Steel OS

Steel OS is a pseudo-operating environment developed by SteelsOfLiquid pre-dating NanamiOS 1.00. It was initially a concept, Steel OS 2021-04 Concept, developed in Microsoft PowerPoint for a legacy video, but would see multiple concepts (Steel OS 2021-05 Concept and Steel OS 2022-01 Concept) before being sidelined in favor of Carbon OS. Steel OS would be revived in November 2022 to replace OS64 (stylized as OS/64), Steel OS ST, Sigma OS, and NathanOS (a prototype known as Steel OS at the time). Over the course of nine total major releases (seven public releases, two were cancelled), Steel OS' technology became very advanced. It was originally developed in vanilla Scratch, however this was upgraded to a fork of Scratch called TurboWarp, allowing for the software to become more advanced.

Steel OS was "discontinued" in late 2023 in favor of NanamiOS 1.00, but it's highly speculated that SteelsOfLiquid still has interest in Steel OS.

## Technology

Steel OS is powered by the Steel's Pseudo Kernel (S-PSK) kernel (known as Steel32 at the time), an x86 and ARM technology system. It runs inside of an Electron runtime, but its technology system, including windowing system, multitasking, text rendering system, boot manager, and kernel, were all developed entirely by SteelsOfLiquid herself. Initially, it was only capable of 32-bit technology, but during late development on Steel OS 3, Steel recompiled the runtime as 64-bit. Steel OS 4 was supposed to be the first 64-bit version of Steel OS, initially sporting the "Steel64 technology" kernel, but this became a 64-bit "power extensions kit" to the already-existing Steel32 kernel, with Steel rebadging the technology system to "Steel's Pseudo Kernel", or S-PSK for short.

### API

#### Difficulty

Steel OS is known to have a terrible API. SteelsOfLiquid is the only activate developer of the platform, and she has discouraged others from developing software for the mainstream platform. As Steel developed it in Scratch, she did not leave proper code annotation, proper documentation, or proper organization of the code. She has also described it as "such a complex platform, programmers may need proper API training if they want to make sure their software is properly compatible for the OS, otherwise, they may find it very stressful to work on the software".

#### API Forms

Steel OS also has four main API forms: Web API (development for the SPEAR Protocol), Standard Program API (programs such as SteelMP, Piano, and File Browser), Workspace Program API (programs such as Memo, Paint, and web browsers), and Widget Program API (introduced in Steel OS 4 for the platform's sidebar).

SteelsOfLiquid recommends developing for NanamiOS instead of Steel OS.

## Usability/Convenience

In concept, Steel OS looks very usable, reliable, and suitable for various environments. However, it is not a very convenient operating environment. It requires x86 Windows or x86 Linux to run, and installation is via a ZIP package. You can't boot into Steel OS. Furthermore, it does not have disk access or proper web access.

#### Educational Use

Under these limitations, this has made Steel say "the OS would be fitting for an educational market better than anything else".

## Support Model

Steel OS follows a support model similar to that of NanamiOS: Support is given to the latest and previous-gen releases, with "service releases". Other major releases get service longer than the remaining versions. Any other version follows the "Legacy Support".

## Standards

Steel OS used unqiue standards that would be found later in NanamiOS. These include naming conventions, stock programs, and even a similarity between Steel OS' kernel name (S-PSK, *Steel's Pseudo Kernel*) and that of NanamiOS (S-PHXKS, *Steel's Performance Hybrid Crossover Kernel System*).

### Naming Conventions

#### Source Code

NanamiOS and Steel OS both have source code named in a similar way. Here are two examples:

```
# Demo code. inside of python. You can run this in IDLE! ^\_^

print("NanamiOS C++ PCI system (NanamiPCI) pathname\n")

print("../NanamiOS/1.00.26/src.hwcom.pci.cpp")
print(" | | |\_ Pseudo-directory name (src)")
print(" | |\_ Version folder name (1.00.26)"
print(" |\_ Master Directory (NanamiOS)")

print("\n\n\nSteel OS piano key pathname, sorta...\n")

print("../Steel OS 1.0 Build 317.sb3/piano.key.standard.1")
print(" | | |\_ \"key\" sub-class for piano keys")
print(" | |\_ major class (piano)")
print(" |\_ Scratch 3 file (Steel OS 1.0 Build 317.sb3)")
print("\n Note: Steel OS also has events following similar class names. In that case:\n")
print("../Steel OS 1.0 Build 317.sb3/program.piano.close")
print(" | | |\_ Class \"piano\"")
print(" | |\_ mster class (program)")
print(" |\_ Scratch 3 file (Steel OS 1.0 Build 317.sb3)")

```
Python-format code block showing what the path names for Steel OS and NanamiOS code look like.

#### Naming of sub-software

NanamiOS follows a mix of Steel OS and Windows naming conventions. General programs follow the "NanamiOS \_\_\_\_" naming, as well as many system processes, however some core components, namely built-in drivers, PCI components, and shells follow the "Nanami\_\_\_\_" naming, just like Steel OS.

## Popularity/Significance

SteelsOfLiquid has covered Steel OS 3 in her video titled "Steel OS 3 Demo", which got more than 700 views on YouTube, making it one of her most successful videos at the time.