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== Operating systems ==

=== AmigaOS ===

{{main|AmigaOS}}

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:AmigaOS 3 9 Workbench.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Amiga OS 3.9]] -->

At the time of release AmigaOS put an OS that was well ahead of its time into the hands of the average consumer. It was one of the first commercially available consumer [[operating system]] for personal computers to implement [[Preemption (computing)|preemptive]] [[Computer multitasking|multitasking]].<ref>[http://www.amiga.com/amigaos/ Amiga.com]</ref> Other features included combining a [[graphical user interface]] with a [[command-line interface]], allowing long [[filename]]s permitting [[Whitespace (computer science)|whitespace]] and not requiring a [[file extension]] and the use of information files associated with other files to store [[Icon (computer)|icons]], launch and other [[computer desktop|desktop]] data.

 

[[John C. Dvorak]] stated in 1996 that AmigaOS ''"remains one of the great operating systems of the past 20 years, incorporating a small kernel and tremendous [[Computer multitasking|multitasking]] capabilities the likes of which have only recently been developed in [[OS/2]] and [[Windows NT]]. The biggest difference is that the AmigaOS could operate fully and multitask in as little as {{nowrap|250 K}} of address space."''<ref>From PC Magazine, October 22, 1996

Inside Track By John C. Dvorak</ref>

 

Like other operating systems of the time, the OS lacks [[memory protection]]. This is necessary also because the [[Motorola 68000|68000]] [[CPU]] of the first Amiga computers does not include a [[memory management unit]], and because there is no way of enforcing use of flags indicating memory to be shared.<ref name="google.groups.com (Memory Protection)">{{cite web|url = http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.amiga.advocacy/msg/7d0bf445a2c22d67?hl=en&|title= Adding Memory Protection (MP) to the Amiga|work = groups.google.com|accessdate = December 30, 2006}}</ref> Although it speeds and eases [[interapplication communication]] (programs can communicate by simply passing a [[Pointer (computing)|pointer]] back and forth), the lack of memory protection made the Amiga OS more vulnerable to [[Crash (computing)|crashes]] from badly behaving [[Computer program|programs]], and fundamentally incapable of enforcing any form of security model since any program had full access to the system. Later this memory protection feature was implemented in [[AmigaOS 4]].

 

The problem was somewhat exacerbated by Commodore's initial decision to release documentation relating not only to the OS's underlying software routines, but also to the hardware itself, enabling intrepid programmers who cut their teeth on the Commodore 64 to [[Peek and Poke|POKE]] the hardware directly, as was done on the older platform. While the decision to release the documentation was a popular one and allowed the creation of fast, sophisticated sound and graphics routines in games and demos, it also contributed to system instability as some programmers lacked the expertise to program at this level. For this reason, when the new [[Advanced Graphics Architecture|AGA]] chipset was released, [[Commodore International|Commodore]] declined to release documentation for it, forcing most programmers to adopt the approved software routines.

 

Following Commodore's bankruptcy, two main clones of AmigaOS were developed: [[MorphOS]] and the [[free and open source software|free and open source]] [[AROS]] project.

 

=== Unix and Unix-like systems ===

Commodore-Amiga produced [[Amiga Unix]], informally known as Amix, based on AT&T [[UNIX System V|SVR4]]. It supports the [[Amiga 2500]] and Amiga 3000 and was included with the [[Amiga 3000UX]]. Among other unusual features of Amix is a hardware-accelerated windowing system which can scroll windows without copying data. Amix is not supported on the later Amiga systems based on [[Motorola 68040|68040]] or [[Motorola 68060|68060]] processors.

 

Other, still maintained, operating systems are available for the classic Amiga platform, including Linux and [[NetBSD]]. Both require a CPU with MMU such as the [[Motorola 68020|68020]] with [[Motorola 68851|68851]] or full versions of the [[Motorola 68030|68030]], [[Motorola 68040|68040]] or [[Motorola 68060|68060]]. There is also a version of Linux for Amigas with PowerPC accelerator cards. [[Debian]] and [[Yellow Dog Linux]] can run on the AmigaOne.

 

There is an official, older version of [[OpenBSD]]. The last Amiga release is 3.2. [[Minix]] 1.5.10 also runs on Amiga.<ref>[http://www.compwisdom.com/topics/Minix Minix] ''Comp Wisdon''</ref>

 

=== Emulating other systems ===

{{main|Emulation on the Amiga}}

The Amiga is able to emulate other computer platforms ranging from many 8-bit systems such as the [[Sinclair ZX Spectrum]], Commodore 64, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Entertainment System, [[Apple II]] and the [[TRS-80]], up to platforms such as the IBM PC, Apple Macintosh and Atari ST. [[MAME]] (the arcade machine emulator) is also available for Amiga systems with PPC accelerator card upgrades.

 

== Amiga software ==

{{main|Amiga software}}

The Amiga was a primary target for productivity and game development during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Software was often developed for the Amiga and the [[Atari ST]] simultaneously, since the ST shared a similar CPU architecture.