BB-OS

Graphical User Interface for MS-DOS

This is BB-OS (Belgian Basic Operating System) by Ken Van Hoeylandt, a DOS GUI from 2001.

It's an interesting piece of work for a few reasons:

1. It works
2. It has 15 desktops (that work)
3. It can create shortcuts to DOS apps and run these OK
4. It has a few bundled apps (paint, calc, shortcut editor)
5. It has sound options and comms options
6. It exemplifies ToastyTech's GUI design principles (tongue in cheek)

While the GUI design is a pretty dated now, I guess it's a product of the time it was made.

This is one of a few hobbyist GUI I've seen with multiple desktops (Costa being another), so marks for effort.

The bundled apps and DOS apps work, windows open and close OK and scroll bars work.

Basic config options but it does include sound and comms options.

I couldn't find any option to change the desktop scheme though.

I couldn't get it to crash and apps open up very quickly.

BTW, the icon editor isn't - it's how you place icons for program shortcuts on the desktop(s).

Overall and interesting effort with features (sound, comms, multiple desktops) not often seen.

I've attached a .zip file with the VirtualBox VHD and another .zip file with the install files and a few image files that will help with any install.

When you run the VHD in VirtualBox there's a prompt to continue and load BB-OS, or quit to DOS.

If you quit to DOS you can run Windows 3.1 by typing WIN.

The VHD was created using VirtualBox 6.1.26 and the DOS version installed is 6.22 with Cute Mouse loaded.

Link to a review of BB-OS http://qbasicgui.datacomponents.net/71_bbos22.html

< Click here to download the VHD > < Click here to download the install files as a .zip >

Screenshots: (Use your browser's right click function "Open Image In New Tab" to see larger images)

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