ArcaOS 5.1 provides a modern OS/2 distribution, adding support for computers using the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and for storage using the GUID Partition Table (GPT) format.
ArcaOS 5.1 is currently available in English, only. In time, ArcaOS 5.1 will add translations to the following languages in addition to English: Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Russian.
The focus is on running a full OS/2 implementation on bare metal, not just in virtual machines, and towards that goal we have done a considerable amount of testing on popular, industry-standard hardware. Blonde Guy is an active beta tester for Arca Noae. Look at Blonde Guy's ArcaOS 5.1 preloaded computers for examples of supported hardware.
ArcaOS 5.1.0 was released on August 26, 2023.
Upgrade your existing ArcaOS 5.0 license and support subscription to 5.1
Upgrade installations from 5.0 are supported in EN only (5.0 EN -> 5.1 EN). All other languages *must* be new installations. It is not possible to change languages "on the fly" without a reformat and reinstall of the OS.
Buy a license for ArcaOS digital download for all languages. Download ArcaOS and create media yourself.
ArcaOS digital download for all languages.
ArcaOS media pack has a meticulously produced, custom-burned, bootable DVD, a bootable USB stick and an instruction booklet in a plastic mailable case.
The ArcaOS Media Pack has been produced only for the English language.
ArcaOS 5.1 Support and Maintenance subscription is a different product than ArcaOS 5.0 Support and Maintenance subscription. This is because some 5.1 content is only licensed for use with 5.1, so users who decide to wait to upgrade their licenses to 5.1 will get updates and support for 5.0 *only*. Likewise, there are components in 5.0 which will not ship with 5.1 (the current ArcaMapper GUI, for example). These updates would not be of any use to 5.1 licensees.
Arca Noae intends to continue support for 5.0 for some time. Whether that is based on the calendar (e.g., 1 or 2 years) or until the next minor release - 5.2 - comes out, is to be determined. For now, customers wishing to stick with 5.0 should know that they will be able to renew their support, download the latest 5.0.x ISO, and get driver updates just as they have been getting them.
ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription provides continued access to the bug tracker and any updates to 5.0.x which are released.
ArcaOS 5.0 Support and Maintenance subscription renewalsArcaOS 5.1 comes with support and maintenace for 6 months (personal) or 12 months (commerical). Subscribers can download the latest version 5.1.
ArcaOS 5.1 Support and Maintenance subscription renewalsBlonde Guy computers are preloaded with ArcaOS 5.1, Suntan Special, OpenOffice.org and many other useful programs. Suntan Special provides updates to keep your system and applications up to date.
Blonde Guy sells a virtual hard drive that has ArcaOS installed and configured to run under Virtual Box. The applications that Blonde Guy usually installs on an ArcaOS preloaded computer are installed in the virtual machine. If you have decided to go virtual for ArcaOS, this is a way to get there quickly.
Select from ArcaOS products for all languages.
I've collected some information about ArcaOS to help prospective users.