Q4OS
Q4OS logo.svg
Q4OS 4.8 Gemini.png
Q4OS 4.8 (Gemini) running the Trinity Desktop Environment version R14.0.11
DeveloperQ4OS development team
OS familyLinux
Working stateCurrent
Source modelOpen source
Latest releaseQ4OS 4.10 (Gemini)[1] / August 1, 2022; 4 months ago (2022-08-01)
Available inMultilingual
Update methodAPT
Package managerdpkg
Platformsx86-64, i386, armhf, arm64
Kernel typeLinux kernel
UserlandGNU
Default
user interface		TDE, KDE Plasma
LicenseFree software licenses (mainly GPL) + some proprietary
Official websiteq4os.org Edit this at Wikidata

Q4OS is a light-weight Linux distribution, based on Debian, targeted as a replacement for operating systems that are no longer supported on outdated hardware.[2] The distribution is known for being similar in appearance to Microsoft Windows operating systems with some of its pre-installed themes inspired by the look and feel of Windows 2000 and Windows XP.[3][4]

History

Development of Q4OS began in 2014 to coincide with Windows XP's end of extended support in the same year.[5]

LXQt Desktop Environment was included from April 2014 to June 2015.

In 2018 TDE (Trinity Desktop Environment) was included.

In 2019, version 3.8 was released which was based on Debian Buster.[6]

The original KDE based version has been discontinued since around 2018.[7]

As of April 2020, the core developers of Q4OS, initially starting the project in Germany,[8] are now operating in Prague, Czech Republic.[9][10]

Features

It comes with either the Trinity Desktop Environment, which is a fork of K Desktop Environment 3.[11] or KDE Plasma 5

LookSwitcher, which lets the user switch visual themes

Desktop Profiler, which automatically installs some packages and programs that may be ideal for the user according to the profile that they choose

Q4OS Software Centre, which lets the user install some recommended packages and programs from a list

Q4OS Welcome Screen, which helps the user with some initial tweaks

Releases

Stable versions of Q4OS are derived from Debian's Stable release branch with long-term support that lasts five years after their initial release.[12] Developmental "testing" versions of future releases are derived from the Debian Testing branch.[13]

Version[14] Codename Release date End-of-life Description
Latest preview version of a future release: 0.5.17 2014-07-17 "Development" version
Latest preview version of a future release: 1.1-RC2 2015-04-14 Second release candidate of Q4OS 1.1
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.2 Orion 2015-04-27 Initial version to be specified under codename Orion
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.2.3 2015-06-08 The LXQt desktop environment is now supported
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.4 2015-09-04 Initial version to support devices running on ARM architecture[15]
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.6.3 2016-08-05 Implemented UEFI support
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.8.4 2017-04-26 Icedove is replaced with Mozilla Thunderbird, LXQt is unsupported[16]
Latest preview version of a future release: 2.0.2 Scorpion 2016-01-06 Initial testing version of Q4OS Scorpion
Latest preview version of a future release: 2.3.6 2017-10-04 "Final beta" release
Older version, yet still maintained: 2.4 2017-10-04 2022-10 Initial stable release of Q4OS Scorpion and to provide long-term support
Older version, yet still maintained: 2.5 2018-06-03 2023-06 TDE is now bundled with KDE Plasma
Latest preview version of a future release: 3.1 Centaurus 2018-01-29 Initial testing version of Q4OS Centaurus
Older version, yet still maintained: 3.8 2019-07-15 2024-07 Initial stable release of Q4OS Centaurus
Older version, yet still maintained: 3.10 2020-01-04 2025-01 TDE and KDE Plasma have been split into separate installation images
Older version, yet still maintained: 3.13 2020-12-19 2025-12 The Snap daemon has been removed from default installation
Latest preview version of a future release: 4.0 Gemini 2020-02-16 Initial testing version of Q4OS Gemini
Older version, yet still maintained: 4.6 2021-09-27 2026-09 Initial stable release of Q4OS Gemini
Older version, yet still maintained: 4.7 2021-11-22 2026-11
Older version, yet still maintained: 4.8 2022-04-05 2027-04
Current stable version: 4.10 2022-08-01 2027-08 Latest stable release of Q4OS[17]
Legend:
Old version
Older version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview version
Future release

Reception

SourceForge featured Q4OS as "Community Choice" Project of the Month in April 2020.[10]

In January 2022, TechRadar considered Q4OS as one of the best light-weight Linux distributions of the year for its Windows installer and support for older hardware, notably systems running on 32-bit processors.[18]

Forks

The Linux distribution Quark is Q4OS with Ubuntu as the base instead of Debian.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Q4OS 4.10 Gemini, stable". q4os.org. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  2. ^ Wallen, Jack (2018-02-16). "Q4OS Makes Linux Easy for Everyone". Linux.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  3. ^ Germain, Jack M. (2015-03-18). "Q4OS Is a Bare-Bones Business Tool". TechNewsWorld. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  4. ^ Stahie, Silviu (2014-09-09). "Q4OS 0.5.18 Is an Almost Exact Linux Replica of Windows XP – Gallery". Softpedia. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  5. ^ Ranchal, Juan. "Q4OS: nunca ha sido más fácil usar Linux junto a Windows". MuyComputer (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  6. ^ Nestor, Marius (28 July 2019). "Q4OS Operating System Brings the Trinity Desktop to Debian GNU/Linux 10 "Buster"". Softpedia. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  7. ^ Apfelböck, Hermann (2018-12-02). "Linux auf dem Stick: 10 Ideen für den Einsatz". PC-WELT (in German). Retrieved 2021-09-06.((cite web)): CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Germain, Jack. "Fresh bit o' Linux to spruce up that ancient Windows Vista box? Why not, we say..." The Register. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  9. ^ "Q4OS - desktop operating system". q4os.org. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  10. ^ a b "April 2020, "Community Choice" Project of the Month – Q4OS". SourceForge Community Blog. 2020-04-03. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  11. ^ Thommes, Ferdinand. "Das Design von Windows XP lebt in Linux weiter". ComputerBase (in German). Retrieved 2021-09-06.((cite web)): CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Paul, John (2019-05-26). "Q4OS Linux Revives Your Old Laptop with Windows' Looks - It's FOSS". It's FOSS. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  13. ^ "Development Release: Q4OS 4.2 Testing (DistroWatch.com News)". DistroWatch. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  14. ^ "Q4OS - desktop operating system". q4os.org. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  15. ^ "Q4OS - desktop operating system". q4os.org. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  16. ^ Nestor, Marius (2017-04-25). "Debian-Based Q4OS 1.8.4 Operating System Lets Users Select Alternative Desktops". Softpedia. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  17. ^ devteam@q4os.org (2022-08-01). "Q4OS 4.10 Gemini, stable". q4os.org. Q4OS. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  18. ^ Sharma, Shashank; Peers, Nick; Cox, Alex; Drake, Nate; Sharma, Mayank (2022-01-17). "Best lightweight Linux distros of 2022". TechRadar. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  19. ^ February 2021, Mayank Sharma 26 (2021-02-26). "Quark 20.04 review". TechRadar. Retrieved 2021-09-06.

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