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Line 1: {{Short description\|Computer operating system by Acorn Computers Ltd.}} {{About\|the operating system developed by Acorn Computers Ltd\|the OS developed by MIPS Computer Systems\|MIPS RISC/os}} {{Use dmy dates\|date=~~May~~January ~~2020~~2025}} {{Use British English\|date=April 2013}} {{Infobox OS \| name = RISC OS \| logo = ~~RISC~~Risc OSos logo.~~png~~svg \| logo size = ~~75px~~100px \| screenshot = RISC OS 5.30 screenshot.jpg \| screenshot_size = 300px \| caption = A screenshot of RISC OS 5.30 (released ~~2023~~2024) running on a [[Raspberry Pi]] \| developer = [[Acorn Computers]] Open-source (version 5) Line 19: \| source model = [[Closed source]]; [[Open-source software\|open source]] for some versions since 2018 \| released = {{Start date and age\|1987\|09\|25\|df=yes}}<ref name="arthur_os_copyright_note">copyright notice Arthur 1.20 (25 September 1987)</ref> \| latest release version = * 5.30<ref name="ROOL news 2024-04-27">{{cite web \|url=https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2024/04/27/risc-os-5-30-now-available \|title=RISC OS 5.30 now available \|access-date=~~2024-04-~~30 April 2024 \|last=Revill \|first=Steve \|date=27 April 2024 \|publisher=[[RISC OS Open]] }}</ref> / {{Start date and age\|2024\|04\|27\|df=yes}} * 6.20 / {{Start date and age\|2009\|12\|01\|df=yes}} \| latest release date = Line 34: \| ui = [[Graphical user interface\|GUI]] \| license = {{plainlist\| * [[Apache License 2.0]]<ref>[https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2018/10/22/risc-os-is-open-for-business RISC OS is open for business!] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022204607/https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2018/10/22/risc-os-is-open-for-business \|date=22 October 2018 }}, RISC OS Open Ltd, accessed ~~2018-10-~~23 October 2018</ref> (version 5) * [[Proprietary software\|Proprietary]] (version 6) }} \| preceded by = [[Acorn MOS\|MOS]] (discontinued)<br />[[ARX (operating system)\|ARX]] (discontinued) \| succeeded by = \| website = {{URL\|riscosopen.org}} RISC OS Open<br />{{URL\|riscos.com}} RISCOS \| date = }} '''RISC OS''' ({{IPAc-en\|r\|ɪ\|s\|k\|.\|oʊ\|ˈ\|ɛ\|s}})<ref name="acorn_developer_news_issue14">{{cite news \| url=http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Acorn/DN/Acorn_DevNL14.pdf \| title=RISC OS \| work=ISV Department news from Acorn \| publisher=Acorn Computers Limited \| date=May 1989 \| issue=14 \| access-date=~~2021-02-~~14 February 2021 \| pages=2 \| quote=It is RISC OS (pronounced risk oh ess, not risk oss) \| archive-date=21 May 2021 \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521002744/http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Acorn/DN/Acorn_DevNL14.pdf \| url-status=live }}</ref> is an [[operating system]] designed to run on [[ARM architecture\|ARM]] computers. Originally designed in 1987 by [[Acorn Computers]] of England, it was made for use in its new line of ARM-based [[Acorn Archimedes\|Archimedes]] personal computers and was then shipped with other computers produced by the company. Despite the demise of Acorn, RISC OS continues to be developed today by the [[RISC OS Open]] community on version 5.0 of the system that was [[open sourced]] in 2018.<ref>{{Cite ~~web~~news \|date=21 June ~~21,~~ 2022 \|title=~~risc_os_35~~RISC OS: 35-year-old original Arm operating system is alive and well \|first=Liam \|last=Proven \|url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/21/risc_os_35/ \|~~website~~work=~~www.theregister.com~~[[The Register]]}}</ref> RISC OS is a [[Modular programming\|modular]] operating system and takes its name from the [[reduced instruction set computer]] (RISC) architecture it supports. It incorporates a [[graphical user interface]] and a [[windowing system]]. Between 1987 and 1998, RISC OS shipped with every ARM-based Acorn computer including the Archimedes line, Acorn's R line (with [[RISC iX]] as a dual-boot option), [[RiscPC]], [[Acorn A7000\|A7000]], and prototype models such as the Acorn [[Acorn Computers#NewsPad\|NewsPad]] and [[Phoebe (computer)\|Phoebe computer]]. A version of the OS, named [[NCOS]], was used in [[Oracle Corporation\|Oracle]]'s [[Network Computer]] and compatible systems. After the break-up of Acorn, development of the OS was [[Fork (software development)\|fork]]ed and continued separately by several companies, including {{nowrap\|[[RISCOS Ltd]]}}, [[Pace Micro Technology]], [[Castle Technology]], and RISC OS Developments.<ref name="riscosdev" /> Since then, it has been bundled with several ARM-based desktop computers such as the [[Iyonix PC]]<ref name="Acorn press release 1998-10-12">{{cite press release\|publisher=Acorn Computers Ltd \|title=Acorn announces distribution deal with Castle Technology for RISC based products \|date=12 October 1998 \|url=http://www.acorn.co.uk/acorn/news/press/castle.html \|access-date=6 January 2011~~-01-06~~ \|quote=(October 12th 1998), Cambridge, UK-Acorn announced today that it has completed negotiations with Castle Technology for them to distribute Acorn products. \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990506180305/http://www.acorn.co.uk/acorn/news/press/castle.html \|archive-date=6 May 1999}}</ref> and [[A9home]]. Most recent stable versions run on the ARMv3/ARMv4 [[RiscPC]], the ARMv5 [[Iyonix PC\|Iyonix]],<ref name="Iyonix at a glance RO5 features">{{cite web \|url=http://www.iyonix.com/iyonix/features/osfeatures.shtml \|title=RISC OS 5 features \|access-date=~~2011-01-~~31 January 2011 \|publisher=Iyonix Ltd \|quote=All IYONIX pcs ship with RISC OS 5 in flash ROM. \|url-status = dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110111706/http://www.iyonix.com/iyonix/features/osfeatures.shtml \|archive-date=10 November 2010}}</ref> [[ARMv7]] [[Cortex-A8]] processors<ref name="theinquirer snaps leak">{{cite web \|url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1051924/snaps-leak-risc-os5-beagleboard \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519184833/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1051924/snaps-leak-risc-os5-beagleboard \|url-status=unfit \|archive-date=19 May 2009 \|title=Snaps leak of RISC OS5 on BeagleBoard \|publisher=[[The Inquirer]] \|date=27 April 2009 \|access-date=~~2011-06-~~28 June 2011 \|last=Farrell \|first=Nick \|quote=A snap of an RISC OS 5, running on a BeagleBoard device powered by a 600MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor with a built-in graphics chip, has tipped up on the world wide wibble. The port developed by Jeffrey Lee is a breakthrough for the shared-source project because it has ported the OS without an army of engineers.}}</ref><ref name="RISC OS Open wiki Cortex-A8 port status">{{cite web \|url=https://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/pages/Cortex-A8+port+status/versions/1 \|title=Cortex-A8 port status \|access-date=~~2011-01-~~31 January 2011 \|publisher=[[RISC OS Open]] \|quote=[The port includes] a modified version of the RISC OS kernel containing support for (all) Cortex-A8 CPU cores. \|archive-date=26 October 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026212426/https://www.riscosopen.org/hub/account/login \|url-status=live }}</ref>{{Efn\|(such as that used in the [[BeagleBoard]] and [[Touch Book]])}} and [[Cortex-A9]] processors<ref name="ROOL news 2015-04-25">{{cite web \|url =https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2015/04/25/risc-os-5-22-stable-is-now-available \|title=RISC OS 5.22 stable is now available \|access-date=~~2015-04-~~25 April 2015 \|last=Revill \|first=Steve \|date=25 April 2015 \|publisher=[[RISC OS Open]]}}</ref>{{Efn\|(such as that used in the [[PandaBoard]])}} and the low-cost educational [[Raspberry Pi]] ~~computer~~series of computers, with the exception of the Raspberry Pi 5.<ref name="iconbar newsround">{{cite web \|url=http://www.iconbar.com/articles/Newsround/index1271.html \|title=Newsround \|work=[[The Icon Bar]] \|access-date=17 October 2011 \|last=Lee \|first=Jeffrey \|archive-date=4 January 2016 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104182418/http://www.iconbar.com/articles/Newsround/index1271.html \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="osnews risc os">{{cite web \|url=http://www.osnews.com/story/25276/Raspberry_Pi_To_Embrace_RISC_OS \|title=Raspberry Pi To Embrace RISC OS \|work=[[OSNews]] \|date=31 October 2011 \|access-date=1 November 2011 \|last=Holwerda \|first=Thom \|archive-date=4 January 2016 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104182418/http://www.osnews.com/story/25276/Raspberry_Pi_To_Embrace_RISC_OS \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="archive london show 2011">{{cite news \|title=The London show 2011 \|work=[[Archive (magazine)\|Archive]] \|date=December 2011 \|last=Dewhurst \|first=Christopher \|volume=23 \|issue=3 \|page=3}}</ref> == History == {{Main\|History of RISC OS}} [[File:Riscos logo generic cogwheel richard hallas lg cogwheel x1.svg\|thumb\|left\|110x110px\|Original cogwheel logo]] The first version of RISC OS was originally released in 1987 as ''Arthur 1.20''. The next version, {{nowrap\|Arthur 2}}, became {{nowrap\|RISC OS 2}} and was released in April 1989. RISC OS 3.00 was released with the A5000 in 1991, and contained many new features. By 1996, RISC OS had been shipped on over 500,000 systems.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/ART/ART_DS013_AcornRISCOS.pdf\|title=ART – Acorn RISC OS\|work=acorn.chriswhy.co.uk\|access-date=8 July 2011\|archive-date=27 May 2013\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527220851/http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/ART/ART_DS013_AcornRISCOS.pdf\|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3020 ( Bletchley Park, translucent ).png\|thumb\|left\|An Acorn Archimedes A3020 computer running RISC OS]] Acorn officially halted work on the OS in January 1999, renaming themselves [[Element 14 (company)\|Element 14]]. In March 1999 a new company, [[RISCOS Ltd]], licensed the rights to develop a desktop version of RISC OS from Element 14, and continued the development of RISC OS 3.8, releasing it as ''RISC OS 4'' in July 1999. Meanwhile, Element 14 had also kept a copy of RISC OS 3.8 in house, which they developed into [[NCOS]] for use in [[set-top box]]es. In 2000, as part of the acquisition of Acorn Group plc by MSDW Investment, RISC OS was sold to [[Pace plc\|Pace Micro Technology]],<ref name="register19990429">{{ cite news \| url=https://www.theregister.com/1999/04/29/arm_denies_role_in_acorn/ \| title=ARM denies role in Acorn dismemberment \| work=[[The Register]] \| date=24 April 1999 \| access-date=31 January 2021 \| last1=Cullen \| first1=Drew }}</ref> who later sold it to [[Castle Technology]] Ltd. Line 59: Meanwhile, in October 2002, [[Castle Technology]] released the ''Acorn clone'' [[Iyonix PC]]. This ran a [[32-bit computing\|32-bit]] (in contrast to [[26-bit computing\|26-bit]]) variant of RISC OS, named ''RISC OS 5''. RISC OS 5 is a separate evolution of RISC OS based upon the [[NCOS]] work done by Pace. The following year, Castle Technology bought RISC OS from Pace for an undisclosed sum. In October 2006, Castle announced a [[Source-available software\|shared source]] license plan, managed by [[RISC OS Open Limited]], for elements of ''RISC OS 5''. In October 2018, RISC OS 5 was re-licensed under the [[Apache 2.0]] license.<ref>{{Cite ~~web~~news\|url=https://www.theregister.com/2018/10/23/risc_os_open_source/\|title=Roughly 30 years after its birth at UK's Acorn Computers, RISC OS 5 is going open source\|first=Richard\|last=Speed\|~~website~~work=~~www.theregister.com~~[[The Register]]\|access-date=26 October 2021\|archive-date=23 September 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923185001/https://www.theregister.com/2018/10/23/risc_os_open_source/\|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018 [[RISC OS Developments]] acquired Castle Technology Ltd including its intellectual property.<ref name="riscosdev">{{cite web \|url=https://www.riscosdev.com/ \|title=Home \|website=riscosdev.com}}</ref> Line 68: == Features == === OS core === The OS is [[single-user]] and employs [[cooperative multitasking]] (CMT).<ref name="byte tired">{{cite journal \|url=https://archive.org/details/eu_BYTE-1996-12_OCR/page/n84/mode/1up \|title=A RISC OS for All Seasons \|last=Palmer \|first=Stewart \|journal=[[Byte (magazine)\|Byte]] \|date=December 1996 \|volume=21 \|issue=12 \|page=49 \|oclc=208951251 \|issn=0360-5280}}</ref> While most current desktop OSes use [[preemption (computing)\|preemptive]] [[computer multitasking\|multitasking]] (PMT) and [[thread (computer science)\|multithreading]], {{nowrap\|RISC OS}} remains with a CMT system. By 2003, many users had called for the OS to migrate to PMT.<ref name="drobe williams pmt 2003">{{cite news\|last=Williams\|first=Chris\|title=Imagining RISC OS and PMT\|url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=764\|access-date=10 July 2012\|newspaper=[[Drobe]]\|date=26 July 2003\|archive-date=17 June 2018\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617115807/http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=764\|url-status=live}}</ref> The OS [[memory protection]] is not comprehensive.<ref>Michael Reed [https://books.google.com/books?id=Lr8ldHhh_wsC&pg=PA82 ''Tech Book 1'' – Published articles Oct 2006 – June 2008] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726094727/https://books.google.es/books?id=Lr8ldHhh_wsC&pg=PA82 \|date=26 July 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1327.html\|title=RISC OS Memory Protection\|website=Drobe: The Archives\|access-date=4 March 2013\|archive-date=31 March 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331035623/http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1327.html\|url-status=live}}</ref> A third party attempt to add preemptive multitasking was started in 1999, as the Wimp2 project,<ref>{{Cite web \|title=ned Productions - RISC-OS programs - Wimp2 \|url=https://www.nedprod.com/programs/RISC-OS/Wimp2/ \|access-date=2025-06-07 \|website=www.nedprod.com}}</ref> and similar goal added to the RISC OS Open roadmap in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=RISC OS Open: RISC OS Roadmap in Library \|url=https://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/show/RISC%20OS%20Roadmap \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401115500/https://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/show/RISC%20OS%20Roadmap \|archive-date=1 April 2025 \|access-date=2025-06-07 \|website=www.riscosopen.org \|language=en \|url-status=live }}</ref> In addition support for Posix / SysV / BSD pthread (preemptive-threading) was made available through the provision of UnixLib 3.6 in 1992, a C library introduced to permit the porting of the standard GNU / BSD tool chains to RISC OS, by Alun Jones, then of the Higher Education National Software Archive (HENSA). As of 2025 UnixLib is available through the PackMan package manager. The core of the OS is stored in [[read-only memory\|ROM]], giving a fast [[bootup]] time and safety from operating system corruption. RISC OS 4 and 5 are stored in {{nowrap\|4 MB}} of [[flash memory]], or as a [[ROM image]] on [[SD ~~Card~~card]] on single board computers such as the Beagleboard or Raspberry Pi, allowing the operating system to be updated without having to replace the ROM chip. The OS is made up of several [[Loadable kernel module\|module]]s. These can be added to and replaced, including soft-loading of modules not present in ROM at run time and on-the-fly replacement. This design has led to OS developers releasing rolling updates to their versions of the OS, while third parties are able to write OS replacement modules to add new features. OS modules are accessed via software interrupts (SWIs), similar to [[system call]]s in other operating systems. Most of the OS has defined [[application binary interface]]s (ABIs) to handle filters and vectors. The OS provides many ways in which a program can intercept and modify its operation. This simplifies the task of modifying its behaviour, either in the GUI, or deeper. As a result, there are several third-party programs which allow customising the OS look and feel. Line 76: === File system === {{More citations needed section\|date=July 2017}} The [[file system]] is volume-~~oriented~~orientated: the top level of the file hierarchy is a volume (disc, network share) prefixed by the file system type. To determine [[file type]], the OS uses [[metadata]] instead of [[file extension]]s. Colons are used to separate the file system from the rest of the path; the root is represented by a dollar (<code>$</code>) sign and directories are separated by a full stop (<code>.</code>). Extensions from foreign file systems are shown using a slash (<code>example.txt</code> becomes <code>example/txt</code>).<ref name="drobe naulls 2004">{{cite web \|url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=921 \|title=RISC OS filename translation \|work=[[Drobe]] \|date=2 January 2004 \|access-date=25 April 2012 \|last=Naulls \|first=Peter \|archive-date=9 July 2011 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709035738/http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=921 \|url-status=live }}</ref> For example, <code>ADFS::HardDisc4.$</code> is the root of the disc named ''HardDisc4'' using the [[Advanced Disc Filing System]] (ADFS) file system. {{nowrap\|RISC OS}} filetypes can be preserved on other systems by appending the hexadecimal type as '<code>,xxx</code>' to filenames.<ref name="drobe naulls 2004" /><ref name="osnews round 2004">{{cite web\|url=http://www.osnews.com/story/6170/Emulating_RISC_OS_under_Windows/page3/\|title=Emulating RISC OS, Page 3/3\|website=[[OSNews]]\|access-date=25 April 2012\|archive-date=13 March 2012\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313042944/http://www.osnews.com/story/6170/Emulating_RISC_OS_under_Windows/page3/\|url-status=live}}</ref> When using [[cross-platform]] software, filetypes can be invoked on other systems by naming appending '<code>/[extension]</code>' to the filename under {{nowrap\|RISC OS}}.<ref name="archive fitton 1994">{{citation \|last=Fitton \|first=Gerald \|date=August 1994 \|title=Fireworkz for Windows \|periodical=[[Archive (magazine)\|Archive]] \|publisher=Abbey Press \|___location=Glastonbury \|volume=7 \|issue=11 \|page=21 \|url=http://downloads.abacusline.me.uk/pdf/Arc/2007/GC0701.pdf \|oclc=222434223 \|access-date=25 April 2012 \|archive-date=3 December 2013 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203024536/http://downloads.abacusline.me.uk/pdf/Arc/2007/GC0701.pdf \|url-status=live }}</ref> A file system can present a file of a given type as a volume of its own, similar to a [[loop device]]. The OS refers to this function as an image filing system. This allows transparent handling of archives and similar files, which appear as directories with some special properties. Files inside the image file appear in the hierarchy underneath the parent archive. It is not necessary for the archive to contain the data it refers to: some symbolic link and network share file systems put a reference inside the image file and go elsewhere for the data. Line 100: === Font manager === RISC OS was the first operating system to provide scalable anti-aliased fonts.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.osnews.com/story/6170/Emulating_RISC_OS_under_Windows/page1/ \|title=Emulating RISC OS under Windows \|access-date=~~2011-05-~~12 May 2011 \|last=Round \|first=Mark \|date=26 February 2004 \|work=OSnews \|quote=Many of the UI concepts that we take for granted were first pioneered in RISC OS, for instance: scalable anti-aliased fonts and an operating system extendable by 'modules', while most of the PC world was still on Windows 3.0. \|archive-date=14 November 2010 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114004250/http://www.osnews.com/story/6170/Emulating_RISC_OS_under_Windows/page1/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://telcontar.net/Misc/GUI/RISCOS/ \|title=The RISC OS GUI \|access-date=~~2011-05-~~12 May 2011 \|last=Ghiraddje \|date=22 December 2009 \|publisher=Telcontar.net \|quote=Only with Mac OS X did any mainstream graphical interface provide the smoothly rendered, fractionally spaced type that Acorn accomplished in 1992 or earlier. \|archive-date=16 July 2011 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716233538/http://telcontar.net/Misc/GUI/RISCOS/ \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=https://arstechnica.com/old/content/2005/05/gui.ars/6 \|title=A History of the GUI \|access-date=~~2011-05-~~25 May 2011 \|first=Jeremy \|last=Reimer \|date=May 2005 \|publisher=[[ArsTechnica]] \|quote=[...] in 1987, the UK-based company Acorn Computers introduced their [...] GUI, called "Arthur", also was the first to feature anti-aliased display of on-screen fonts, even in 16-color mode! \|archive-date=2 December 2011 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202061840/http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2005/05/gui.ars/6 \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.osnews.com/story/21713/Screen_Fonts_Shape_Accuracy_or_On-Screen_Readability_ \|title=Screen Fonts: Shape Accuracy or On-Screen Readability? \|access-date=~~2011-06-~~13 June 2011 \|first=Thom \|last=Holwerda \|date=23 June 2005 \|publisher=[[OSNews]] \|quote=[...] it was RISC OS that had the first system-wide, intricate [...] font rendering in operating systems. \|archive-date=19 November 2011 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119223926/http://www.osnews.com/story/21713/Screen_Fonts_Shape_Accuracy_or_On-Screen_Readability_ \|url-status=live }}</ref> Anti-aliased fonts were already familiar from Arthur, and their presence in RISC OS was confirmed in an early 1989 preview,<ref name="PCW 1989-01">{{cite news \| first1=Dick \| last1=Pountain \| title=Screentest: Archie RISC OS \| work=[[Personal Computer World]] \| date=January 1989 \| url=http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Mags/PCW/PCW_Jan89_RISCOS.pdf \| page=154 \| access-date=4 March 2021~~-03-04~~ \| quote=[ArcDraw] can also add text in multiple sizes and fonts to a drawing (including anti-aliased fonts) \| archive-date=13 June 2021 \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613044349/http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Mags/PCW/PCW_Jan89_RISCOS.pdf \| url-status=live }}</ref> featuring in the final RISC OS 2 product, launched in April 1989.<ref name="acornuser198902">{{ cite news \| url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser079-Feb89/page/n10/mode/1up \| title=RISC OS is ready for April launch \| work=Acorn User \| date=February 1989 \| access-date=31 October 2020 \| pages=9 }}</ref> A new version of the font manager employing "new-style outline fonts" was made available after the release of RISC OS,<ref name="acornuser198904_fonts">{{ cite news \| url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser081-Apr89/page/n8/mode/1up \| title=New fonts for DTP \| work=Acorn User \| date=April 1989 \| access-date=3 May 2021 \| pages=7 }}</ref> offering full support for the printing of scalable fonts, and was provided with Acorn Desktop Publisher.<ref name="acornuser198910">{{ cite news \| url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser087-Oct89/page/n135/mode/2up \| title=Hold the Font Page \| work=Acorn User \| date=October 1989 \| access-date=14 April 2021 \| last1=Bell \| first1=Graham \| pages=134–135 }}</ref> It was also made available separately and bundled with other applications.<ref name="acornuser199004_font">{{ cite news \| url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser093-Apr90/page/n20/mode/1up \| title=Acorn Customer Hotline \| work=Acorn User \| date=April 1990 \| access-date=2 May 2021 \| pages=19 }}</ref> This [[outline font]] manager provides support for the rendering of font outlines to bitmaps for screen and printer use, employing [[spatial anti-aliasing\|anti-aliasing]] for on-screen fonts, utilising sub-pixel anti-aliasing and caching for small font sizes.<ref name="raine1991">{{ cite conference \| url=https://archive.org/details/1989-proceedings-5th-comp-graphics-workshop/page/25/mode/1up \| title=The Acorn Outline Font Manager \| last1=Raine \| first1=Neil \| last2=Seal \| first2=David \| last3=Stoye \| first3=William \| last4=Wilson \| first4=Roger \| conference=Fifth Computer Graphics Workshop \| ___location=Monterey, California \| date=November 1989 \| publisher=USENIX Association \| pages=25–36 }}</ref> At the time of the introduction of Acorn's outline font manager, the developers of rival desktop systems were either contemplating or promising outline font support for still-unreleased products such as Macintosh [[System 7]] and [[OS/2]] version 2.<ref name="acornuser198911_mytype">{{ cite news \| url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser088-Nov89/page/n69/mode/2up \| title=My Type \| work=Acorn User \| date=November 1989 \| access-date=7 May 2021 \| last1=Bell \| first1=Graham \| pages=68–69 }}</ref> Line 141: == Supported hardware == RISC OS has also been used by both Acorn and [[Pace Micro Technology]] in various TV connected [[set-top box]]es, sometimes referred to instead as [[NCOS]].{{Citation needed\|date=December 2024}} A special cut down RISC OS Pico (for 16MiB cards and larger) styled to start up like a [[BBC Micro]] was released for [[BASIC\|BASIC's]] 50th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web \|date=5 January 2014 \|title=Happy birthday, BASIC \|url=https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2014/05/01/happy-birthday-basic \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109020010/https://www.riscosopen.org/news/articles/2014/05/01/happy-birthday-basic \|archive-date=9 November 2018 \|access-date=8 May 2018}}</ref> [[SD card]] images have been released for downloading free of charge to [[Raspberry Pi]] 1, 2, 3, & 4 users with a full [[graphical user interface]] (GUI) version<ref>{{cite web \|title=Downloads \|url=http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114192342/http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads \|archive-date=14 January 2013 \|access-date=2 September 2013~~-09-02~~ \|publisher=Raspberry Pi}}</ref> and a [[command-line interface]] only version (RISC OS Pico, at 3.8 MB).<ref name="Pico">{{cite web \|title=RISC OS Open: Raspberry Pi \|url=https://www.riscosopen.org/content/downloads/raspberry-pi \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320161349/https://www.riscosopen.org/content/downloads/raspberry-pi \|archive-date=20 March 2021 \|access-date=25 April 2015 \|work=riscosopen.org}}</ref> Versions of RISC OS run or have run on the following hardware: ([[RISC OS Open Limited]] adopted<ref name="Stable release criteria">{{cite web \|date=12 January 2017 \|title=Stable release criteria \|url=https://www.riscosopen.org/content/documents/stable-releases \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109020018/https://www.riscosopen.org/content/documents/stable-releases \|archive-date=9 November 2018 \|access-date=12 January 2017}}</ref> the '[[Software versioning#Odd-numbered versions for development releases\|even numbers are stable]]' version numbering scheme post version 5.14, hence some table entries above include two latest releases – the last stable one and the more recent development one.) Line 169: \| RiscStation R7500 \|\| 1999<ref name="r7500">{{cite web \|title=Chris's Acorns: RISC OS After Acorn \|url=http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/AfterAcorn.html#RiscStation \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011194254/http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/AfterAcorn.html#RiscStation \|archive-date=11 October 2015 \|access-date=22 July 2015 \|work=computinghistory.org.uk}}</ref> \|\| {{n/a}} \|\| {{n/a}} \|\| 4.03<ref name="r7500" /> \|\|4.39<ref name="select-faq" /> \|\| {{n/a}} \|\| {{n/a}} \|- \| Castle Kinetic RiscPC \|\| rowspan="2" \| ARMv4 \|\| 2000<ref name="kinetic">{{cite web \|title=The Icon Bar: Castle reveal Kinetic to the press \|url=http://www.iconbar.com/forums/viewthread.php?newsid=918 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716211137/http://www.iconbar.com/forums/viewthread.php?newsid=918 \|archive-date=16 July 2012 \|access-date=23 February 2011 \|work=iconbar.com}}</ref> \|\| {{n/a}} \|\| {{n/a}} \|\| 4.03 \|\| 6.20 \|\| 5.19<ref name="ROOLkinetic">{{cite web \|date=~~2013-03-~~28 March 2013 \|title=Bugs and sources \|url=https://www.riscosopen.org/viewer/revisions/logs?ident=1364507316-018164.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413035910/https://www.riscosopen.org/viewer/revisions/logs?ident=1364507316-018164.html \|archive-date=13 April 2015 \|access-date=2 September 2013~~-09-02~~ \|publisher=RISC OS Open}}</ref> \|\| 5.30<ref name="downloads/riscpc" />/5.31 \|- \| [[MicroDigital Omega]] \|\| 2003<ref>{{cite web \|title=Omega production saga continues – Drobe.co.uk archives \|url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=973 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316220842/http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=973 \|archive-date=16 March 2012 \|access-date=8 February 2012 \|work=drobe.co.uk}}</ref> \|\| {{n/a}} \|\| {{n/a}} \|\| 4.03<ref name="omega">{{cite web \|title=Chris's Acorns: MicroDigital \|url=http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/AfterAcorn/Microdigital.html#Omega \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722224655/http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/AfterAcorn/Microdigital.html#Omega \|archive-date=22 July 2015 \|access-date=22 July 2015 \|work=computinghistory.org.uk}}</ref> \|\| 4.39<ref name="select-faq" /> \|\| {{n/a}} \|\| {{n/a}} Line 210: ! Emulator !! Machines emulated !! Host platforms supported !! Latest release \|- \| !A310Emu<ref>{{cite web \|title=Welcome to my homepage! \|url=http://home.tiscali.nl/jandboer/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619204318/http://home.tiscali.nl/jandboer/ \|archive-date=19 June 2013 \|access-date=2 September 2013~~-09-02~~ \|publisher=Home.tiscali.nl}}</ref> \|\| rowspan="6" \| Archimedes \|\| RISC OS \|\| 0.59 \|- \| Archie<ref>{{cite web \|date=~~2001-08-~~12 August 2001 \|title=Archie – Acorn Archimedes Emulator \|url=http://www.geocities.com/chris-o/ \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040206063028/http://www.geocities.com/chris-o \|archive-date=6 February 2004 \|access-date=2 September 2013~~-09-02~~}}</ref> \|\|[[DOS]], [[Microsoft Windows\|Windows]] \|\| 0.9 – 10 February 2001 \|- \| ArchiEmu<ref>{{cite web \|title=Tellima \|url=http://www.tellima.nl/riscos/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222081521/http://www.tellima.nl/riscos/ \|archive-date=22 December 2015 \|access-date=~~2015-12-~~13 December 2015}}</ref> \|\| RISC OS \|\| 0.53.3 – 7 December 2014 \|- \| ArcEm<ref>{{cite web \|title=ArcEm – The Acorn Archimedes Emulator \|url=~~http~~https://arcem.sourceforge.net/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809130647/http://arcem.sourceforge.net/ \|archive-date=9 August 2013 \|access-date=2 September 2013~~-09-02~~ \|publisher=Arcem.sourceforge.net}}</ref> \|\| Windows, [[Linux]], [[macOS]], RISC OS \|\| 1.50.1 – 18 December 2015 \|- \| Arculator<ref>{{cite web \|title=Arculator – The Acorn Archimedes Emulator \|url=http://b-em.bbcmicro.com/arculator/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621075124/http://b-em.bbcmicro.com/arculator/ \|archive-date=21 June 2013 \|access-date=~~2019-09-~~11 September 2019 \|publisher=B-em.bbcmicro.com}}</ref> \|\| Windows, Linux \|\| 2.2 – 24 June 2023 \|- \| [[VirtualAcorn\|Virtual A5000]] \|\| rowspan="2" \| Windows \|\| 1.4 \|- \| Red Squirrel<ref>{{cite web \|title=Red Squirrel Acorn Archimedes Emulator \|url=http://www.redsquirrel.fsnet.co.uk/redsquirrel.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051227213827/http://www.redsquirrel.fsnet.co.uk/redsquirrel.html \|archive-date=27 December 2005 \|access-date=2 September 2013~~-09-02~~ \|publisher=Redsquirrel.fsnet.co.uk}}</ref> \|\| Archimedes, Risc PC, A7000 \|\| 0.6 – 28 October 2002 \|- \| RPCEmu<ref>{{cite web \|title=RPCEmu \|url=https://www.marutan.net/rpcemu/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316043123/http://www.marutan.net/rpcemu/ \|archive-date=16 March 2013 \|access-date=7 November 2017~~-11-07~~ \|publisher=Marutan.net}}</ref> \|\| Risc PC, A7000, Phoebe \|\| Windows, Linux, macOS, [[OpenBSD]] \|\| 0.9.45 – 3023 October ~~2021~~2024 \|- \|[[VirtualAcorn\|VirtualRPC]]\|\| Risc PC \|\| Windows, macOS \|\| 5 September 2014<ref>{{cite web \|title=VirtualAcorn \|url=http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/news.htm \|work=virtualacorn.co.uk}}</ref>