Question

Answer

When posting links to the PsychOS Project website, please use https://psychoslinux.gitlab.io when you do, even if referring to other related projects such as "PsychOS486" or "PsychDOS." It is very annoying to search "PsychOS linux" and see results with URL's to the popular redirect versions -- such as https://.../index_modern.html.

People visiting seem to paste what is in their URL bar. The "index.html" part at the end for the home page is not necessary. When URL's to redirects are posted, search engine bots find them and then make it harder to delete site pages without potentially condemning the project when those links no longer work and people give up in frustration because they don't understand how a GitLab site works.

The PsychOS 3.x series is currently based off of Devuan ASCII. This means that the PsychOS distribution itself is currently licensed under the GPLv3. You may pass copies of the PsychOS in its entirety around to your friends and family. However, PsychOS contains non-free, but redistributable software -- like most GNU/Linux distributions (according to the vrms package), and therefore you do so at your own risk. See the release notes for details.

The PsychOS486 series is currently based off of Slacko Puppy 5.3.1. This means that the PsychOS486 distribution itself is believed to be licensed as LGPL. You may pass copies of the PsychOS486 in its entirety around to your friends and family. However, PsychOS486 contains non-free, but redistributable software -- like most GNU/Linux distributions, and therefore you do so at your own risk. See the release notes for details.

PsychOS 3.4.5 and higher and PsychOS486 1.6.5 and higher may also contain software created by TheOuterLinux, with permission -- as the PsychOS project was created by and is maintained by TheOuterLinux, that is not licensed in a way to allow blatant forking/respins of the distribution. If you want to fork/respin any of the PsychOS-related projects and release your distribution to the general public, any software currently under TheOuterLinux license must be removed first and you may not use the word "PsychOS" in the distribution name or anything similar that suggests affiliation with its current maintainer.

PsychOS 3.4.5 and higher and PsychOS486 1.6.5 and higher contains custom-made wallpapers by TheOuterLinux and are currently licensed under CC BY-NC-ND. These wallpapers contain icons/logos relating to PsychOS in some way. Please remove and create your own wallpapers before forking/respinning any of the PsychOS-related projects beyond personal use.

The PsychDOS desktop environment itself was created using Visual Basic 1.0 for DOS (VBDOS) and is licensed under the GPLv3; however, PsychDOS also includes software under various, but redistributable, licenses.

Site

URL (with alternatives)

Rating given by site (if applicable)

Corrections that need to be made to the review

• Inspired by: https://linuxinsider.com/story/psychos-a-crazy-cool-distro-that-pushes-linux-limits-86708.html
• Link to Geekzone.fr review: https://www.geekzone.fr/2020/07/10/psychos/

I hate Google Translator... I do like it when people create their own screenshots for their reviews though :)

• Original: https://linuxinsider.com/story/psychos-a-crazy-cool-distro-that-pushes-linux-limits-86708.html
• Alternative: https://techlastweek.com/2020/06/12/psychos-a-crazy-cool-distro-that-pushes-linux-limits/
• Alternative: https://www.technewsworld.com/story/PsychOS-A-Crazy-Cool-Distro-That-Pushes-Linux-Limits-86708.html

To be fair, I had just E-Mailed the author of the article on 2020/06/13 (same day as it was released) in regards to corrections, but for the time being:

• "TheOuterLinux" is an individual practicing their right to privacy and is not a company.
• In an E-Mail, I miss-wrote a sentence in regards to "always assuming people will have Internet," which I actually meant to say the opposite, which is why PsychOS has so much software included in the first place. When I found out that LinuxInsider wanted to write an article on PsychOS, I had a lot to say in a short period of time and sort of rushed my responses to questions.

• PsychOS i686 version will most likely not run on your 20 year old computer, maybe 15, but not 20. For 20 year old computers, use PsychOS486 instead.

• Features: 9/10
• Ease of use: 6/10
• Performance: 7/10
• Documentation: 7/10
• Rating: 8/10

• The documentation URL at the end needs to be changed to https://psychoslinux.gitlab.io/documents/docs.html
• The report bugs URL at the end needs to be changed to https://gitlab.com/PsychOSLinux/psychoslinux.gitlab.io/issues

• Original: https://linux.softpedia.com/get/Linux-Distributions/PsychOS-103854.shtml
• Copy pasta: http://mega-download.nl/psychos-3-4-6/
• Copy pasta: https://www.appsformypc.com/2020/01/psychos/

• Home page needs to be corrected to https://psychoslinux.gitlab.io
• Calls the "Whisker Menu" a task manager for some reason
• Says that you have to right-click on the desktop to launch applications, which is not true at all (Whisker Menu)
• PsychOS i686 version will most likely not run on your 20 year old computer, maybe 15, but not 20. For 20 year old computers, use PsychOS486 instead.

Title

URL

YouTube Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb1Elya1hqE

Rumble Version: https://rumble.com/vrvnf7-linux-os-that-brings-old-hardware-back-too-life.html"

Site

URL

My Respone

The developer seems very secretive not wanting to disclose any information about themselves, not even their gender. That sets off alarm bells for me but maybe he/she is just eccentric.

Eccentric? Maybe a little. The main reason is because I have zero interest in voluntarily feeding our AI "overlords" data about myself, especially when various technologies in current development are at that point in which they need us more than we need them. My attitude was considered normal until people decided that it was okay to trade in their privacy for convenience. And now, you've even got people posting to random forums while using an actual photo and a full name. Never assume just because something is GNU/Linux-related that a developer inherently cares about their user's privacy if they do not care about their own.

As an 80s kid, there is something nostalgic about it - the look, its claims to support old DOS games and old programming languages. And also to access internet resources via text.

It supports DOS software in general thanks to DOSBox. And because of RetroGrab, you can essentially "install" old software that isn't just DOS if you have the required emulator; I can add more than just DOS programs, I just haven't really gotten around to other systems like AtariST, Amiga, C64, and etc. just yet. Installed items via RetroGrab are typically added to the main applications menu or a PATH is added to DOSBox if it is a command-line program.

As far as old programming languages, this is also because of included emulators that aren't just for playing video games and are mostly BASIC-oriented.

Text-based web browsing has never actually gone away, even though web devs are "hell-bent" on making it harder to do, and PsychOS includes one of my favorites, w3m.

Add this one to the list "maybe"....PsychOS (im not affiliated, just found it on distrowatch).

Yes. Add the i686 version of PsychOS to the list. However, there are plans to have other GNU/Linux distribution and/or operating system types for PsychOS such as FreeDOS-based and to have an i486 version, which will not be based on Devuan.

What a masterpiece! :sunglasses:

Yes. Yes it is ;)

iso too big. If dev can release lite edition without bloatware bundle maybe i can try.

Humor me and pick a random i486 distribution from this list, except the Slackware and a few of the Puppy-based ones. And while booted into it, please install something using the package manager. Go on. I'll wait. What's wrong? Oh, that's right, you probably can't. You know why? The web devs of the Internet, along with other certain "inities," thought it necessary to enforce SSL (https) upon everyone, claming it is for "security," while in actuality it just adds one more nail to the computer longevity coffin. That is why PsychOS comes with so much software. In 10-20 years, maybe even sooner, it will be much easier to remove software than it will be to add. You're welcome.

I'm certain the developer will take your concerns into account... :footinmouth:

Um... I'm writing about it, aren't I? In 2020 (or later if I'm too lazy to update this), there is no reason to still keep calling a GNU/Linux distro that won't fit on a 700MB CD-ROM as "bloatware," especially when it seems that one of the main complaints I get is having issues booting from a USB stick when in reality, if your target computer doesn't have a DVD-RW drive, don't bother. Feel free to test in a Virtual Machine instead as complaining about an i686 GNU/Linux distro not working on via USB your new 64-bit UEFI blah blah blah is just asinine.

I've got a different problem in that I'm getting beeps from my motherboard for no apparent reason (but not in AntiX, Slackware or in PsychOS, which is based on Devuan), and the one common denominator all those have is systemd so I'm trying to stay away from systemd-based distros until it's (hopefully) sorted out.

Yep. Systemd is stupid.

What are these limits that it pushes? And how it do so?

When the article uses the phrase "pushes the limits," I take it that people aren't making the connection between that phrase and PsychOS's author, "TheOuterLinux?" People title things to catch your eye. Also, it's 3000+ packages, 90+ python modules, 390+ known supported AND tested file formats, and a crap ton of Thunar Custom Actions, many of which are hidden (file .ext removed) because of QuickEdit, one of a few really cool tools that I made myself. I also edited some default program settings when allowed and added custom color palettes (link is the updated versions) and addons to some of the art programs, such as LUA scripts for GrafX2 or extras for GIMP. Matter of fact, I created a QuickBasic color helper program just to make sure I got the colors correct for that particular type of palette. Please "naysayers," let me know of any other GNU/Linux distro or any other operating system that does what PsychOS does out-of-the-box for less than a 3.8GB ISO, if you even can. I need more videos of people spending some serious time with it to show off these points. Also, looking at the Release Notes might help.

TheOuterLinux (that’s the avatar-name of the author) keeps focus on his/her purpose: bringing a systemd-free Debian in 32bit to revive old hardware. And that’s exactly what PsychOS does! Plus a "Wild Bunch" [(c) Sam Peckinpah] of goodies, whether you are nostalgic of pre-2000 stuff OR NOT!

There is definitely a "Wild Bunch" of goodies included with PsychOS and many more that aren't listed in the applications menu due to being command-line programs. When in doubt, the best thing to do is either run 'apt search [package]' or 'apropos [search something]' in a terminal to see what is installed/available.