XtreemOS For Linux

XtreemOS is a special project that aims to bring the power of the Mandriva Linux operating system to virtual organizations supporting next generation grids. It is an open source Grid operating system that is capable of running on a wide range of hardware platforms.

The distro can be downloaded from Softpedia as installable-only ISO images, which have been engineered to run on old computers supporting the 32-bit (i586) architecture, but also usable on modern 64-bit (x86_64) machines.

The boot menu of XtreemOS is quite complex, providing detailed information about how to get started with the operating system, as well as how to pass extra parameters to the kernel or start the installer in text mode or with support for various hardware components.

Being based on Mandriva Linux, XtreemOS inherits its graphical installer, making the entire installation process an easy one for everyone. Basically, you will have to choose a language to use, accept the license, choose a keyboard layout, partition the disk, select and install software packages, set up users and passwords, install the bootloader, as well as to configure the system.

As the distribution is not designed to be used by end-users, but only as a Grid operating system, it comes only with a minimal graphical environment built around the IceWM window manager. It comprises of a taskbar located on the bottom edge of the screen and designed to allow you to easily launch your favorite apps, cycle between virtual workspaces, as well as to interact with running programs.

Only a few apps are installed in XtreemOS, such as the Mozilla Firefox web browser, Emacs advanced text editor and XTerm terminal emulator, as the distribution contains mostly server-oriented software.