In a nutshell: If you’ve got an ancient PC sitting around collecting dust, there’s a lightweight operating system that can breathe new life into your machine. KolibriOS is a remarkably small and zippy OS written entirely in x86 assembly code, allowing it to run on decades-old machines with very modest specs.
Originally forked from the MenuetOS project way back in 2004, KolibriOS has since charted its own path while sticking to its 32-bit x86 roots – unlike its forerunner, which added a proprietary 64-bit version. But for the kind of systems it targets, that’s more than enough.
The minimum requirements are antique: All you need is an i586-compatible CPU, 8MB of RAM, and a VESA-compatible video card. Despite this, the operating system works surprisingly well on old rigs, with virtually zero load time when launching bundled apps. The boot time is remarkably speedy, too.
In a recent video, YouTuber Michael MJD demonstrated KolibriOS booting within a few minutes off a 3.5″ floppy disk and in around five seconds off a CD-ROM on old hardware.
Of course, running from a floppy limits the included software. The CD version packs a much more generous payload with over 50 games spanning classic 2D gems to legendary 3D shooters like Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, and Quake in shareware form.
There are a handful of other useful apps too, like the lightweight Netsurf web browser, text editors, an IRC client, and emulators including DOSBox. That browser can’t handle anything more than basic website rendering, though. Tom’s Hardware confirmed it can’t do modern HTML5, let alone video streaming.
However, KolibriOS doesn’t seem to be designed for web surfing. It’s all about getting ancient x86 machines up and running again for light productivity tasks – or maybe some retro gaming if you are feeling nostalgic.
Particularly impressive is the deluge of customization features stuffed into such a light package. While the OS doesn’t seem to allow you to upload your own wallpaper, you can choose between a potentially endless variety of solid colors and textures. Even theming is supported, with options to pick colors for individual elements like buttons and title bars, which is certainly a step up from Windows. But it doesn’t end there – one cool feature lets you ditch the default Windows-style taskbar and enable a macOS-inspired dock, as you can see in the screenshot above.
Michael did run into some hardware compatibility snags during his test run, with Ethernet and audio not functioning on his particular setup. But the OS does include drivers for many common NICs from Intel, 3Com, and Realtek right out of the box. Your mileage may vary with other components.