Das Commodore OS habe ich in der Version 3.0 auf einen meiner Desktoprechner installiert. Die Installation war entsprechend einfach da das ISO komplett als Download verfügbar war. Nach der Installation muss ich den erheblichen Umfang der OS Vision 3.0 hervorheben. Es ist so gut wie jedes Segment abgedeckt. Es muss nichts nachinstalliert werden. Mit dem System ist es sofort möglich im Büro alle Arbeiten umfassend durchzuführen. Alle Systemdrucker in der Firma wurde selbstständig erkannt, bzw. musste nur ein Verweis eingerichtet werden. Drucken, Scannen sowie Mail und Fax laufen perfekt. Die Grafiksoftware Blender läuft extrem flüssig. Auch die weiteren Programme laufen uneingeschränkt sauber. Für Windows Lösungen gibt es Wine zur Verwendung von Programmen die evtl. in Linux noch nicht verfügbar sind. Auch diese Nachinstallationen laufen fehlerfrei. Überhaupt macht es ungemein Spaß mit dem System zu arbeiten. Die grafischen Animationen sind sehr gut. Alles in allem eine perfekte Arbeitsumgebung für das Commodore OS 3.0. Im Bereich Spiele lässt das Commodore OS3.0 keinerlei Wünsche offen. Mehr als 200 installierte und sofort bereite Titel sowie Emulatoren für alle gängigen Systeme sind vorhanden und können sofort genutzt werden. Weiterhin ist eine komplette BASIC Umgebung mit Compiler als Programierwerkzeug bereitgestellt worden. Somit können eigene Programme im Commodore OS3.0 System komplett programmiert und Assembliert werden.
Ich habe mir einen C64X bei Commodore bzw. Itx.com bestellt da mich dieses System überzeugt hat und in Verbindung mit einem Retro-Gehäuse noch mehr Aufmerksamkeit erreichen wird. Meiner Meinung nach ist das das beste Betriebssystem das derzeit zu haben ist. Unbedingte Empfehlung entweder als ISO zur Installation oder als bereits fertig installiertes Betriebssystem auf einen neuen Rechner von Commodore.
Commodore is back
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2026-01-26 Votes: 7
Being a Debian variant, this distro makes for a truly FUN software development environment. Adding additional packages is easy. I use this as a base desktop environment, then I load on Ollama, Kubernetes, and lots of VMs... just because I can.
I love the animated desktop backgrounds. I hope they add an Amiga "Boing" to the desktop backgrounds.
For the future, I would love to see the addition of a Kiosk mode like Emulation Station, possibly in the form of a screen saver, for running all of the built-in emulated apps and games.
Commodore OS Vision makes a great addition to my home arcade.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2026-01-21 Votes: 0
Excellent and very full featured Linux distro. Rock solid reliability with MX Linux (Debian) underneath. I appreciate the clean retro simplicity of the MATE UI, and being a long time C64 user back in the day I love the fancy wallpapers and sound effects. However, those can easily be changed and/or disabled if you like. It comes with so many useful applications and games, but the ISO is huge. It isn't well suited for aging PCs with CPU and storage constraints, for obvious reasons. You will enjoy this distro a lot if you have enough storage capacity.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 8 Date: 2025-12-06 Votes: 2
Great Linux Distro for old Commodore enthusiasts it does hit home for you if your are. Loved using it but there are some issues that I would like to see addressed in the next revision of Commodore OS. Mostly I think it would do better with a different UI maybe Cinnamon or KDE. The current Mate UI is kind of dated in order to bring that project into the future also it would help our new users to have a more friendly UI experience. Cinnamon might be a good choice since Mate and Cinnamon can easily port to each others GTK toolkit easily. Also if the ISO is shrunk to a reasonable size also. Currently the ISO size for version 3.0 is massive, While what it packs in is nice but it would help this distro to have smaller ISO image to make it easier for a first time user. Also with current spikes in pricing of Memory & Storage getting out of control, it would be more cost effective to have the extras setup as downloadable add-on's or in a different ISO from the base OS to make it more consumer friendly when downloading or installing the OS.
I still give Commodore OS 3.0 a 8 but the only dropped it to that because of the issue listed above. I'm sure if those issues are addressed that rating will go up soon.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-11-12 Votes: 2
With a Debian backend, using the terminal to get things done is simple for us old hat's.
The OS has a very bold theme choice, and to be honest, works quite well. I prefer to use this desktop environment over Garuda Dr4g0n15ed, as Vision OS3 feels fantastic and as another reviewer mentioned, make me smile also. The TTS voice takes me back to the early 8bit Sound Blaster "Dr SBAITSO" era.
Installing modern items, like Wireguard is just as simple as any other distro, so yeh this might become my mobile platform from now on. This makes me WANT to use my computer again.
Now, to install my genuine purchased C64 ROM images for some gr8-bit fun!
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-11-07 Votes: 2
What strikes me the most is that this distribution is fun to use. Technically everything works nicely. One can rapidly feel at home in this distribution which definitely has "commodore DNA". The graphical theming of the user interface strongly reminds the commodore universe and the degree of detail and the overall coherence of everything testifies that a lot of commodore-love has flown into the development.
Even if some style elements like the voice synthesis or some graphical effects might be overwhelming for some, these can be easily switched off.
Thank You Commodore OS Team for this beautiful operating system.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-11-05 Votes: 0
Never have I ever had such a big grin on my face whilst installing an operating system! Commodore OS Vision 3.0 is simply a joy to behold.
I am running it on an old late 2012 iMac and it looks lovely! The Installation took a little while, but a little patience was all it it took to turn a machine that crApple decided was only good for e-waste into a beautiful all singing-all dancing retro-futuristic delight!
There is so much software included that it would take me years to work out what everything is for.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-11-05 Votes: 1
Nearly everything works , the feel of this Os is ....just right. The gui actually feels and looks like a Commodore OS.
It is solid and i can only love it, i am not really a Linux user so i have to get used to it but this Os is easy to use and a lot of fun, i can understand why Commodore ships this with their latest computer.
I really hope that program makers and game makers will make the things more compatible with Linux because it is a great OS.
After the fiasco with the latest Windows Linux would be for sure my daily driver if it was just a bit more compatible.
If you just use internet some simple games and programs or just like an office computer OS3 will do all you need.
Thanks for this great OS.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-10-29 Votes: 1
really like the screen and the differnt desktop enviroment.I beleive I will make this my daily driver as i like the pc talking to you reminds me of star trek lol .The download is a little long but well worth the wait.runs very well on a old 4 core samsung laptop I had hanging around I cant wait to try it on a bigger machine.A few cons takes awhile to look around and figure out what you are doing and when you are playing the camadore games I have not found a good way to exit the application of course I am a new user to this desktop so its just a matter of time.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-10-29 Votes: 0
Wonderfully coherent, everything you need to start Linux-gaming on an idle box!
The C-BASIC implementation gives it a nice touch for those of us who still enjoy BASIC programming.
Hardware reqiurements are low for basic experience, the faster / bigger, the better.
This may become my go-to Linux for family members who want to do a little more than youtube and web browsing.
Follow the community on the OS' website for ongoing and up to date conversations around the OS and its use cases.
And start saving for a new C64 from the newly community-owned Commodore brand!
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-10-29 Votes: 0
Love this OS, brings new life to a lot of my older machines and gives them plenty to do! The full installer is quite hefty but well worth it, over 200 games, leaves you with not needing to add anything out of the install just start playing.
Feels like a Commodore the entire time of use.
Nothing bad to say about this Distro
Cant recommend enough use as both hobby and daily working great in both cases.
All thats left to say is are you keeping up with commodore because commodore is keeping up with you.
Beatles2001
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-10-26 Votes: 0
A wonderful OS. I tried a lot of Linux distros over time, but had never the right feeling with them, nor with Windows :)
And being a 8 bit child, with Commodore OS I got the feeling back of having joy in using a PC. You feel that this distro has a soul, it speaks to you, windows wobble, and wonderful SID music is played when you wish. Have you seen the retro terminal, that is amazing.
Commodore OS made it to my primary OS.
Guy
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-10-18 Votes: 2
I belong to the generation of the C64, Apple II, Olivetti M20, and M24.
Commodore OS Vision is my favorite distro.
It's a time machine!
It combines my passion for Linux with my love of the C64 and old 8-bit games.
Only those who lived through that period can understand the nostalgia for cassette tapes used as mass storage devices, and single-sided 5¼" floppy disks turned into double-sided floppies with a window cut out with a craft knife.
In a word, Commodore OS Vision is fantastic!
I will install it on old computers to donate to a church youth club in the suburbs.
With Linux, the kids will be able to do some homework and play their parents' games in the entertainment section.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-10-17 Votes: 1
Great reboot to a classic. Having used many Linux-based systems over the years this is a very solid version of an OS. If you have a Win7 or Win 10 machine that has lost its purpose, why not give this OS an opportunity to impress you. This is also a great learning tool that is so much safer than the mainstream options for learning the essentials of coding with the almost forgotten Basic language. Give yourself a gift, enjoy playing a few games that don’t require you to “murder” thousands to win, and maybe regain a small part of yourself you thought was gone forever.
Kurt
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-10-15 Votes: 3
I've been looking for years pn how to get back to playing around with a commodore using today's PSs and now it's here! THANK YOU!
BUT.. the intro to programming, which some of us can use to remember some commands, as thorough as it appears to be, is impossible to read with a dark blue blue background with some of the letters and numbers are in a different color. (red? green" and impossible to read.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-09-19 Votes: 4
I am searching for a Linux system for beginners.
Commodore OS has a lot of programs already installed. E-Mail, printer, wifi connection, browser, libre office and much more software works fine and don't need much configuration.
The design is beautiful with a lot of funny and useful stuff.
I am using a 10 year old notebook an the system boots fast and the programs run smooth.
To use the C64 Emulation you must download some ROM files from the internet. There are instructions in the internet how to do it.
Have fun.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-09-14 Votes: 3
Commodore OS Vision 3.0 is a lovingly crafted homage to the golden age of computing, blending retro aesthetics with modern Linux underpinnings. What makes it special is its dedication to nostalgia without sacrificing functionality — the interface is rich with Amiga-inspired visuals, giving users a sense of stepping back into the '80s and '90s, yet it still supports today’s hardware and software needs.
Version 3.0 brings noticeable polish: it boots faster, feels smoother, and includes updated drivers and software packages. The attention to detail in theming and sound design shows real passion from the developers. It’s not just an OS — it’s a tribute to computing history, offering longtime Commodore fans a beautifully tailored experience while introducing new users to the charm of the past in a usable, modern environment.
Whether you're an enthusiast, a retro collector, or just curious, Commodore OS Vision 3.0 is a delightful blend of past and present.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-09-09 Votes: 1
Installed in VirtualBox and was very impressed with the style. Tried to dual boot it with my other linux distro on my laptop so I could try it on hardware instead of a virtual machine, however I have yet to get it to work with my HP laptop, but this is a common issue I have found with certain linux distributions that audio or the touchpad won't work with them. Mostly arch based distros and sometimes debian based distros won't setup the audio or touchpad correctly and they fail to function.
Otherwise a fun distro to use.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-08-30 Votes: 1
Many of the Slashdot crowed will extol the virtues of a slim efficient lightweigh Linux system.
This is not the tree that OS Vision barks up on.
Since it's based on MX Linux, this can run well on some surprisingly old machines. I"ve installed it on a Dell XPX Lx720 laptop, an old geezer from the Windows 7 days and it hs brought new life to that machine.
I set it up as dual boot on an N100 Samoyan MiniPC and it just flies.
Did I mention that it's not a slim OS? While it is distributed on an ISO file, if you want a bootable optical disk, it's 32.6 gigabyte size would require a dual layered Blue Ray disc. The distro comes jampacked with goodies besides the traditional stuff distros come with such as the obligatory Firefox and LibreOffice distributon, both Chromium and Google Chrome are preinstalled, a ton of multimedia players and creation utilities and over 200 games which are emulated versions of classic 8 btt games.
Speaking of emulators there are also Commedore and Amiga emulators included along with emulators for a ton of consoles including the first 3 generations of PlayStation.
It's aso got the most entertaining OS installer of all time which will serenadre your eyes with animation and your ears with classic Commedore and Amiga mods which show part of the reason why the C64 was the best selling single computer model of all time.
While it can be run in a virtual machine, this really screams for bare metal installation.
Version: 2.0 Rating: 8 Date: 2025-08-07 Votes: 6
I came into this with a prejudice. I totally loved my C64, C128, Amiga 500, and Amiga 2000. It looked good, and is built on solid linux bones so it can't help but be reliable and functional. Anyone familiar with Compiz will immediately recognize much of the blitz and glitter of the user interface.
That's all to the good. It loaded well out of a USB jump drive. Sometimes that can get a little sketchy, but no problems here. When the GUI popped up, I grinned. I was really looking forward to this --- and you had me fully in the bag ...
... right up until you demanded the right to data mine the install, and allowed no possible means for the user to opt out.
The magic evaporated. Uhm ... Yeah. That would be a hard "no!" I'm glad I didn't attempt to put it to bare metal.
Read the initial info/permissions pop-up, people. Some of you may consider the contents acceptable. But I didn't, and I won't. There is no part of that kind of behavior which is acceptable in an open source linux driven OS.
Good luck with your project.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 7 Date: 2025-07-23 Votes: 7
Commodore OS is great for those that would like to relive some of those old school days of Commodore and what a modern Commodore OS might feel like. MX Linux / Debian is a good base that it is built on which does give it a solid foundation and could be more.
Now for the bad part:
Commodore OS seems to be overly flashy and over does the flashy animations and voices and much more making it more of an annoying / novelty OS then a useful daily driver. Its nice for about a day or two to get you into it and enjoying the emulators and so on. But I personally can't use it on the daily for work or productivity. I use Mac OS, Windows, Linux Mint & MX Linux regularly and amazingly I would like to use Commodore OS more often but just can't because its overly gaudy / kitschy feel to the user interface. It gives you the feeling that Commodore OS will ostentatiously insist upon itself which isn't what the original Commodore brand was about. Commodore was about doing more with less and making it fun and giving a lot of power and rights to the end users. Which is why Linux is a perfect base for a new Commodore OS as Linux since Linux embodies that philosophy.
I feel that yes keep the flashy U.I. but also provide a more basic U.I. for those that would like productivity but have the software and features of Commodore OS. Perhaps make two new flavors one with Cinnamon and one in KDE. so the end user could just have a basic install that is more easy to transition into and without all the over the top flashiness of the current U.I.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-06-29 Votes: 2
Good morning, this time I installed Commodore OS Vision 3.0 on a Gigabyte/Clevo laptop equipped with a discrete Nvidia 3050 video card. Amazingly, the hardware recognition is perfect. I didn´t have to mod anything after installation, plus the computer is faster than it´s ever been. The only flaw is the backlit keyboard to which I had to create kernel modules aided by a single line of bash taken from the excellent NovaCustom, distancing and moving a fork from Tuxedo. Still there are a few minor tweaks that should attention, more than adding more software. But excluding minor divergences it´s much more perfect than many other distributions. Try it, it´s worth the experience.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-06-23 Votes: 0
Incredible amount of content and thought put into a Debian based distribution, with surprising performance.
This is a heavily themed distro with a ton of customization. Lots of compiz use, etc. - a retro vibe for the masses.
The pros are that for all of the heavy theming and loads of content, it is very snappy, even on an old system like my old Toughbook. It's visually stunning, pleasing to navigate and use, with lots of enjoyable tweaks for fans of the theme.
The cons are a few very minor issues that need touchups. Mostly having to do with the customizations that override system standards like sound themes can't be turned off. Very minor but noticeable tidbits that are in the works.
Overall, absolutely amazing amount of work and results. Major kudos to them!
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-06-23 Votes: 0
I love it. Great modern yet retro vibe. Looking forward to seeing how it gets tweaked. But really, so far I am really enjoying it. It has been my go to OS at home. I love the theme...
It has an incredible amount of content. I use it on an Optiplex 7050 without issue. Primarily I use to for VS Code making a graphical text adventure game for the Distro. I also use it for some retro gaming, and other work related to using LibreOffice. I am curious to see where things go if the Commodore Brand is purchased and revitalized... much like what Atari did the past few years.
Version: 2.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-06-20 Votes: 0
Good morning, I have installed with relative difficulty Commodore OS in a MacBook Pro 6.2 retina laptop where almost all the distributions have failed, excluding (Deevuan, FatDog, Debian, Ubuntu) The first two distributions mentioned very performing compared to the second, while the only one I did not have to intervene is FatDog. Commodore OS immediately proved itself capable of solving the various problems through the very complete menu displayed at the start. (It´s a pity that it doesn´t remain even after installation.) The environment is extremely polished, responsive, and embodies a thought reconductable to the glories of the 90´s. Everything is available almost right out of the box and the infamous wireless network card works after removing the relevant component from the blacklist. Commodore OS is not just an exercise in style, it´s a careful work on what distributions should look like, what technologies to implement, how to make them usable for those who want to operate right out of the box.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-06-13 Votes: 1
I downloaded and installed Commodore OS Vision 3.0 yesterday. I love the retro Commodore theme. It includes lots of games, multimedia stuff, emulators and more. It runs great on my 12 year old Toshiba laptop. It even includes drivers for my laptop's wifi adapter out of the box, something that's missing from other distros like Ubuntu. It connected to my home wifi network with no hassles. I took away 1 star, because the 36gb ISO file is a HUGE download. The ISO file was so big, I couldn't copy it to a USB flash drive with exFAT. I had to format the USB drive with NTFS to accomidate such a large file. Then when I installed Commodore OS Vision 3.0, it used 86gb of disk space. I took away 1 star because it's so BIG. But once it was installed, it works great!
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-05-17 Votes: 0
I've been using 2.0 for over a year with recording software without any problems. Wine seems to work well. The games are nice memories of a safer time when we knew nothing about politics.
I was looking forward to the update except the 36gb file ? My internet provider charges us extra when we go over our "unlimited" data plan and this file could send us up to $50. To have the base OS with an option to download the games would have been nice. Could you come out with a Vision4.0 with all repositories working....thank you !
Version: 3.0 Rating: 8 Date: 2025-05-15 Votes: 1
What a great collection of software!
All emulators setup for you, a great themed desktop that needs minor tweaks to make it also a daily driver.
There's one little drawback that is when you use anything other than the default commodore user, your millage may vary. For example CMB prg Studio, that relies on Wine, will not start as it goes straight to the commodore user's home to get the .vine config/ So when you want the best experience do everything under the Commodore User.
The base distro is Debian, so you get a stable base platform with lots of packages you can install -- if it isn't already installed. Because the whole installation is about 95GB.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2025-05-02 Votes: 4
A great system that allows you to return to the past in a click! In an instant, we can go back to a time when we used to spend whole nights, over building in Basic and playing. The system very stable and, importantly, does not send or use, any private data. The system was based on Mx Linux with all its tools, so you can easily customize everything and count on support. I recommend to anyone who remembers those beautiful times of the 90s, and also to those who want to know how it was back then. Thank you to the developers for all their great work!
Version: 3.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-05-01 Votes: 1
The C64 was my first home computer & I have fond memories of using it. It lead me to my 30 year journey into System Administration & Electronics repair (mainly because the c64 died a lot and I had to find a source for chips to repair it!) This was a major flash back to a simple time when computers came with programming manuals & the source code was available for us to modify. Jim Butterfield's course on the C64 got started.
I had a hard time getting this to install, kept erroring out on boot from a USB Drive, Ventoy didn't help either! I was frustrated by it looking for /dev/sr0 when the file size exceeds 30 GB, which is even too large for my blue ray burner. I had to install IVentoy PXE server to handle the very large ISO! I used a Sony Vaio Laptop as my install machine. It has great Network Boot capability and four cores. It finally booted and installed fine! I got to try the new OS! I took the drive from the laptop when done and installed it in the desktop which would not boot the ISO from any source! It booted first time & every time without an error. You can't do that with Winblows!
WOW! Awesome feeling but I had to shut off some of the animations, which was not hard to find. Some c64 games threw syntax errors which blew me away, Vice has always ran my D64 files flawlessly! I purged Vice and reinstalled it and that fixed the errors I was getting. It would help if when an app failed that we would get a explanation of where the files should go! I had a hell of a time copying in the roms from my host machine. All & all it was a fun experience, It looks great & most everything worked on my MSI/AMD desktop! A++
Version: 3.0 Rating: 3 Date: 2025-04-26 Votes: 5
I was intrigued by the "new Commodore" but quickly discovered it’s just a standard motherboard capable of running Windows. Hoping the OS might be innovative, I downloaded versions 2 and 3—only to be disappointed. As a longtime IT architect with 27 years in the industry and deep nostalgia for retro computing, I live for vintage systems and pushing their limits.
From the perspective of both new and old tech lovers, the Commodore OS misses the mark. It’s just a Linux distro cluttered with visual add-ons that hinder usability. The graphics are gaudy and lack true nostalgia. Underneath, it's just Linux running emulators—something you could do on any PC. Version 2.0 at least launched D64 files into VICE fullscreen, creating a fleeting illusion of magic. But version 3.0 lost even that—every D64 file opened in a standard window without executing the software.
This OS doesn’t bring back the old days. I get why Linux was used, but let’s talk about what a modern Commodore OS should embody. Actually, I scrapped that thought—because that era is over. An OS once provided access to hardware capabilities within strict limitations. Now, with modern hardware and software enhancements, those limitations fade away. I launch software from my modern PC onto my old systems. This OS forces users to confront that reality. If it ran on an actual Commodore, it wouldn’t have so much unnecessary flash.
A true Commodore legacy should continue the spirit of creativity—making visually and audibly compelling experiences accessible to everyone. The original community thrived on experimentation, pushing the limits of hardware with shared knowledge. A worthy successor should allow users to easily build games in that same spirit. Instead, Commodore OS 3.0 is just another cluttered UI with a BASIC implementation tossed in.
If this were a simple hobby project, I wouldn’t be tearing it apart. But since it's packaged with a paid product—essentially just a custom-designed PC case—it deserves scrutiny. Slapping on some nostalgic fonts and a blue theme isn’t enough. I’d rather stick with my preferred OS on my PC, where I can disable all the unnecessary effects if I want to (or enable them, if I choose). I don't need eSpeak barking at me or amateurish 3D backgrounds disrupting the interface.
When I think of Commodore’s legacy, I think of game engines like Unity and Unreal—tools that continue the tradition of accessible creativity. The "new Commodore" is a novelty item for people unsure how else to spend their money. The OS, at best, is an annoying installation process followed by a major letdown.
To the creator: I get that you enjoy this, and I hope you continue having fun. Maybe that is the legacy—living it, rather than preserving it authentically. But adding every open-source game to 3.0 was a misstep. These aren’t industry-crafted titles; they feel like amateur attempts. Commodore was about games, but its games were better.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 4 Date: 2025-04-24 Votes: 3
Took the time to test it on a real i3 10105 16GB NVME 250GB PC. Strangest distro I tested by far. Music not only is annoying, it autostarts even if you stop it with the icon manually. Also, there is some sort of accessibility option that reads stuff and couldnt turn it of. So those 2 things run ON TOP of any game or app you run, making it an unbearable experience.
Also there is a stupid somewhat fun joke if you dont agree terms and conditions that will ask you several times stupid stuff as a joke.
Selection of games is really nice, has a LOT of games to test, and has a LOT of emulators already preloaded (RPCS3 for example).
Its a nice experiment which I think it sould be tuned so it isnt annoying as hell and make it usable.
Reminds me of a joke OS, but weights 30GB.
Will try future releases.
Also font is ugly and difficult to read.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 8 Date: 2025-04-23 Votes: 3
If you are looking for an Linux OS with that classic Commodore OS feel this is the best option. It a highly customized version of MX Linux which is already really good. my only concern is in making Commodore OS Vision is that some of the drivers were cut out. For example MX Linux runs just fine on an older Macintosh hardware but Commodore OS Vision has issues, I think C=OSV would do better if it more of these hicups are cleared up since its foundation is already solid with MX Linux & Debian as the base. Hopefully version 3.0 is better at working with a larger range of hardware our of the box.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 4 Date: 2025-04-23 Votes: 2
Almost nothing to do with Commodore other than being plastered with logos. Full of animations and sound effects that get old quickly.
Its loaded with prepackaged emulators and roms. Does it work? Yes, but not something I would ever want to daily drive. For a retro gaming station? I would prefer a UI that is more geared towards just that.
Its their "vision" of a future Commodore operating system if you ignore Amiga and its OS which still gets updates, or Aros and Morph OS which are actual descendants.
Version: 3.0 Rating: 7 Date: 2025-04-23 Votes: 1
An interesting project aimed at retro gaming enthusiasts with a LOT of inbuilt games, both native Linux (200+) and obviously Commodore 64 and Amiga games too. But so it should have with a massive 35 GB ISO to download (use the torrent option, it's well seeded and downloads quickly)
It has an annoying sound demo that autoplays and get's quite irritating till you learn how to shut it up. But then it just comes back anyway! I couldn't find a way to permanently stop it because the settings manager(s) didn't work running it live from USB.
Based on MX Linux but with a heavily customised MATE DE, it's certainly different and it's clear a lot of effort has been put into the gaming side, but perhaps not enough on getting other OS features working properly.
I think 7 is a fairly generous rating for what seems like a work in progress, but worth checking out.
Version: 2.0 Rating: 5 Date: 2025-04-22 Votes: 0
As the old advert used to go…
Are you keeping up with the commodore?
the commodore is keeping up with you. ..
except the real commodore didn't.
for all its fans, it was a failure, losing market share to Amstrad, Apple IBM and MS-DOS PCs.
as for this tribute skin
it has far too much many bells and whistles / unwarranted attack surface for my liking.
If you are interested in nostalgic computing
check out the AWB (Amiga Work Bench ) demonstrated by the Arcan project.
Version: 2.0 Rating: 10 Date: 2024-12-27 Votes: 1
Commodore Amiga made me love computers. I hope the new Commodore X 64 from mini_itx with Commodore os 2 give as much to my niece.
At a time when computers and the internet have become bland and boring, having a machine with personality with a custom created distro to suite can only bring smiles to many faces and hopefully plant the seed for future technology lovers who are more than a user, but better yet become developers, advance users that aren't afraid of different OSs and can troubleshoot themselves.
Can remember back in the day when I got my first Commodore 64 computer, the hours and sometimes days of typing code and saving to a cassette was how it was. The Amiga wow what a machine. And now we can have it back as a great Operating System. I installed it with no issues at all. Thanks for bringing the memories back...The colors and sound all come back so quick when you think of the C64 and Amiga 500 Days. I remember when I got my first Hard drive for my Amiga 500 it was a whopping 20 Megs and the was like a couple hundred dollars. Oh the Commodore memories will come and go but with a Vision like this they may just be around for many years to come...
Version: 2.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2024-02-27 Votes: 51
I was a teenager when the Commodore 64 was the best selling computer of all time. So of course I was intrigued by this distro. It's described as an unofficial MX Linux respin which is a good choice. The description also mentions it comes set up with auto login and "lowered privileges" which is intended to match the way computers were in the 80s. You're warned not to run your business with it but that you can adjust the security level. This is something I see as a good thing. I was annoyed with how strict the security was on MX forcing me to enter passwords incessantly and the issues with permissions on even the most basic file ops. I was thinking the whole time "Hey, I'm not running a server here!"
The description says no "personal" data is collected. But then when I read the legal terms, which you HAVE to agree to in order to use the OS, you're "granting the right" to collect usage and hardware statistics data. What that means is, while they may not go into your contacts, emails and documents, everything you do in the OS is being tracked. I have issues with OSes collecting any data at all and I didn't care for the fact that I had to read the fine print to verify data was in fact being collected. Because this OS was intended for a laptop that never connects to the Internet anyway I'm not that concerned. But just so you're aware... As for my review, I'm docking a point since there's no option to enable/disable data collection as with other distros.
There are quite a few audio and visual effects including retro speech synthesis. It's very much like the OS itself has been given a sort of video game theme. It has a "fun" vibe to it. You can easily turn some or all of it off and there are additional effects you can activate as well.
The developer warns this is not a lightweight distro. So it has all the apps you usually see in a distro plus apps you don't often see. For example, it has GNUCash which I've never seen in a distro before. There's an Amiga clone paint program and a number of other Commodore/Amiga clone apps to satisfy that nostalgia some may have. In many cases you have two or three of each type of app to choose from such as Chromium, Tor and Firefox browsers. Under the programming category it comes with Gambas BASIC which fits with the retro theming as just about all home computers in the 80s came with BASIC. There are plenty of other modern development tools as well, more than you usually see in a distro, including VS Code. VirtualBox and Wine are also included. There's a full suite of audio, video and graphics tools with the novel addition of C64 and Amiga tracker style music editors. It also has all the tools that come with MX, most of which are quite useful. So it's definitely loaded with decent apps.
For many, the premiere feature will be that it has emulators for bygone Commodore and Amiga machines. So in just a few clicks you're back at the command prompt of your old Commodore 64 or Amiga 500. What's not to like about that! There are eight different emulator links but some of them didn't boot up. I checked the forum and it looks like the issue will be fixed in the next update? For now you'll have to do some tweaking to launch those emulators. That's not nearly it for the emulators though! It has a truckload of other 80s emulators like ZX Spectrum, Z80, pretty much every Atari product, DOS, NES, Playstation, Sega, Nintendo and MAME, plus half a dozen gaming services. It's really cool and it makes this one of the most unique distros I've ever seen. Retro gaming and computing enthusiasts should be very pleased with this setup.
Most of the distros I've downloaded and tested ended up getting deleted. This one I'm keeping.
Commodore OS takes users on a nostalgic journey while seamlessly integrating modern computing capabilities. With its atmospheric retro-inspired graphical user interface (GUI), this operating system evokes fond memories of the classic computing era while delivering a robust and contemporary user experience.
One of the most striking aspects of Commodore OS is its GUI, which pays homage to the iconic design aesthetics of vintage computing systems. From the pixelated icons to the retro color schemes, every detail is meticulously crafted to transport users back to the golden age of computing. Navigating through the interface feels like a delightful stroll down memory lane, reminiscent of the days when computers were just beginning to revolutionize the world.
Beyond its captivating visuals, Commodore OS impresses with its carefully curated selection of applications. Whether you're a gaming enthusiast, a multimedia aficionado, or a productivity-focused user, you'll find a comprehensive suite of software tailored to your needs. From classic games that evoke nostalgia to cutting-edge multimedia tools, the software lineup is diverse and well-rounded, ensuring that users have everything they need right at their fingertips.
What truly sets Commodore OS apart is its seamless fusion of retro charm and modern functionality. While it pays homage to the past, it doesn't compromise on performance or features. Behind its vintage-inspired facade lies a powerful and capable operating system that can handle the demands of contemporary computing tasks with ease.
In conclusion, Commodore OS is a delightful blend of old and new, offering a unique computing experience that appeals to both nostalgia seekers and modern users alike. With its atmospheric GUI and well-chosen selection of applications, it manages to capture the essence of the past while embracing the possibilities of the future. Whether you're a seasoned computing veteran or a newcomer looking for something different, Commodore OS is definitely worth exploring.
Das Commodore OS habe ich in der Version 3.0 auf einen meiner Desktoprechner installiert. Die Installation war entsprechend einfach da das ISO komplett als Download verfügbar war. Nach der Installation muss ich den erheblichen Umfang der OS Vision 3.0 hervorheben. Es ist so gut wie jedes Segment abgedeckt. Es muss nichts nachinstalliert werden. Mit dem System ist es sofort möglich im Büro alle Arbeiten umfassend durchzuführen. Alle Systemdrucker in der Firma wurde selbstständig erkannt, bzw. musste nur ein Verweis eingerichtet werden. Drucken, Scannen sowie Mail und Fax laufen perfekt. Die Grafiksoftware Blender läuft extrem flüssig. Auch die weiteren Programme laufen uneingeschränkt sauber. Für Windows Lösungen gibt es Wine zur Verwendung von Programmen die evtl. in Linux noch nicht verfügbar sind. Auch diese Nachinstallationen laufen fehlerfrei. Überhaupt macht es ungemein Spaß mit dem System zu arbeiten. Die grafischen Animationen sind sehr gut. Alles in allem eine perfekte Arbeitsumgebung für das Commodore OS 3.0. Im Bereich Spiele lässt das Commodore OS3.0 keinerlei Wünsche offen. Mehr als 200 installierte und sofort bereite Titel sowie Emulatoren für alle gängigen Systeme sind vorhanden und können sofort genutzt werden. Weiterhin ist eine komplette BASIC Umgebung mit Compiler als Programierwerkzeug bereitgestellt worden. Somit können eigene Programme im Commodore OS3.0 System komplett programmiert und Assembliert werden.
Ich habe mir einen C64X bei Commodore bzw. Itx.com bestellt da mich dieses System überzeugt hat und in Verbindung mit einem Retro-Gehäuse noch mehr Aufmerksamkeit erreichen wird. Meiner Meinung nach ist das das beste Betriebssystem das derzeit zu haben ist. Unbedingte Empfehlung entweder als ISO zur Installation oder als bereits fertig installiertes Betriebssystem auf einen neuen Rechner von Commodore.
Commodore is back
Being a Debian variant, this distro makes for a truly FUN software development environment. Adding additional packages is easy. I use this as a base desktop environment, then I load on Ollama, Kubernetes, and lots of VMs... just because I can.
I love the animated desktop backgrounds. I hope they add an Amiga "Boing" to the desktop backgrounds.
For the future, I would love to see the addition of a Kiosk mode like Emulation Station, possibly in the form of a screen saver, for running all of the built-in emulated apps and games.
Commodore OS Vision makes a great addition to my home arcade.
Excellent and very full featured Linux distro. Rock solid reliability with MX Linux (Debian) underneath. I appreciate the clean retro simplicity of the MATE UI, and being a long time C64 user back in the day I love the fancy wallpapers and sound effects. However, those can easily be changed and/or disabled if you like. It comes with so many useful applications and games, but the ISO is huge. It isn't well suited for aging PCs with CPU and storage constraints, for obvious reasons. You will enjoy this distro a lot if you have enough storage capacity.
Great Linux Distro for old Commodore enthusiasts it does hit home for you if your are. Loved using it but there are some issues that I would like to see addressed in the next revision of Commodore OS. Mostly I think it would do better with a different UI maybe Cinnamon or KDE. The current Mate UI is kind of dated in order to bring that project into the future also it would help our new users to have a more friendly UI experience. Cinnamon might be a good choice since Mate and Cinnamon can easily port to each others GTK toolkit easily. Also if the ISO is shrunk to a reasonable size also. Currently the ISO size for version 3.0 is massive, While what it packs in is nice but it would help this distro to have smaller ISO image to make it easier for a first time user. Also with current spikes in pricing of Memory & Storage getting out of control, it would be more cost effective to have the extras setup as downloadable add-on's or in a different ISO from the base OS to make it more consumer friendly when downloading or installing the OS.
I still give Commodore OS 3.0 a 8 but the only dropped it to that because of the issue listed above. I'm sure if those issues are addressed that rating will go up soon.
With a Debian backend, using the terminal to get things done is simple for us old hat's.
The OS has a very bold theme choice, and to be honest, works quite well. I prefer to use this desktop environment over Garuda Dr4g0n15ed, as Vision OS3 feels fantastic and as another reviewer mentioned, make me smile also. The TTS voice takes me back to the early 8bit Sound Blaster "Dr SBAITSO" era.
Installing modern items, like Wireguard is just as simple as any other distro, so yeh this might become my mobile platform from now on. This makes me WANT to use my computer again.
Now, to install my genuine purchased C64 ROM images for some gr8-bit fun!
What strikes me the most is that this distribution is fun to use. Technically everything works nicely. One can rapidly feel at home in this distribution which definitely has "commodore DNA". The graphical theming of the user interface strongly reminds the commodore universe and the degree of detail and the overall coherence of everything testifies that a lot of commodore-love has flown into the development.
Even if some style elements like the voice synthesis or some graphical effects might be overwhelming for some, these can be easily switched off.
Thank You Commodore OS Team for this beautiful operating system.
Nearly everything works , the feel of this Os is ....just right. The gui actually feels and looks like a Commodore OS.
It is solid and i can only love it, i am not really a Linux user so i have to get used to it but this Os is easy to use and a lot of fun, i can understand why Commodore ships this with their latest computer.
I really hope that program makers and game makers will make the things more compatible with Linux because it is a great OS.
After the fiasco with the latest Windows Linux would be for sure my daily driver if it was just a bit more compatible.
If you just use internet some simple games and programs or just like an office computer OS3 will do all you need.
Never have I ever had such a big grin on my face whilst installing an operating system! Commodore OS Vision 3.0 is simply a joy to behold.
I am running it on an old late 2012 iMac and it looks lovely! The Installation took a little while, but a little patience was all it it took to turn a machine that crApple decided was only good for e-waste into a beautiful all singing-all dancing retro-futuristic delight!
There is so much software included that it would take me years to work out what everything is for.
Love this OS, brings new life to a lot of my older machines and gives them plenty to do! The full installer is quite hefty but well worth it, over 200 games, leaves you with not needing to add anything out of the install just start playing.
Feels like a Commodore the entire time of use.
Nothing bad to say about this Distro
Cant recommend enough use as both hobby and daily working great in both cases.
All thats left to say is are you keeping up with commodore because commodore is keeping up with you.
Wonderfully coherent, everything you need to start Linux-gaming on an idle box!
The C-BASIC implementation gives it a nice touch for those of us who still enjoy BASIC programming.
Hardware reqiurements are low for basic experience, the faster / bigger, the better.
This may become my go-to Linux for family members who want to do a little more than youtube and web browsing.
Follow the community on the OS' website for ongoing and up to date conversations around the OS and its use cases.
And start saving for a new C64 from the newly community-owned Commodore brand!
really like the screen and the differnt desktop enviroment.I beleive I will make this my daily driver as i like the pc talking to you reminds me of star trek lol .The download is a little long but well worth the wait.runs very well on a old 4 core samsung laptop I had hanging around I cant wait to try it on a bigger machine.A few cons takes awhile to look around and figure out what you are doing and when you are playing the camadore games I have not found a good way to exit the application of course I am a new user to this desktop so its just a matter of time.
A wonderful OS. I tried a lot of Linux distros over time, but had never the right feeling with them, nor with Windows :)
And being a 8 bit child, with Commodore OS I got the feeling back of having joy in using a PC. You feel that this distro has a soul, it speaks to you, windows wobble, and wonderful SID music is played when you wish. Have you seen the retro terminal, that is amazing.
I belong to the generation of the C64, Apple II, Olivetti M20, and M24.
Commodore OS Vision is my favorite distro.
It's a time machine!
It combines my passion for Linux with my love of the C64 and old 8-bit games.
Only those who lived through that period can understand the nostalgia for cassette tapes used as mass storage devices, and single-sided 5¼" floppy disks turned into double-sided floppies with a window cut out with a craft knife.
In a word, Commodore OS Vision is fantastic!
I will install it on old computers to donate to a church youth club in the suburbs.
With Linux, the kids will be able to do some homework and play their parents' games in the entertainment section.
Great reboot to a classic. Having used many Linux-based systems over the years this is a very solid version of an OS. If you have a Win7 or Win 10 machine that has lost its purpose, why not give this OS an opportunity to impress you. This is also a great learning tool that is so much safer than the mainstream options for learning the essentials of coding with the almost forgotten Basic language. Give yourself a gift, enjoy playing a few games that don’t require you to “murder” thousands to win, and maybe regain a small part of yourself you thought was gone forever.
I've been looking for years pn how to get back to playing around with a commodore using today's PSs and now it's here! THANK YOU!
BUT.. the intro to programming, which some of us can use to remember some commands, as thorough as it appears to be, is impossible to read with a dark blue blue background with some of the letters and numbers are in a different color. (red? green" and impossible to read.
Commodore OS has a lot of programs already installed. E-Mail, printer, wifi connection, browser, libre office and much more software works fine and don't need much configuration.
The design is beautiful with a lot of funny and useful stuff.
I am using a 10 year old notebook an the system boots fast and the programs run smooth.
To use the C64 Emulation you must download some ROM files from the internet. There are instructions in the internet how to do it.
Commodore OS Vision 3.0 is a lovingly crafted homage to the golden age of computing, blending retro aesthetics with modern Linux underpinnings. What makes it special is its dedication to nostalgia without sacrificing functionality — the interface is rich with Amiga-inspired visuals, giving users a sense of stepping back into the '80s and '90s, yet it still supports today’s hardware and software needs.
Version 3.0 brings noticeable polish: it boots faster, feels smoother, and includes updated drivers and software packages. The attention to detail in theming and sound design shows real passion from the developers. It’s not just an OS — it’s a tribute to computing history, offering longtime Commodore fans a beautifully tailored experience while introducing new users to the charm of the past in a usable, modern environment.
Whether you're an enthusiast, a retro collector, or just curious, Commodore OS Vision 3.0 is a delightful blend of past and present.
Installed in VirtualBox and was very impressed with the style. Tried to dual boot it with my other linux distro on my laptop so I could try it on hardware instead of a virtual machine, however I have yet to get it to work with my HP laptop, but this is a common issue I have found with certain linux distributions that audio or the touchpad won't work with them. Mostly arch based distros and sometimes debian based distros won't setup the audio or touchpad correctly and they fail to function.
Many of the Slashdot crowed will extol the virtues of a slim efficient lightweigh Linux system.
This is not the tree that OS Vision barks up on.
Since it's based on MX Linux, this can run well on some surprisingly old machines. I"ve installed it on a Dell XPX Lx720 laptop, an old geezer from the Windows 7 days and it hs brought new life to that machine.
I set it up as dual boot on an N100 Samoyan MiniPC and it just flies.
Did I mention that it's not a slim OS? While it is distributed on an ISO file, if you want a bootable optical disk, it's 32.6 gigabyte size would require a dual layered Blue Ray disc. The distro comes jampacked with goodies besides the traditional stuff distros come with such as the obligatory Firefox and LibreOffice distributon, both Chromium and Google Chrome are preinstalled, a ton of multimedia players and creation utilities and over 200 games which are emulated versions of classic 8 btt games.
Speaking of emulators there are also Commedore and Amiga emulators included along with emulators for a ton of consoles including the first 3 generations of PlayStation.
It's aso got the most entertaining OS installer of all time which will serenadre your eyes with animation and your ears with classic Commedore and Amiga mods which show part of the reason why the C64 was the best selling single computer model of all time.
While it can be run in a virtual machine, this really screams for bare metal installation.
I came into this with a prejudice. I totally loved my C64, C128, Amiga 500, and Amiga 2000. It looked good, and is built on solid linux bones so it can't help but be reliable and functional. Anyone familiar with Compiz will immediately recognize much of the blitz and glitter of the user interface.
That's all to the good. It loaded well out of a USB jump drive. Sometimes that can get a little sketchy, but no problems here. When the GUI popped up, I grinned. I was really looking forward to this --- and you had me fully in the bag ...
... right up until you demanded the right to data mine the install, and allowed no possible means for the user to opt out.
The magic evaporated. Uhm ... Yeah. That would be a hard "no!" I'm glad I didn't attempt to put it to bare metal.
Read the initial info/permissions pop-up, people. Some of you may consider the contents acceptable. But I didn't, and I won't. There is no part of that kind of behavior which is acceptable in an open source linux driven OS.
Commodore OS is great for those that would like to relive some of those old school days of Commodore and what a modern Commodore OS might feel like. MX Linux / Debian is a good base that it is built on which does give it a solid foundation and could be more.
Now for the bad part:
Commodore OS seems to be overly flashy and over does the flashy animations and voices and much more making it more of an annoying / novelty OS then a useful daily driver. Its nice for about a day or two to get you into it and enjoying the emulators and so on. But I personally can't use it on the daily for work or productivity. I use Mac OS, Windows, Linux Mint & MX Linux regularly and amazingly I would like to use Commodore OS more often but just can't because its overly gaudy / kitschy feel to the user interface. It gives you the feeling that Commodore OS will ostentatiously insist upon itself which isn't what the original Commodore brand was about. Commodore was about doing more with less and making it fun and giving a lot of power and rights to the end users. Which is why Linux is a perfect base for a new Commodore OS as Linux since Linux embodies that philosophy.
I feel that yes keep the flashy U.I. but also provide a more basic U.I. for those that would like productivity but have the software and features of Commodore OS. Perhaps make two new flavors one with Cinnamon and one in KDE. so the end user could just have a basic install that is more easy to transition into and without all the over the top flashiness of the current U.I.
Good morning, this time I installed Commodore OS Vision 3.0 on a Gigabyte/Clevo laptop equipped with a discrete Nvidia 3050 video card. Amazingly, the hardware recognition is perfect. I didn´t have to mod anything after installation, plus the computer is faster than it´s ever been. The only flaw is the backlit keyboard to which I had to create kernel modules aided by a single line of bash taken from the excellent NovaCustom, distancing and moving a fork from Tuxedo. Still there are a few minor tweaks that should attention, more than adding more software. But excluding minor divergences it´s much more perfect than many other distributions. Try it, it´s worth the experience.
I love it. Great modern yet retro vibe. Looking forward to seeing how it gets tweaked. But really, so far I am really enjoying it. It has been my go to OS at home. I love the theme...
It has an incredible amount of content. I use it on an Optiplex 7050 without issue. Primarily I use to for VS Code making a graphical text adventure game for the Distro. I also use it for some retro gaming, and other work related to using LibreOffice. I am curious to see where things go if the Commodore Brand is purchased and revitalized... much like what Atari did the past few years.
Incredible amount of content and thought put into a Debian based distribution, with surprising performance.
This is a heavily themed distro with a ton of customization. Lots of compiz use, etc. - a retro vibe for the masses.
The pros are that for all of the heavy theming and loads of content, it is very snappy, even on an old system like my old Toughbook. It's visually stunning, pleasing to navigate and use, with lots of enjoyable tweaks for fans of the theme.
The cons are a few very minor issues that need touchups. Mostly having to do with the customizations that override system standards like sound themes can't be turned off. Very minor but noticeable tidbits that are in the works.
Overall, absolutely amazing amount of work and results. Major kudos to them!
Good morning, I have installed with relative difficulty Commodore OS in a MacBook Pro 6.2 retina laptop where almost all the distributions have failed, excluding (Deevuan, FatDog, Debian, Ubuntu) The first two distributions mentioned very performing compared to the second, while the only one I did not have to intervene is FatDog. Commodore OS immediately proved itself capable of solving the various problems through the very complete menu displayed at the start. (It´s a pity that it doesn´t remain even after installation.) The environment is extremely polished, responsive, and embodies a thought reconductable to the glories of the 90´s. Everything is available almost right out of the box and the infamous wireless network card works after removing the relevant component from the blacklist. Commodore OS is not just an exercise in style, it´s a careful work on what distributions should look like, what technologies to implement, how to make them usable for those who want to operate right out of the box.
I downloaded and installed Commodore OS Vision 3.0 yesterday. I love the retro Commodore theme. It includes lots of games, multimedia stuff, emulators and more. It runs great on my 12 year old Toshiba laptop. It even includes drivers for my laptop's wifi adapter out of the box, something that's missing from other distros like Ubuntu. It connected to my home wifi network with no hassles. I took away 1 star, because the 36gb ISO file is a HUGE download. The ISO file was so big, I couldn't copy it to a USB flash drive with exFAT. I had to format the USB drive with NTFS to accomidate such a large file. Then when I installed Commodore OS Vision 3.0, it used 86gb of disk space. I took away 1 star because it's so BIG. But once it was installed, it works great!
I've been using 2.0 for over a year with recording software without any problems. Wine seems to work well. The games are nice memories of a safer time when we knew nothing about politics.
I was looking forward to the update except the 36gb file ? My internet provider charges us extra when we go over our "unlimited" data plan and this file could send us up to $50. To have the base OS with an option to download the games would have been nice. Could you come out with a Vision4.0 with all repositories working....thank you !
What a great collection of software!
All emulators setup for you, a great themed desktop that needs minor tweaks to make it also a daily driver.
There's one little drawback that is when you use anything other than the default commodore user, your millage may vary. For example CMB prg Studio, that relies on Wine, will not start as it goes straight to the commodore user's home to get the .vine config/ So when you want the best experience do everything under the Commodore User.
The base distro is Debian, so you get a stable base platform with lots of packages you can install -- if it isn't already installed. Because the whole installation is about 95GB.
A great system that allows you to return to the past in a click! In an instant, we can go back to a time when we used to spend whole nights, over building in Basic and playing. The system very stable and, importantly, does not send or use, any private data. The system was based on Mx Linux with all its tools, so you can easily customize everything and count on support. I recommend to anyone who remembers those beautiful times of the 90s, and also to those who want to know how it was back then. Thank you to the developers for all their great work!
The C64 was my first home computer & I have fond memories of using it. It lead me to my 30 year journey into System Administration & Electronics repair (mainly because the c64 died a lot and I had to find a source for chips to repair it!) This was a major flash back to a simple time when computers came with programming manuals & the source code was available for us to modify. Jim Butterfield's course on the C64 got started.
I had a hard time getting this to install, kept erroring out on boot from a USB Drive, Ventoy didn't help either! I was frustrated by it looking for /dev/sr0 when the file size exceeds 30 GB, which is even too large for my blue ray burner. I had to install IVentoy PXE server to handle the very large ISO! I used a Sony Vaio Laptop as my install machine. It has great Network Boot capability and four cores. It finally booted and installed fine! I got to try the new OS! I took the drive from the laptop when done and installed it in the desktop which would not boot the ISO from any source! It booted first time & every time without an error. You can't do that with Winblows!
WOW! Awesome feeling but I had to shut off some of the animations, which was not hard to find. Some c64 games threw syntax errors which blew me away, Vice has always ran my D64 files flawlessly! I purged Vice and reinstalled it and that fixed the errors I was getting. It would help if when an app failed that we would get a explanation of where the files should go! I had a hell of a time copying in the roms from my host machine. All & all it was a fun experience, It looks great & most everything worked on my MSI/AMD desktop! A++
I was intrigued by the "new Commodore" but quickly discovered it’s just a standard motherboard capable of running Windows. Hoping the OS might be innovative, I downloaded versions 2 and 3—only to be disappointed. As a longtime IT architect with 27 years in the industry and deep nostalgia for retro computing, I live for vintage systems and pushing their limits.
From the perspective of both new and old tech lovers, the Commodore OS misses the mark. It’s just a Linux distro cluttered with visual add-ons that hinder usability. The graphics are gaudy and lack true nostalgia. Underneath, it's just Linux running emulators—something you could do on any PC. Version 2.0 at least launched D64 files into VICE fullscreen, creating a fleeting illusion of magic. But version 3.0 lost even that—every D64 file opened in a standard window without executing the software.
This OS doesn’t bring back the old days. I get why Linux was used, but let’s talk about what a modern Commodore OS should embody. Actually, I scrapped that thought—because that era is over. An OS once provided access to hardware capabilities within strict limitations. Now, with modern hardware and software enhancements, those limitations fade away. I launch software from my modern PC onto my old systems. This OS forces users to confront that reality. If it ran on an actual Commodore, it wouldn’t have so much unnecessary flash.
A true Commodore legacy should continue the spirit of creativity—making visually and audibly compelling experiences accessible to everyone. The original community thrived on experimentation, pushing the limits of hardware with shared knowledge. A worthy successor should allow users to easily build games in that same spirit. Instead, Commodore OS 3.0 is just another cluttered UI with a BASIC implementation tossed in.
If this were a simple hobby project, I wouldn’t be tearing it apart. But since it's packaged with a paid product—essentially just a custom-designed PC case—it deserves scrutiny. Slapping on some nostalgic fonts and a blue theme isn’t enough. I’d rather stick with my preferred OS on my PC, where I can disable all the unnecessary effects if I want to (or enable them, if I choose). I don't need eSpeak barking at me or amateurish 3D backgrounds disrupting the interface.
When I think of Commodore’s legacy, I think of game engines like Unity and Unreal—tools that continue the tradition of accessible creativity. The "new Commodore" is a novelty item for people unsure how else to spend their money. The OS, at best, is an annoying installation process followed by a major letdown.
To the creator: I get that you enjoy this, and I hope you continue having fun. Maybe that is the legacy—living it, rather than preserving it authentically. But adding every open-source game to 3.0 was a misstep. These aren’t industry-crafted titles; they feel like amateur attempts. Commodore was about games, but its games were better.
Took the time to test it on a real i3 10105 16GB NVME 250GB PC. Strangest distro I tested by far. Music not only is annoying, it autostarts even if you stop it with the icon manually. Also, there is some sort of accessibility option that reads stuff and couldnt turn it of. So those 2 things run ON TOP of any game or app you run, making it an unbearable experience.
Also there is a stupid somewhat fun joke if you dont agree terms and conditions that will ask you several times stupid stuff as a joke.
Selection of games is really nice, has a LOT of games to test, and has a LOT of emulators already preloaded (RPCS3 for example).
Its a nice experiment which I think it sould be tuned so it isnt annoying as hell and make it usable.
Reminds me of a joke OS, but weights 30GB.
Will try future releases.
Also font is ugly and difficult to read.
An interesting project aimed at retro gaming enthusiasts with a LOT of inbuilt games, both native Linux (200+) and obviously Commodore 64 and Amiga games too. But so it should have with a massive 35 GB ISO to download (use the torrent option, it's well seeded and downloads quickly)
It has an annoying sound demo that autoplays and get's quite irritating till you learn how to shut it up. But then it just comes back anyway! I couldn't find a way to permanently stop it because the settings manager(s) didn't work running it live from USB.
Based on MX Linux but with a heavily customised MATE DE, it's certainly different and it's clear a lot of effort has been put into the gaming side, but perhaps not enough on getting other OS features working properly.
I think 7 is a fairly generous rating for what seems like a work in progress, but worth checking out.
Almost nothing to do with Commodore other than being plastered with logos. Full of animations and sound effects that get old quickly.
Its loaded with prepackaged emulators and roms. Does it work? Yes, but not something I would ever want to daily drive. For a retro gaming station? I would prefer a UI that is more geared towards just that.
Its their "vision" of a future Commodore operating system if you ignore Amiga and its OS which still gets updates, or Aros and Morph OS which are actual descendants.
If you are looking for an Linux OS with that classic Commodore OS feel this is the best option. It a highly customized version of MX Linux which is already really good. my only concern is in making Commodore OS Vision is that some of the drivers were cut out. For example MX Linux runs just fine on an older Macintosh hardware but Commodore OS Vision has issues, I think C=OSV would do better if it more of these hicups are cleared up since its foundation is already solid with MX Linux & Debian as the base. Hopefully version 3.0 is better at working with a larger range of hardware our of the box.
As the old advert used to go…
Are you keeping up with the commodore?
the commodore is keeping up with you. ..
except the real commodore didn't.
for all its fans, it was a failure, losing market share to Amstrad, Apple IBM and MS-DOS PCs.
as for this tribute skin
it has far too much many bells and whistles / unwarranted attack surface for my liking.
If you are interested in nostalgic computing
check out the AWB (Amiga Work Bench ) demonstrated by the Arcan project.
Commodore Amiga made me love computers. I hope the new Commodore X 64 from mini_itx with Commodore os 2 give as much to my niece.
At a time when computers and the internet have become bland and boring, having a machine with personality with a custom created distro to suite can only bring smiles to many faces and hopefully plant the seed for future technology lovers who are more than a user, but better yet become developers, advance users that aren't afraid of different OSs and can troubleshoot themselves.
Can remember back in the day when I got my first Commodore 64 computer, the hours and sometimes days of typing code and saving to a cassette was how it was. The Amiga wow what a machine. And now we can have it back as a great Operating System. I installed it with no issues at all. Thanks for bringing the memories back...The colors and sound all come back so quick when you think of the C64 and Amiga 500 Days. I remember when I got my first Hard drive for my Amiga 500 it was a whopping 20 Megs and the was like a couple hundred dollars. Oh the Commodore memories will come and go but with a Vision like this they may just be around for many years to come...
I was a teenager when the Commodore 64 was the best selling computer of all time. So of course I was intrigued by this distro. It's described as an unofficial MX Linux respin which is a good choice. The description also mentions it comes set up with auto login and "lowered privileges" which is intended to match the way computers were in the 80s. You're warned not to run your business with it but that you can adjust the security level. This is something I see as a good thing. I was annoyed with how strict the security was on MX forcing me to enter passwords incessantly and the issues with permissions on even the most basic file ops. I was thinking the whole time "Hey, I'm not running a server here!"
The description says no "personal" data is collected. But then when I read the legal terms, which you HAVE to agree to in order to use the OS, you're "granting the right" to collect usage and hardware statistics data. What that means is, while they may not go into your contacts, emails and documents, everything you do in the OS is being tracked. I have issues with OSes collecting any data at all and I didn't care for the fact that I had to read the fine print to verify data was in fact being collected. Because this OS was intended for a laptop that never connects to the Internet anyway I'm not that concerned. But just so you're aware... As for my review, I'm docking a point since there's no option to enable/disable data collection as with other distros.
There are quite a few audio and visual effects including retro speech synthesis. It's very much like the OS itself has been given a sort of video game theme. It has a "fun" vibe to it. You can easily turn some or all of it off and there are additional effects you can activate as well.
The developer warns this is not a lightweight distro. So it has all the apps you usually see in a distro plus apps you don't often see. For example, it has GNUCash which I've never seen in a distro before. There's an Amiga clone paint program and a number of other Commodore/Amiga clone apps to satisfy that nostalgia some may have. In many cases you have two or three of each type of app to choose from such as Chromium, Tor and Firefox browsers. Under the programming category it comes with Gambas BASIC which fits with the retro theming as just about all home computers in the 80s came with BASIC. There are plenty of other modern development tools as well, more than you usually see in a distro, including VS Code. VirtualBox and Wine are also included. There's a full suite of audio, video and graphics tools with the novel addition of C64 and Amiga tracker style music editors. It also has all the tools that come with MX, most of which are quite useful. So it's definitely loaded with decent apps.
For many, the premiere feature will be that it has emulators for bygone Commodore and Amiga machines. So in just a few clicks you're back at the command prompt of your old Commodore 64 or Amiga 500. What's not to like about that! There are eight different emulator links but some of them didn't boot up. I checked the forum and it looks like the issue will be fixed in the next update? For now you'll have to do some tweaking to launch those emulators. That's not nearly it for the emulators though! It has a truckload of other 80s emulators like ZX Spectrum, Z80, pretty much every Atari product, DOS, NES, Playstation, Sega, Nintendo and MAME, plus half a dozen gaming services. It's really cool and it makes this one of the most unique distros I've ever seen. Retro gaming and computing enthusiasts should be very pleased with this setup.
Most of the distros I've downloaded and tested ended up getting deleted. This one I'm keeping.
Commodore OS takes users on a nostalgic journey while seamlessly integrating modern computing capabilities. With its atmospheric retro-inspired graphical user interface (GUI), this operating system evokes fond memories of the classic computing era while delivering a robust and contemporary user experience.
One of the most striking aspects of Commodore OS is its GUI, which pays homage to the iconic design aesthetics of vintage computing systems. From the pixelated icons to the retro color schemes, every detail is meticulously crafted to transport users back to the golden age of computing. Navigating through the interface feels like a delightful stroll down memory lane, reminiscent of the days when computers were just beginning to revolutionize the world.
Beyond its captivating visuals, Commodore OS impresses with its carefully curated selection of applications. Whether you're a gaming enthusiast, a multimedia aficionado, or a productivity-focused user, you'll find a comprehensive suite of software tailored to your needs. From classic games that evoke nostalgia to cutting-edge multimedia tools, the software lineup is diverse and well-rounded, ensuring that users have everything they need right at their fingertips.
What truly sets Commodore OS apart is its seamless fusion of retro charm and modern functionality. While it pays homage to the past, it doesn't compromise on performance or features. Behind its vintage-inspired facade lies a powerful and capable operating system that can handle the demands of contemporary computing tasks with ease.
In conclusion, Commodore OS is a delightful blend of old and new, offering a unique computing experience that appeals to both nostalgia seekers and modern users alike. With its atmospheric GUI and well-chosen selection of applications, it manages to capture the essence of the past while embracing the possibilities of the future. Whether you're a seasoned computing veteran or a newcomer looking for something different, Commodore OS is definitely worth exploring.
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