Every now and then we do a roundup of some of the alternative operating systems out there that you might want to check out. The last one included the likes of OpenSolaris, OpenSuSE and Ubuntu.

Monday, I found a great listing of alternative operating systems at e-linux.it. It includes 10 different operating systems, some of which are open source and some that are not. Each entry includes a brief description, the licensing scheme under which it is released, a link where it can be downloaded or more information can be found, and information about software with which it is compatible.

The list begins with AmigaOS, a closed-source, proprietary OS that runs on Power PC platforms. It ends with Visopsys, an open source, GPL-licensed OS  that runs on x86 platforms and that is maintained by one developer. In between are a few more systems that are familiar here at IT Business Edge (Haiku, ReactOS) and others we've never heard of before (MorphOS, DexOS).

The writers predict that whether any on this list actually makes it to the mainstream, the coming generation of operating systems should represent a significant shift. They point to Microsoft's Midori as an example.