User:Bfull342/Q4OS

Q4OS is a light-weight Linux distribution, based on Debian, targeted as a replacement for operating systems that are no longer supported on outdated hardware. The distribution is known for being similar in appearance to Microsoft Windows operating systems with one of its pre-installed themes inspired by the default look and feel of Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

History
Development of Q4OS began in 2014 to coincide with Windows XP's end of extended support in the same year.

As of April 2020, the core developers of Q4OS, initially starting the project in Germany, are now operating in Prague, Czech Republic.

Editions
Q4OS Desktop installs an extensive set of applications including LibreOffice, a free and open-source office suite, with some proprietary software such as Google Chrome.

Q4OS Basic installs "common utilities" and software libraries to the system.

Q4OS Pure installs only the desktop environment to the system that was included in the installation image.

Q4OS Live installs the live media environment as the system.

Releases
Stable versions of Q4OS are derived from Debian's Stable release branch with long-term support that lasts five years after their initial release. Developmental "testing" versions of future releases are derived from the Debian Testing branch.

Derivatives and flavors
Quark is a flavor of Q4OS, developed by the Q4OS team, that is based on Kubuntu instead of Debian.

Reception
SourceForge featured Q4OS as "Community Choice" Project of the Month in April 2020.

In January 2022, TechRadar considered Q4OS as one of the best light-weight Linux distributions of the year for its Windows installer and support for older hardware, notably systems running on 32-bit processors.