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{{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=MayJanuary 20202025}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Infobox OS
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| 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 =
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| 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)
}}
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| 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 news |date=21 June 21, 2022 |title=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/ |work=[[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]] 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 ==
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=== 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>
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== 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&nbsp;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.)
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| 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}}
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! 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://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]] || 0.9.4 – 30 October 2021
|-
|[[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>
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