Lunduke
News • Science & Tech
Syllable : The long abandoned Amiga OS clone
Itself a fork of another Amiga clone, this OS has been dead for a decade. Let's see what it was like.
September 10, 2023
post photo preview

Back in 1994, a gentleman named Kurt Skauen began a new Operating System project that was, in essence, a clone of Amiga OS for x86 PCs.

He called it “Atheos”.

Around 2001, development of Atheos was abandoned.

By the next year, 2002, Atheos was forked in order to continue development under the name “Syllable Desktop”. Development of Syllable continued for a full decade. Then, in 2012… was ultimately abandoned.

And abandoned it has remained. For the last 10 years.

Let’s take a little “Operating System Archeological Tour”, shall we? Let’s dust off and boot up the the latest version of Syllable we can find and see what this long abandoned system looks like through the eyes of 2022.

Luckily, ArchiveOS.org has a few .iso’s of Syllable archived for download.

Let’s boot up Syllable Desktop 0.6.7, shall we?

Look at that! It’s GRUB! Just like we use on modern Linux systems!

With an interesting list of installation boot options. Looks like it has specific installation setups for old eeePC netbooks, virtual machines, and whatnot. Cool!

The Syllable installer is… fascinating.

It’s entirely text based… yet runs within a GUI window terminal. It seems to work well enough, but it’s not exactly user friendly.

I chose all the defaults (which required hitting a variety of different keys… m… l… y… yes… every text based option seemed to have a different set of keys to press) and the install proceeded without error. Took around 4 minutes.

At first boot, I was greeted with this:

Ok. Fair.

Behind that dialog was a simple login window. I entered a password of “root” (I guessed) and was greeted with…

A frozen desktop.

No mouse, no nothing. Just two icons, with one of them cut off half way. I waited a bit — just to be sure it wasn’t thinking about the meaning of life really hard — then rebooted.

So much better! Now it works! Must have been some “first boot jitters”.

Syllable has rather attractive desktop. Similar to the classic GNOME 2 in layout. Icons on the desktop are opened with a single click (if you double click an icon… it’ll open twice). Took some getting used to.

The default file browser is simple and fast. Not exactly fancy-shmancy. Very few options or features. But it works. Feels very… old-school Amiga or early MacOS (other than the rather sparse toolbar at the top of each file browser window).

The built-in web browser, “Webster”, works! It’s pretty bare bones. And over a decade old… so no websites that require HTTPS / SSL will work worth a hill of beans. But it’s there! And, hey, it renders fairly basic HTML over HTTP pretty well.

The Preferences icon on the desktop really just opens up a file browser with a bunch of individual Settings / Preferences applications. The Appearance application has pre-set themes that mimic BeOS, Windows95 (and XP), Amiga, OS/2 Warp, and a bunch of others.

A nice touch.

Syllable is very much a modern system. Multitasking, and multi-user (with very UNIX-like user permissions).

Interesting that the default user account is named “Privileged”.

Syllable has a pretty robust system for handling file / mime types. Screen settings are super simple (and functional). The “dock” (the panel along the top) is fairly customizable, with a series of plugins.

Also note that window management is very much handled in an “Amiga” style. See that button on the top left of each window? That button brings a window to the foreground… or sends it to the back. Clicking on a window that is not currently fore-most… does not bring it to the foreground.

Very… Amiga. Which makes sense, considering the goals of the original project were to be an Amiga clone.

The terminal application has a nice little BASH shell. You can even see a version of “top” running in the background terminal.

Note the two Terminal icons now in the top left of the dock, representing the two running instances of the Terminal application.

The default system ships with a handful of demo applications (including some 3D stuff and SDL stuff). And a variation on “xeyes” that follows your cursor around.

Performance when having multiple applications running at once is pretty snappy. I tested most things out on a good powered machine (in a VM) with 256 MB of RAM allocated. But, just for kicks, booted it up in a VM on a slow, older laptop and only gave the VM 64 MB of RAM. Performance stuttered a little here and there when running a number of applications… but was still pretty peppy and usable.

I’ve gotta be honest… Syllable is not a shabby system!

There are some rough spots (especially the installer). And it’s certainly showing its age… but it’s a more than capable system.

It’s fast, light, and has a nice BASH shell (which would make porting Linux/UNIX/BSD terminal software a bit easier). Honestly, if you told me that Syllable is the only OS available to me… shrug… it wouldn’t be so bad!

I mean, to be sure, it could use a lot more software ported to it (though there’s already quite a bit ported… including DOSBox, Apache and others). Well. And a few other tweaks. But it’s already doggone powerful.

Syllable is GPL and up on Sourceforge. Who knows. Maybe, one day, someone will take up the mantle and fork Syllable to continue development… just as Syllable was created from the ashes of Atheos.

That certainly would be cool.

community logo
Join the Lunduke Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
11
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
Articles
4Chan Lawyer Says UK Demands Make Good "Bedding for My Pet Hamster"

UK is threatening to block 4Chan in 60 days if it does not comply with OfCom demands. In other news: 4Chan is censoring Lunduke Journal stories & suspending users who post them.

More from The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.com/

00:17:10
October 14, 2025
The UK Begins Process of Blocking 4Chan in 60 Days

The United Kingdom Office of Communications (Ofcom) has issued a fine to 4Chan. If 4Chan does not pay the fine in 60 days, it can be blocked in the UK.

More from The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.com/

00:10:08
October 13, 2025
Framework's Discord Moderators Go on Strike over "Fash" Software Support

Volunteer moderators have "taken a hiatus" in response to Framework supporting Omarchy Linux and Hyperland - which Leftists say have "Hitler Particles".

More from The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.com/

00:24:12
November 22, 2023
The futility of Ad-Blockers

Ads are filling the entirety of the Web -- websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. -- at an increasing rate. Prices for those ad placements are plummeting. Consumers are desperate to use ad-blockers to make the web palatable. Google (and others) are desperate to break and block ad-blockers. All of which results in... more ads and lower pay for creators.

It's a fascinatingly annoying cycle. And there's only one viable way out of it.

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links? Check here:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

The futility of Ad-Blockers
November 21, 2023
openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"

Those in power with openSUSE make it clear they will not allow me anywhere near anything related to the openSUSE project. Ever. For any reason.

Well, that settles that, then! Guess I won't be contributing to openSUSE! 🤣

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links?
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"
September 13, 2023
"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

This episode is free for all to enjoy and share.

Be sure to subscribe here at Lunduke.Locals.com to get all shows & articles (including interviews with other amazing nerds).

"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

Now, let’s take a second to think about this. How can they access your BIOS remotely? Tell me again it isn’t just a back door with a marketing team behind it…

October 14, 2025

Heads up: The “Linux Sucks 2025” livestream planned for October 14 is being bumped out a couple days due to technical hiccups in the streaming setup.

Had streaming issues for the last several days, so makes sense to sort that out before doing a big show.

Updated schedule asap.

18 hours ago

In summary, although tech companies have money. When the AI boom goes bust. Data centers will lose. Like big fiber optic rollouts during the .com bust. Underutilized, sold and used to capacity far later than expected.

Another thought not mentioned in the article. Which I heard in a WSJ podcast and sounds about right. (Linked below the article. And let's just say the commentaror sounds less than manly...) Fiber optics doesn't need line upgrades once laid. It's a one time major capital expense. But data center CPUs will continue going obsolete, with a need for expensive upgrades. Else, they'll be slower than other options later. Which makes for a continual cost, once that time comes when they are being used to capacity.

Also, ordinary consumers do not want to "pay" for AI. That prevents ROI from looking good.

Big tech spending on AI data centers and infrastructure vs the fiber optic buildout during the dot-com boom (& bust) – IEEE ComSoc Technology Blog
...

post photo preview
The Unpublished Anti-Lunduke Hit-Piece
A Tech Journalist interviewed me for a hit-piece article. But the questions made them look bad, and they shelved the story. So I'm publishing their hit-piece for them.

Back in September, shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I was contacted by a Tech Journalist writing for FossForce.com (a smaller, Open Source focused publication) who was working on an article around Open Source, Antifa, and the Lunduke Journal’s coverage of those topics.

This particular outlet had, several months prior, run an “anti-Lunduke” hit piece without first reaching out for comment — which resulted in their most popular article (at least on social media) in quite some time.

With that in mind, it seemed reasonable that they’d want to repeat that success with another “anti-Lunduke” story.

This time they were doing the responsible thing. They reached out to the subject of the hit-piece article with questions. I like encouraging Tech Journalists when they do actual journalism, so I answered each and every query with easy-to-quote responses.

But, it would appear that the answers they received were not conducive to creating the hit-piece they were hoping for — my guess is they realized their questions made them look like the villain in the story. The villain they, clearly, hoped to portray me as.

They opted to not publish the piece.

So I’m publishing their hit-piece for them.

Below is every question — and every answer (with no edits) — which I was asked, on September 19th, by a Tech Journalist by the name of Christine Hall, writing for FossForce.

Fair warning: This is very, very politically charged.

Enjoy.


September 19th

Hall:

The last time I mentioned you in an article, you castigated me for not reaching out to you beforehand. Well, I’m reaching out now. We’ll see what comes of this.

You do recognize that the vast majority of organizations using the term antifa as a descriptor are not in the least bit terrorist and pose no threat to society -- and indeed, the only threats they might pose to fascist groups are not physical or life-harming?

Lunduke:

Hello Christine! Nice to hear from you!

Many, if not most, of those proclaiming support for Antifa (within Open Source) have also made statements encouraging or supporting violence and discrimination.

Regardless of that fact -- which I have documented extensively in Lunduke Journal coverage -- when violent acts are committed (such as murder, riots, and lynchings) in the name of “Antifa”, to turn around and immediately declare yourself to be “Antifa” is a clear declaration of support of that violence.

Hall:

And why did you feel it necessary to call out Danielle Foré’s [the founder of the elementary OS Linux Distribution] trans status in such an ugly manner?

Lunduke:

There is a noteworthy overlap between “Trans activism” and support for political violence -- including in the recent murder of Charlie Kirk (the murderer’s boyfriend was “Trans”).

In the case of Daniel Fore, he, a leader of an Open Source project, regularly calls for discrimination (and violence) against people he disagrees with -- often in conjunction with his self-declaration as “Trans”.

Thus, his declaration of being “Trans” becomes a part of the overall story.

It is worth noting here that The Lunduke Journal has never -- and would never -- call for discrimination or violence against someone because of how they identify or who they may (or may not) vote for.

This is in stark contrast those, such as Mr. Fore, who consider themselves “Trans” or “Antifa” -- who actively advocate for both discrimination and violence.

Hall:

Mentioning a person’s trans status in ways that are pertinent to your argument necessates rudeness such as calling her a “dude who likes to wear dresses”?

Lunduke:

Dan Fore is, in fact, a dude who likes to wear dresses.

The only reason to view that as a negative is if you view dudes wearing dresses as a negative.

Hall:

I’ll quote you on that, which I’m pretty sure won’t bother you in the least.

Lunduke:

Absolutely! Quote anything I say here. In fact, I suggest quoting absolutely everything I’ve written to you here, today.

Hall:

You also understand, don’t you, that voicing disagreement with an assessment made by POTUS is not only legal but a healthy part of the national dialog.

Lunduke:

Absolutely! Did I say somewhere that it was illegal to disagree with a politician? It seems unlikely that I have ever said that.

Hall:

Also, how would you reply to this:

There have been very few murders linked to individuals associated with Antifa, some incidents of rioting attributed to Antifa supporters, and no credible evidence of lynchings conducted in the name of Antifa. Compared to far-right groups, violence attributed to Antifa is much less frequent and lethal, with only one suspected kill—Aaron Danielson in Portland, by an anti-fascist activist—officially confirmed in recent U.S. history.

Lunduke:

Murder is bad. I am opposed to all murder.

In the context of these discussions, bearing in mind the Kirk murder is important (as many statements were made in response to it). The murderer of Kirk appears to have been pro-Trans and pro-Antifa (based on all available information).

Hall:

Is there any evidence that the suspect was part of an antifa group? I haven’t seen any.

Lunduke:

I have seen some reporting to this effect (including statements from family and messages he wrote).

But, far more important to this story, is the response to the murder among Antifa supporters (including those within Open Source). A large portion of Antifa supporters have celebrated the murder as justified because it killed someone they considered to be a “fascist”.

Hall:

Also, no group should be held responsible for what some deranged person who identifies with the group has done.

Lunduke:

I agree that a broader group should not be held responsible for the actions of a small number of individuals.

However, and this is critically important, it is entirely appropriate to hold people responsible for their own statements and actions.

With that in mind: The overall messaging of Antifa (and Antifa supporters) tends heavily towards violence. Punching, killing, molotov cocktails, etc. are all common messaging used by Antifa (including by those I quote within the Open Source world -- many of whom have advocated violence against myself).

Advocating for violence, then celebrating when violence is committed, are not good things.

Yet we see a great deal of that among Open Source supporters of Antifa.

Read full Article
October 13, 2025
Sale ends in a few hours, Lifetime Subs set up.

Holy moly, you guys are amazing.

A few days ago I published a “50% off” sale for Lunduke Journal subscriptions… and all of you showed up. In a big way.

To everyone who grabbed a Lifetime Subscription over the last few days: All of you are set to full Lifetime access. You should have a confirmation email in your inbox. If not, email me and I’ll make sure you’re setup properly.

That “50% off” sale ends tonight at midnight. So you have a few hours to snag a discounted subscription, if you haven’t already.

A huge thank you to everyone who supports this work. Couldn’t do it without you.

-Lunduke

Read full Article
October 12, 2025
50% Off Lunduke Journal Extended Through Monday (Oct 13th)

Just a quick heads up:

The “50% off every kind of Subscription to The Lunduke Journal” sale has been extended through Monday (October 13th).

So. You know. Grab one at 50% off between now and end of the day on Monday.

To all of you amazing nerds who have picked up a Lifetime Subscription already this weekend: You are awesome. You’ll be receiving a confirmation email, with all of the Lifetime Subscription details, by tomorrow (if you haven’t already).

Oh, and remember how we hit 11 Million views last month? Yeah. We’re well on our way to blowing past those numbers in October.

Wild.

See you all on Monday!

-Lunduke

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals