient maintenance and streamlined package handling.

System requirements

The baseline hardware specifications for running ArcaOS 5.1 include:

Processor Intel Pentium Pro or AMD K6 series
RAM Minimum 256MB; recommended 2GB
Graphics VGA-compatible video card supporting VESA BIOS Extensions (VBE) version 2.0
Disk space At least 2GB of free storage
Installation media DVD-ROM drive or USB flash drive required for setup
Firmware Compatible with traditional BIOS, UEFI, or UEFI with Compatibility Support Module (CSM)
Input devices PS/2 or USB keyboard and mouse

Blue Lion

On October 23, 2015, at Warpstock, Arca Noae's Managing Member Lewis Rosenthal unveiled ArcaOS under the codename "Blue Lion." The planned enhancements encompassed a new symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) kernel, a modernized pre-boot menu, an operating system installer capable of USB and network-based installations, device drivers sourced from Arca Noae's subscription offerings, an improved Workplace Shell, updates to the CUPS printing framework along with PostScript drivers, and support for multiple languages through localization.

ArcaOS 5.0

The designation "ArcaOS" was introduced publicly in May 2016, with the domain arcaos.com having been secured in December 2015. The initial version was numbered 5.0 to continue the sequence after IBM’s final OS/2 Warp release (4.52).

ArcaOS 5.0 debuted on May 15, 2017, available in two variants: a commercial edition designed for enterprise environments that included twelve months of enhanced support priced at $229 per license, and a personal edition targeting individual users with six months of standard support offered at $129 per license (with a promotional rate of $99 during the first ninety days).

Maintenance updates issued through 2023 addressed bug resolutions, driver improvements, and significant new capabilities such as USB 3.0 and NVMe device compatibility, installation via USB media, and an integrated system update tool.

ArcaOS 5.1

Initially slated for release in 2017 to introduce National Language Versions (NLVs) beyond English, ArcaOS 5.1 was incorporated into Arca Noae’s development roadmap following the launch of version 5.0. The official release of ArcaOS 5.1.0 occurred on August 27, 2023, featuring support for UEFI Class 3 firmware and GUID Partition Table (GPT) disks, thereby overcoming the previous maximum disk size limit of 2TB. Subsequently, version 5.1.1 released in February 2025 added NLVs for German, Spanish, and Russian languages.

Planned enhancements within the 5.1.x series include:

  • Broader NLV coverage incorporating French, Italian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Dutch to improve localization for new components such as the installer and XWorkplace.
  • A migration utility enabling direct upgrades from OS/2 Warp 4 and eComStation systems to ArcaOS without requiring prior uninstallation.
  • Integration of desktop search functionality utilizing the open-source Recoll software.
  • Replacement of IBM’s all-in-one Selective Install tool with multiple utilities developed by Arca Noae.
  • Creation of a contemporary WebKit-based web browser intended to succeed Firefox on the ArcaOS platform.

Release history

ArcaOS releases
Release Date Major changes
5.0 2017-05-15 Initial public launch
5.0.1 2017-07-09 Improvements to installer and driver updates
5.0.2 2018-02-10 Added capability to boot from USB devices
5.0.3 2018-08-19 Updates to software components and drivers
5.0.4 2019-07-21 Introduced update mechanism allowing upgrades without reinstalling
5.0.5 2020-06-06 Support for USB 3.0/xHCI hardware added
5.0.6 2020-08-31 Further installer corrections and enhancements
5.0.7 2021-12-07 NVMe driver integration
5.0.8 2023-06-01 Installer and preboot environment gained NVMe drive compatibility
5.1.0 2023-08-27 Enabled support for UEFI Class 3 systems and GPT partitions
5.1.1 2025-02-16 Added National Language Versions for German, Spanish, and Russian

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Arca-03
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named lundukehour
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named arcaos-acpi
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named arcaos-requirements
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named arcaos-vm
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