HamsterOS: A graphical desktop OS that fits on a 1.44MB floppy

# HamsterOS Crams Complete Graphical Desktop Onto 1.44 MB Floppy Source: [https://hackaday.com/2026/06/29/hamsteros-crams-complete-graphical-desktop-onto-1-44-mb-floppy/](https://hackaday.com/2026/06/29/hamsteros-crams-complete-graphical-desktop-onto-1-44-mb-floppy/) [Skip to content](https://hackaday.com/2026/06/29/hamsteros-crams-complete-graphical-desktop-onto-1-44-mb-floppy/#content) It’s not every day that there’s a new OS in the works for 386 and 486\-era hardware, but \[John Swiderski\] let us know he working hard to bring[HamsterOS](https://meanhamster.com/products/hamsteros)to retrocomputing enthusiasts everywhere\. [](https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/HamsterOS-screenshot.png)HamsterOS targets a November 2026 release\.HamsterOS is a tiny but full\-featured multitasking 32\-bit graphical operating system that fits on a single 1\.44 MB floppy disk\. It’s designed as a floppy\-first OS, but can easily be installed to a hard drive and includes a suite of native applications\. There’s even DOS support\! The list of features is impressive, many of which are targeted at making life a little easier for those working with vintage hardware\. One example we like is the CMOS crash counter, which automatically forces the system into a basic VGA safe mode after three consecutive failed boot attempts\. Speaking of making vintage computing a little easier to handle, \[John\] also released[HamsterWeazle](https://meanhamster.com/products/hamsterweazle), a free GUI front\-end for[Greaseweazle](https://github.com/keirf/greaseweazle), the open\-source USB device that makes interfacing to old floppy drives easy\. If you’re finding yourself intrigued by software like HamsterOS but wondering how you’d write to a 1\.44 MB floppy without already having some old hardware up and running, Greaseweazle over USB — and HamsterWeazle to make it much more user\-friendly — is one way you’d do it\. We recently featured[GentleOS](https://hackaday.com/2026/06/13/gentleos-a-simple-os-for-your-old-pc/), a charming and streamlined graphical OS aimed at vintage hardware that makes a point of showing what’s possible when new ideas meet old hardware\. If you have a retrocomputing project you want to show off, custom OS or otherwise, let us know on our[tips line](https://hackaday.com/submit-a-tip/)\! - [**](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhackaday.com%2F2026%2F06%2F29%2Fhamsteros-crams-complete-graphical-desktop-onto-1-44-mb-floppy%2F) - [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=HamsterOS%20Crams%20Complete%20Graphical%20Desktop%20Onto%201.44%20MB%20Floppy%20via%20@hackaday&url=https://hackaday.com/2026/06/29/hamsteros-crams-complete-graphical-desktop-onto-1-44-mb-floppy/) - [**](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhackaday.com%2F2026%2F06%2F29%2Fhamsteros-crams-complete-graphical-desktop-onto-1-44-mb-floppy%2F) - [**](mailto:?subject=HamsterOS+Crams+Complete+Graphical+Desktop+Onto+1.44+MB+Floppy%20|%20Hackaday&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhackaday.com%2F2026%2F06%2F29%2Fhamsteros-crams-complete-graphical-desktop-onto-1-44-mb-floppy%2F)