need help with open source OS

• casshern

  21 May 07, 23:06

  i rmb reading in a tech mag that there is an Open source OS that works similar to Windows. apparently i can port over easily from my current WinXp OS to this particular OS. does anyone got any idea wat's the name? i need more info on this OS, quite interested to switch over provided my programes will work
• ndmmxiaomayi

  22 May 07, 10:34

  Probably not an OS, but is a program that you are looking at. It's Wine. It allows you to port Windows native program over to Linux, using the Windows API. Its source codes are 100% non-Microsoft, although there's no programs with getting Microsoft files (especially DLLs to work).
  
  Wine Home Page
  
  Some OS with great compatibility with Windows programs (but please don't directly port it over, it might not work)
  
  OpenSuse
  Fedora
  Linux XP
  Freespire
  Linspire (paid version of Freespire)
  Slynux
  ReactOS
  Mandriva (previously Mandrake)
  
  They look and work so much like Windows that you probably never realize you are using Linux.
  
  A few others that will work (with the help of other open-sourced programs):
  
  Ubuntu and its derivatives (Kubuntu, Edubuntu, Xubuntu)
  Debian
  Knoppix
  Gentoo
  MEPIS
  PCLinux
  PC-BSD
  CentOS
  Damn Small Linux
  Puppy
• casshern

  23 May 07, 00:49

  thanks mayi, i believe wine is wat i'm looking for. but now must think about switching to open source. maybe will give it a try when i reformat my comp next time