Steel OS

Steel OS is an advanced, multitasking operating system developed by SteelsOfLiquid using Scratch. It was initially conceived as "SteelOS 1.0" (See: Steel OS 2104 Series of Concepts) in April 2021, when Steels64 (now SteelsOfLiquid) developed a mock-up of an operating system for gamers, as the OS was developed under the influence of Opera GX (a web browser specialized for gamers). This mock-up was developed using Microsoft PowerPoint, and was updated numerous times throughout the spring of 2021, and influenced a few other projects, notably Codename Horsepower and the Acti-X project, as well as the Steel OS 2201 Concept. Steel OS was first released to the public on 13 December 2022 with the version 1.0, by steelsofliquid on Scratch, after around 20 days of development. This was followed up with Steel OS 1.2, and later Steel OS 2.0, the latter of which holds the record for the longest development cycle for a version of Steel OS (December 2022 - February 2023), as of 8 April 2023.

## History

### Origins

What is now known as Steel OS dates back to early 2019, when OSHolder2019 (now SteelsOfLiquid), an obscure YouTuber who created content about Microsoft Windows, used Microsoft PowerPoint to create a concept for Windows 11. This concept did not come close to what Windows 11 would feature, but this concept would pave the path for SteelOS 1.0 (now Steel OS 2104 Concept Series), which used this Windows 11 concept as reference, mostly with the setup portion of the project (which was never completed). Steel OS 2104 was created with inspiration from Opera GX, an official variant of the Opera web browser marketed and designed with gaming in mind (which was also used by SteelsOfLiquid, the developer of Steel OS, from 2021 to 2023). Steels64, who used to be known as OSHolder2019, and now as SteelsOfLiquid, at this point, had gained traction on YouTube. Under the directions of Steel64 (Maple VisualKernel), Steels64 now was creating what is now known as "legacy content", and as a result of his channel being leaked to his school, now had over 80 subscribers, in late March of 2021. As a result, Steels64 wanted to make a video titled "I made my own OS!" as a throwback to 2019, which by modern standards, given that Steels64 is now SteelsOfLiquid and makes weekly technology content, this was a poorly aged "throwback".

As a result, over the course of Spring Break in 2021, after filming some legacy content (which never got published), Steels64 started two projects: One was a Lego Lamborghini Sian hybrid, and the other was what is now called Steel OS 2104. Both would be completed, and Steel OS 2104 would be released as version 1.0 to the public on 4 April, 2021. There was an update immediately after Symantec Endpoint Protection detected that there was an executable file inside of the system's directory that was infected with malware (which was very likely a false alarm), and this patch, 1.0.1, was then made primarily available. Steel OS 2104 would receive multiple updates, which improved the quality of the system, but these updates did not improve the software, which was incredibly basic, and most of it did nothing, apart from the timer and meditation programs in later versions, which lead to the concept called Codename Horsepower, which was a full-scale upgrade to Steel OS 2104. This project is also referred to as "SteelOS 2.0", "SteelOS 1.0 SP4", "Steel OS 2104 SP4", and "Steel OS 2105", and would bring the first program with function to Steel OS: A text editor. This version also was backwards-compatible with Steel OS 2104, and this was rare for concept builds, as Steel OS versions were not backwards-compatible until Steel OS 2.0, 2.3, and 1.73, which were backwards compatible with Steel OS 1.2. The Horsepower project was later cancelled, and thus, ending the lifespan of Steel OS 2104.

However, Steel OS was not abandoned forever. In January 2022, TurbosCell (a now abandoned alias of SteelsOfLiquid) revived the Steel OS project, with SteelOS 4.0 Workstation, which is now Steel OS 2201. The project was supposed to be what an OS from 1998 would look and feel like with modern technology, and this project, just like Horsepower, was abandoned, this time due to how ambitious the project was. The only thing that was completed of the project was the setup of it, as well as a small part of the UI, and logging into the system would lock the user into the system. Steel OS 2201 was later used as reference when the development of Steel OS 1.0 started, and a basic footprint of the Steel OS UI can be seen in Steel OS 2201. Steel OS 2201 was later replaced by the infamous OS/NR project, which did see a public release, to an extent.

### The road to Steel OS 1.0

Steel OS 1.0, codenamed Subversion, was the end result of the development of multiple operating systems created by SteelsOfLiquid during 2022. This started with CarbonOS, an operating system developed under Steel64 badging from May 2022 to July 2022, with only two public releases (builds 8 and 17), with a build 63 in development. CarbonOS was later cancelled due to how ambitious it was. It should be noted that during this time, a few prototypes for Steel OS were developed, but never released, such as one prototype that used a mobile-like UI, as well as the OS/NR project, which was never completed. CarbonOS was later followed up by another Steel OS prototype, called Steel OS 1.0, which if completed, would be an OS with a target audience being people who played the popular Pokémon series of video games. This project was never completed, either.

After a few months, in September 2022, SteelsOfLiquid started using Scratch again (under his original Scratch account), and resumed development on OS/NR I Build 102, which was released "as is". This development process lead to OS/NR being renamed "Crystal OS", which during this process, a new visual theme was created). This project was short-lived, however, as a prototype for a successor to Steel OS 2104, known as Steel OS 2.0, began development under the codename "Emerald". This started a series of operating systems which would later end with Steel OS 1.0 (Codenames: "Subversion" and "Revolution"). Project "Emerald" was quickly followed by a notable operating system: Sigma OS. Sigma OS was perhaps the most advanced of all of the operating systems in between CarbonOS and Steel OS 1.0, and was cancelled due to both a standstill in development and how ambitious the project was. If Sigma OS 1.0's development had been completed, it would include multiple visual themes, multiple languages, dynamic backgrounds, a full set of sounds, and a completely sleek and animated UI.

Sigma OS was followed up by Plasma OS, which was an attempt to create a stable recreation of Windows Longhorn, which had four builds (1, 14, 14B, and 50) released before SteelsOfLiquid stopped activity on his original Scratch account and created the steelsofliquid account. An unreleased prototype for an OS exists that was in between Plasma OS and the OS that followed up Plasma OS: Nate OS 1.0, which was a modern version of the first OS developed by SteelsOfLiquid (NateOS 7.9, 2015). This project was never completed, but paved the path for Steel OS 1.0, as some of the technology used in Nate OS 1.0 was used in Steel OS 1.0 (and even modern versions of Steel OS). Plasma OS and Nate OS 1.0 were both followed up by OS/64, which had multiple builds (21, 27, 39, 63, and 188, the last of which was not released) developed. OS/64 was supposed to complete development, and contains a few of the programs and features now used in Steel OS, such as Quanty, and also Piano. OS/64 never completed development, and was later replaced by Steel OS "ST" 1.0, a prototype (that would see monthly releases) of Steel OS that was never completed due to the December release being considered "too ambitious". Steel OS ST 1.0 was followed up by a prototype of Steel OS inspired by Windows 8, this prototype was also short-lived.

This was followed up by a project to attempt to create a Windows 95 simulator. During the development of this project, SteelsOfLiquid noticed how much potential the UI would have in a separate OS. This resulted in Project Subversion.

### Steel OS

See also: Development of Steel OS

Steel OS 1.0 would begin development on 24 November, 2022, under the codename "Subversion". Early builds, such as Build 041, featured a watermark, claimed to date back to 1996 (as Steel OS builds claimed to date back from 1996 to 2000 before Steel OS 2.3 was released), and were badged under the "SteelFirm" name. Unlike all of the prototype OSes prior to it, Subversion would see the light of day, as it was completed and released under the name "Steel OS 1.0". Steel OS 1.0 had some issues, many of which were patched in Steel OS 1.2, which was the only version (as of 8 April 2023) to also get a server release. Steel OS 1.2 also changed the position of the title bar and the close button, inverting their positions to the way they were in Steel OS 2.0.

Steel OS 2.0, codenamed "Vesuvius", and later "Acceleron", would begin development immediately after Steel OS 1.0, and this clearly was a good thing, as it took SteelsOfLiquid multiple months to develop it. This version of Steel OS would bring many changes to the system, add four new programs, change the visual theme, add better multitasking technology, and generally improved the quality of life for Steel OS. However, it was still plagued with bugs (due to a rushed release), and would be followed up shortly after with the popular Steel OS 2.3. Steel OS 2.3 did not have a lot of notable changes in development, only that it initially was planned to have access to third-party programs through a app called "Program Center". After this idea was considered too ambitious for the 200 builds allowed in between 2.0 and 2.3, development reverted to before this idea was added, and Steel OS 2.3 was released.

Steel OS 3, codenamed "Krakatoa", "Nuclear Force", "Synergy", and officially "Zenon", would begin development shortly after Steel OS 2.3, and would use Steel OS 2.3 as a code base. Steel OS 3 is currently in development, and the plans for development are to improve the visual theme, add new programs, and more. Currently, as of 8 April 2023, development of Steel OS 3 is at a standstill, sitting at build 1857 (with an experimental build "1877B" released). It is currently unknown about when Steel OS 3 could be released.

Apart from the standard release of Steel OS, a few extra versions have seen development: Steel OS Server 1997 (Steel OS 1.2 Server), Steel OS 1.51 (cancelled), Steel OS Server 1999 (Steel OS 2.0 Server, also cancelled), variants of Steel OS 1.2, Steel OS 2.3 Developers' Edition, and Steel OS 3B (an experimental release of Steel OS 3 Beta 1). Also, notably, SteelsOfLiquid was planning on posting a video about Steel OS 2.0 to his YouTube channel, but this video was later cancelled before going public due to edgy jokes and the inclusion of Steel64.

## Usage

Currently, Steel OS holds less than 0.01% market share among operating systems. It has less than 100 users, and currently, only two third-party programs, InfoBase and Voodoo Viewer, exist for the platform, both developed by SteelsOfLiquid, the developer of Steel OS. As a result of the lack of popularity among Steel OS, having less than 100 users and only 2 third-party programs, although likely due to being around only since late 2022, no major software developers (such as Microsoft, Adobe, and Google) have created software for it, and using it may sound like a bad idea, however there is no malware that can affect Steel OS.

Steel OS 2.3 is the most popular version of Steel OS, of all of the versions of it. However, there are no programs that can be installed on it. Steel OS is also open-source, with the resources used to develop it being available on GitHub.

## Marketing

Steel OS has been used in a few marketing projects before. Besides the unreleased SteelsOfLiquid video providing a demo of Steel OS, SteelsOfLiquid used Steel OS in a final project for a class, the project being about advertising. It should also be noted that Steel OS has a mascot, known as Maple VisualKernel (or simply Steel64), that is described as the personification of Steel OS (however, she is not an "OS-tan" for Steel OS, as she was designed by SteelsOfLiquid, who is based in the United States). Steel OS does not have a lot of marketing and promotion, but there were plans for an official Steel OS Twitter account, which did happen, but was later discontinued as a result of poor actions from Twitter's CEO, Elon Musk.

## Future

SteelsOfLiquid, the developer of Steel OS, has plans for future versions of Steel OS. Currently, it is based off of the Steel32 kernel, which is 32-bit, but plans for a 64-bit kernel, called Steel64, are in the works, which if things go to plan, the Steel64 kernel will be introduced in Steel OS 4. Various versions of Steel OS are planned. Those versions include Steel OS 2.51, Steel OS 3.6, Steel OS 4, and Steel OS 4.2. Plans for more software are in the works, and Steel OS has became more developer-friendly, having plans for a decompiled version, developer release, and more, as well as the Steel OS source code being available on GitHub.

Steel OS seems to have a lot of potential (despite being developed in Scratch). It is likely to see it become more successful, if it continues to be maintained.