My 5 favorite open source operating systems that aren't Linux

Tech Home Tech Services & Software Open Source My 5 favorite open source operating systems that aren't Linux Looking for non-Linux open-source options? From ghosts of past operating systems to fascinating works in progress, here are my top picks. Written by Jack Wallen, Contributing WriterContributing Writer April 27, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. PT picture alliance / Contributor/ picture alliance via Getty ImagesFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET's key takeawaysAlthough Linux is the king of open-source OSes, there are options.Here you'll find a few open-source OSes to toy around with.Don't expect any of these to be viable options for daily use.When you think of open-source operating systems, most likely only one option springs to mind: Linux.That makes perfect sense, given that Linux is the most popular open-source OS on the planet (and starting to catch up with non-open-source OSs). Also: Ready for a Linux laptop? I recommend a Tuxedo to beginners and pro users alikeBut Linux isn't the only open-source game in town. In fact, there are several open-source options that you can try. I found five in particular that are interesting enough to share with you, including four that reimagine an operating system from the past and one built by a single developer (take that, Linus).Let's see what there is to see within the realm of non-Linux open-source operating systems.1. HaikuThe first time I triedHaiku was two-thousand-twoIt was in alpha.Decades later, Haiku has finally reached beta. Yup, that's one slow development process. What attracted me to Haiku was its slight resemblance to the Afterstep Window manager that I once used and loved. Why the resemblance? Haiku is a reimagining of the late BeOS, inspired by NeXTSTEP (which in turn inspired AfterStep). Besides the nifty UI, the craziest thing about Haiku is that it installs in seconds. On top of that, you probably won't find an OS where the apps run as fast as they do on Haiku. The trade-off is that you might not find the app you need. The good news is that there's the Haiku Depot, where you can install plenty of apps (even the likes of LibreOffice). Also: You can use Linux 7.0 on these 7 distros today - here's what to expectAnother cool feature found in Haiku is the Deskbar, which gives you quick access to minimized applications and system tray items.I wouldn't recommend Haiku for daily use, but it's certainly fun to play with. I've always loved an AfterStep-like UI. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET2. BSDBSD stands for Berkeley Software Distribution and is the closest thing to Unix that you can use on the desktop. Created at UC Berkeley by the Computer Systems Research Group and began as a derivative of the original AT&T UNIX that was created at Bell Labs.Also: After decades on Linux, FreeBSD finally gave me a reason to switch operating systemsBSD lives on in several derivatives, such as FreeBSD, GhostBSD, MidnightBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD, and more. At first blush, you might think that whatever BSD you opt to use is actually Linux, because it probably uses one of the many Linux desktops, such as FreeBSD with KDE Plasma. I've toyed around with several of the BSDs, and one of the most important things I always come away with is how remarkably stable they are. This should come as no surprise, given that BSD was based on an operating system used on mainframe computers worldwide.The good news is that the BSDs are suitable for everyday desktop computing. In fact, if you…

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