LinuXP, developed on the Linux kernel and tuned up to support Windows XP, Vista and 7, is shown to be useful in performing certain tasks such as recovering lost files, locating and installing drivers for printers and other connected devices. It also lets users carry their work on pen drives/cell phones to be ported and extracted through a laptop and work.

“I was thinking of creating a smaller programme that can work like an OS while studying certain innate limitations of the existing operating systems,” said 20-year-old Niket Chandrashekar, the engineering student from New Horizon College in Bangalore.

“It took about seven months for me to develop this software, which can step in and perform the tasks of an OS, in case the system does not have one and contains important files,” he said, while demonstrating the software.

Since this has been developed almost entirely with open source tools and with Wine –– which allows any Windows-based applications to run on other operating systems, Niket said there are no licensing or IP concerns in using the software.

“Since the whole of this software –– with whatever work one has done on it –– can be saved in portable storage devices without changes to the format or design, you can retrieve them on any laptop or desktop without having to worry about things like formatting,” he said   and added: “Also, even while used on someone's device, you can make sure the data it carries is safe.”

The software also has a folder locking feature which not only protects the folder but also hides it from view.

The student, who released a similar software that works with XP some months ago, has plans to put the software online to let everyone use it.

He also said that the college management and teachers of his department were helpful in his effort to develop the software.