'''AROS Research Operating System''' ('''AROS''', pronounced "AR-OS") is a [[free and open-source software|free and open-source]] multi media centric implementation of the [[AmigaOS]] 3.1 application programming interface ([[API]]). Designed to be portable and flexible. {{As of|2021}}, [[Porting|Portsports]] are available for [[x86personal computer]]-s (PCs) based andon [[PowerPCx86]]-based and [[personal computerPowerPC]]s (PCs), in [[native mode|native]] and hosted ''flavors'', with other architectures in development. In a show of full circle development, AROS washas alsobeen ported to the [[Motorola 68000 series]] (m68k) based [[Amiga 1200]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.evillabs.net/wiki/index.php/AROS_m68k-amiga |title=AROS m68k-amiga |website=Evillabs.net}}</ref> and there is also an [[ARM architecture|ARM]] port for the [[Raspberry Pi]] series.
== Name and identity ==
[[File:AROS Dark Kitty.png|thumb|left|AROS Kitty]]
[[File:AROS Dark Kitty.png|thumb|left|AROS Kitty]]AROS originally stood for Amiga Research Operating System, but to avoid any trademark issues with the [[Amiga]] name,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mendoza |first=Nicolas |date=May 5, 2007 |url=http://amigann.com/?id=3309 |title=AROS drops Amiga from its name! |website=AmigaNN |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707133648/http://amigann.com/?id=3309 |access-date=September 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://merlancia.us/amiga-hyperion/35-5decmcewenexhibit5show_case_doc.pdf |title=Evert Carton of Hyperion Entertainment claims AROS is "probably illegal" |format=PDF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821193852/http://merlancia.us/amiga-hyperion/35-5decmcewenexhibit5show_case_doc.pdf |archive-date=August 21, 2011 |df=mdy-all |access-date=September 7, 2010}}</ref> it was changed to the [[recursive acronym]] AROS Research Operating System.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aros.org/ |title=AROS.org |website=AROS.org |access-date=September 7, 2010}}</ref>
The mascot of AROS is an anthropomorphic cat named Kitty, created by Eric Schwartz and officially adopted by the AROS Team in December 2, 2002.
