Forget about Windows Vista! Introducing Vixta, an open source, Linux-based, copy of Vista. Generally speaking, Linux, open source, Microsoft and Windows are by no means aligned concepts. In fact, with the exception of the Linux and Windows technical interoperability efforts derived from the Microsoft and Novell agreement focused on heterogeneous environments, the two platforms don't mix. Not even by far. Additionally, Microsoft's latest Windows Operating system, Windows Vista was regarded as a window of opportunity for Linux to increase its foothold on the client side. Almost nine months into the general availability of Vista, and the various distributions of the open sourceplatform are still situated under the 1% market share milestone, according to statistics provided by net Applications.

At the same time, Vista grew past the 7% market share mark, indicating that from January 30, 2007, Microsoft shipped in excess of 70 million copies of the operating system. In this context, a part of the open source community decided to find inspiration in Windows Vista. Vixta features the KDE based Desktop Environment and is essentially a Fedora-based distribution. But on top of it all, Vixta is nothing more than a Vista copy. Of course the open source and the Microsoft proprietary operating systems are not identical. In fact, under the hood, Vixta is still Linux, all the way. But on the surface, the similarities between the two operating systems are evident.

"Vixta.org Release 095 very soon! Goals: absolutely free, in every sense; spread linux to the "masses"; ABN - AbsolutelyNo Config; User-Frendly; Eye-catching and familiar look and Feel," are the promises Vixta developers made to users. Vixta brings to the table a graphical user interface that is a knock-off of Windows Aero in Vista. And the GUI copying is also illustrated in the name of the Linux distribution, as the difference between Vixta and Vista is almost inexistent. Microsoft failed to comment in any manner on the promised delivery of Vixta, but the Redmond company will undoubtedly tackle the Linux distribution through its legal department if the name and the GUI similarities will survive. Just click on the screenshots below in order to get an idea of the visual style of Vixta.