Hi all, please forgive the noob question. I am wondering what is currently the best BeOS (actual/derivative) to install.
It’s probably important to note that I will probably be installing this on an old intel pc that I used to use BeOS (last avail release) on. It worked great on this machine, and I want to re-install it. In fact I think I still have (can dig up somewhere) my original installation disc.
So what should I use though?
- My original last release of the actual BeOS? (with what major updates should I d/l)?
- Haiku? Is this actual working yet? Will it work on an old pc that BeOS use to work on?
- Zeta? Is this dead? Is it downloadable/free?
- Other?
Thanks a lot!!
You found the best free beos image at
http://www.beosmax.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
and for testing you can install haiku 
As listed above - BeOS Max is probably your best bet for a BeOS derivative.
Haiku works, yes - but not as a “daily-use” OS. I would recommend creating two partitions on your machine, installing BeOS R5 (derivative) on the first partition, and use the second partition for testing Haiku (built from BeOS R5 perhaps - will require at least 256mb RAM to do this).
Most would consider Zeta as dead. If you can get your hands on a copy, it’s perfectly usable - but it doesn’t run as well on older hardware as BeOS did. It consumes more resources - but it does have much better hardware support for newer systems.
If you’re looking for an environment to build Haiku from - many are using Linux now. Building Haiku in Linux is fast - and you can then install it directly to a spare partition/HD, or test using VMWare or QEMU.