AROS continues centimetering closer to 64bit

The work towards making the 64bit version of AROS a viable choice is continuing, as is the work on AROS’ web browser, and developer Krzysztof ‘deadwood’ Śmiechowicz gave an update a few days ago detailing the progress that’s been made – and it’s extensive.

First, the beta version of Odyssey 3.0, the web browser for AROS, can now load a whole slew of important websites, like YouTube, Google Docs, and Discord, which is a big deal for an alternative operating system like AROS. Odyssey uses Apple’s WebKit as its browser engine, and it’s obviously important to make sure it runs on the 64bit version of AROS.

Speaking of 64bit, more and more applications are being recompiled to add 64bit support, with the stated goal being to have at least the best application in each category available in 64bit. A major issue is that certain pieces of hardware that work in 32bit do not yet work in 64bit. As a temporary solution, they’re going to make use of the virtualisation route AROS Portable uses to plug the gaps in 64bit hardware support until such support is realised. AROS Portable is basically a Linux distribution that runs a virtual copy of the 32bit version of AROS.

It’s clear that a lot of work is happening in the 64bit space for AROS, which is crucial for the long-term viability of the project. AROS is still the easiest and most accessible way to get a taste of an Amiga-like experience since it runs on plain x86 hardware, so it’s important to keep that dream alive.