AstraOSAstraOS as a Windows alternative
Not a replacement yet – an honest look.
Is AstraOS a Windows alternative? A new OS with its own kernel that starts simple Windows .exe programs. What works today and what does not. Alpha: 10 Nov 2026.
Short answer
Not yet. Windows has huge app and hardware support. AstraOS is a pre-alpha with its own kernel. It is an alternative you can watch and try, not one to switch to today.
What already works
- Our own loader starts simple Windows
.exeprograms. - A desktop with windows, start menu, search, file manager, terminal and web browser.
- Runs in 64 MB of memory; no Windows code inside.
What does not work yet
Big Windows programs, games and drivers for most real hardware. Running Windows programs completely natively is a goal for version 1.0, not a fact.
Try it
Alpha 0.1 runs in a window on Windows with AstraOS Starter – nothing gets installed. See what runs and the comparison.
AstraOS is an early pre-alpha. Alpha 0.1 comes on 10 November 2026 at 19:00 and runs in a window with AstraOS Starter for Windows. Everything below is tested in a virtual computer, not yet on real hardware.