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What is ECOS? ECOS stands for Easy Concurrent Operating System and is a smart internal hardware device designed to run an alternative Operating System within your RISC OS FAST environment. Built around a powerful modern CPU, it brings a full alternative operating system into your RISC OS set up via internal networking - allowing seamless interaction between the two systems. It builds on the success and solid foundation of Wispy, our award-winning hardware browser, which brought modern web capabilities to RISC OS users, using a Linux subsystem, and EDOS, our easy dual boot system for the Pi 4. With ECOS, we're taking that concept further - offering a complete, integrated system that unlocks even greater potential beyond the browser. Designed for integration into your RISCOSbits FAST ITX system, ECOS gives you access to a modern OS with abundant RAM and fast storage for apps and files. If you’re using a more compact set up or a system from another vendor, there’s ExCOS, an external version of ECOS offering the same power and integration in a plug-and-play form factor. For those of you wanting more than just a Linux sidekick to your RISC OS system, we have a two further options: ECOS 11 - a Windows 11-based version of ECOS, with lots of RAM, and plenty of fast and upgradeable solid state storage ECOfile - our ECOS technology with many additional features, such as cloud access and multi-OS support. Plus an elegant customisable case-mounted OLED system information panel to display numerous facets of the system: storage, RAM, temperature, IP address, CPU Load and more! Frequently Asked Questions Q: What can I do with ECOS that I can’t do with RISC OS? A: ECOS opens up access to the vast alternative software ecosystem. That means modern web browsers, office suites, development tools, multimedia apps, and advanced networking utilities - all running alongside your RISC OS set-up. Q: How do RISC OS and ECOS communicate? A: ECOS connects to RISC OS via an internal network link, allowing file sharing, remote desktop access, and communication between the two environments. Q: Can I use ECOS to access the internet? A: Absolutely. You can use the alternative environment for more modern and secure browsing, email clients, and online tools, especially where RISC OS browsers might struggle with compatibility. Q: Is ECOS always running in the background? A: Yes. Once powered on, ECOS runs continuously, quietly handling its own tasks and services while you continue using RISC OS. Q: Does ECOS actually run RISC OS? Er, well, sort of! We have installed RISC OS on Linux on the ECOS5 and ECOfile variants as standard, plus a selection of RISC OS emulators on ECOS11. You can run all of your old games and software in a window in RISC OS! Q: What’s the difference between ECOS, ExCOS and ECOfile? A: ECOS 5 and ECOS 11 are designed to be built into your RISCOSbits ITX system internally. ExCOS 5 and ExCOS 11 are the external versions, ideal for when you run RISC OS from a more compact case or systems from other vendors. Both offer the same core features of ECOS 5 and ECOS 11. ECOfile, on the other hand, has all the core features of ECOS 5 but with several incredibly useful added extras. Plus, it acts as a file server for all of your files, regardless of the OS you’re connecting from. • It has twin solid state drives • Storage is more robust and can be configured to use large capacity storage (up to 8TB) • You can access it over the internet using the optional Cloud access Q: Is ECOS hard to use? A: Not at all. It’s designed to integrate smoothly with your existing system, with preconfigured networking and a user-friendly experience. Q: Do I need to know Linux to benefit from ECOS 5 or ECOfile? A: Not necessarily! Many tools are graphical and intuitive, and if you’re just after a browser or file access, you can use ECOS without diving deep into Linux. But if you are familiar with Linux, ECOS gives you a lot more freedom and power. Q. What if the system goes wrong? A: We made sure each hardware device has debug ports available. There’s enough ports to enable you to connect it to a monitor and add a keyboard and mouse, so you can interact with the operating system directly. Q. What kinds of software can I use with Linux on ECOS 5 and ECOfile? A. Web Browsers: Firefox, Chromium, Falkon Office Tools: LibreOffice, OnlyOffice, Gnumeric, AbiWord Email Clients: Thunderbird, Evolution, Geary Media Players: VLC, MPV, Audacious Graphics & Design: GIMP, Inkscape, Krita, Scribus Developer Tools: Geany, Git, Python, Node.js Remote Access: Remmina, VNC, SSH clients Network Tools: Wireshark, FileZilla, Samba Utilities: Archive managers, disk tools, system monitors Q. What kinds of software can I use with Windows on ECOS 11 ? A. Web Browsers: Firefox, Chrome, Vivaldi, Brave Office Tools: Microsoft Office (inc. Word and Excel), LibreOffice Email Clients: Outlook, Windows Mail, Thunderbird Media Players: Windows Media Players, VLC, ClipChamp Graphics & Design: Photoshop, Ovation Pro, Adobe Suite Developer Tools: Visual Studio Code, Git, Python Remote Access: Remote Desktop, VNC, AnyDesk Network Tools: Wireshark, FileZilla, Samba Utilities: Archive managers, disk tools, system monitors And that’s just the start! You can also run lightweight Linux environments or window managers, depending on your preference and needs. And you can even “downgrade” ECOS 11 to run earlier versions of Windows (but you’re on your own with that one!)

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