ZacOS 9 is a Debian-based Linux distribution that recreates the appearance and behaviour of the classic Mac OS 8 and 9 desktop. It features a custom Wayland compositor, window manager, file browser and control panels designed to reproduce Apple’s historical Platinum interface.
The distribution provides a desktop environment built largely from scratch rather than applying a theme to an existing desktop. Its Sniffer file manager uses spatial folder windows, while the menu bar, desktop accessories and system settings follow the conventions of classic Macintosh computers.
ZacOS 9 can run modern Linux applications alongside older Macintosh software through SheepShaver emulation. It also includes tools for accessing classic Mac disks and sharing files with older Macintosh systems.
The project is currently in beta development and is not affiliated with Apple.
| Working state: | Active |
| Desktop: | ZacOS 9 |
| Init Software: | systemd |
| Package Management: | APT |
| Release Model: | Fixed |
| Platforms: | x86_64 |
| Home Page: | sourceforge.net/projects/zac-os-9/ |
| Developer: | ChromaSystem Professional |
| This article is part of our Big List of Active Linux Distributions and Open Source Operating Systems. |
What's a Linux distribution ("distro")? |
| A distro provides the user with a desktop environment, preloaded applications, and ways to update and maintain the system. Each distro makes different choices, deciding which open source projects to install and provides custom written programs. They can have different philosophies. Some distros are intended for desktop computers, some for servers without a graphical interface, and others for special uses. Because Linux is an open source operating system, combinations of software vary between Linux distros. |
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