14 DAY TRIAL // Q4OS, a Linux distribution developed to provide a similar experience to Windows XP, has been updated yet again and its developers have made a number of important changes and improvements.
Q4OS is actually one of the few Linux operating systems that don't just resemble Windows, as it goes far beyond that. Some Linux distributions share the same general desktop design, but they are different in every other way. Q4OS is as close to a clone as possible, while still using the Linux kernel and a dedicated desktop environment.
This resemblance is not the developers' only goal, it's a point of pride. Other Linux distros need many modifications to even get close to how Windows looks and feels, but Q4OS is natively made in this way. There are various reasons for the way the desktop looks on this distribution, and it's likely that some Windows users might be attracted by some of the features.
It's not hard to make the system look like Windows
Q4OS 20 uses a desktop environment called Trinity DE, which is derived from an old KDE 3.x release. Some of the older Linux users will remember that making KDE look like Windows XP was an interesting activity a while back and it still exists, although it's not as common as it once was.
"The essential new feature is KDE4 desktop integration into Q4OS system. It is comprised of two plasma themes, converted crystalsvg icons, splash theme and original Q4OS desktop look&feel configuration. Single-command script "kde4-install" for automatic easy installation is included. If user want to setup complete KDE4 desktop alongside standard Q4OS desktop, he will run the "kde4-install" script from terminal."
"He will be able to choose session type 'KDE Plasma Workspace' option on KDM login screen and make experience with brand new environment. He will be free to select basic classical Q4OS desktop too, of course," reads the developers' announcement.
Unfortunately, there is no Live CD version or option, so you will need to install this operating system in order to test it. The good news is that it works great in VirtualBox, which makes testing quite easy. In fact, many developers should learn from Q4OS how to make their system more compatible with virtual environments.
You can download Q4OS 0.5.20 right now from Softpedia and you can find more details about this new version of the operating system in the official announcement.
