What is this?
SerenityOS is a graphical Unix-like operating system for 64-bit x86, Arm, and RISC-V computers, built entirely from scratch.
SerenityOS is a graphical Unix-like operating system for 64-bit x86, Arm, and RISC-V computers, built entirely from scratch.Is it a complete system with a desktop and apps, or just a kernel?A complete OS, not just a kernel: a custom Unix-like core with a GUI, browser, IDE, games, dev tools and 300+ ports of open-source software, all in this one repository with no extra dependencies.
A complete OS, not just a kernel: a custom Unix-like core with a GUI, browser, IDE, games, dev tools and 300+ ports of open-source software, all in this one repository with no extra dependencies.How do I build and run it?Cross-compile it from Linux, macOS, Windows (with WSL2) or other Unixes following the build instructions; the default build commands then launch a QEMU instance running the OS.
Cross-compile it from Linux, macOS, Windows (with WSL2) or other Unixes following the build instructions; the default build commands then launch a QEMU instance running the OS.Is it ready to use as an everyday operating system?It is a passion project in active development rather than a production daily driver; the README even points to YouTube videos of the system being built. It already ships a full desktop, browser, IDE and 300+ ports.
It is a passion project in active development rather than a production daily driver; the README even points to YouTube videos of the system being built. It already ships a full desktop, browser, IDE and 300+ ports.Why does it look the way it does — what is the design goal?A marriage of late-1990s productivity software aesthetics with the power-user accessibility of late-2000s Unix, made by and for the people who like those things.
A marriage of late-1990s productivity software aesthetics with the power-user accessibility of late-2000s Unix, made by and for the people who like those things.Does it run on real hardware, or only in an emulator?It targets real 64-bit x86, Arm and RISC-V computers, but the standard way to try it is the QEMU instance that the default build launches automatically, with hardware or software virtualization.
It targets real 64-bit x86, Arm and RISC-V computers, but the standard way to try it is the QEMU instance that the default build launches automatically, with hardware or software virtualization.What applications come with it out of the box?Everyday GUI apps like a JavaScript-powered Spreadsheet, TextEditor, Terminal, PixelPaint, Mail, Assistant and Calculator, plus games such as Solitaire, Minesweeper, 2048 and chess, and demos like CatDog and Starfield.
Everyday GUI apps like a JavaScript-powered Spreadsheet, TextEditor, Terminal, PixelPaint, Mail, Assistant and Calculator, plus games such as Solitaire, Minesweeper, 2048 and chess, and demos like CatDog and Starfield.How capable is the built-in browser?It has its own browser engine with JavaScript and WebAssembly support, and the project tracks spec compliance for JS, CSS and Wasm. The browser, Ladybird, also runs on the cross-build host platforms, not just inside SerenityOS.
It has its own browser engine with JavaScript and WebAssembly support, and the project tracks spec compliance for JS, CSS and Wasm. The browser, Ladybird, also runs on the cross-build host platforms, not just inside SerenityOS.What security features does it include?Hardware protections, limited userland capabilities, W^X memory, pledge and unveil, (K)ASLR, OOM-resistance, web-content isolation and state-of-the-art TLS algorithms.
Hardware protections, limited userland capabilities, W^X memory, pledge and unveil, (K)ASLR, OOM-resistance, web-content isolation and state-of-the-art TLS algorithms.Does it come with developer tools built in?Yes — HackStudio, an IDE for C++, plus kernel-supported profiling, CrashReporter, HexEditor, an interactive GUI playground, and man pages readable via man in the terminal or help in the GUI.
Yes — HackStudio, an IDE for C++, plus kernel-supported profiling, CrashReporter, HexEditor, an interactive GUI playground, and man pages readable via man in the terminal or help in the GUI.What are similar projects?lytlnyblOS, redox, darwin-xnu, daedalOS, zephyr, SFML, puter, src
lytlnyblOS, redox, darwin-xnu, daedalOS, zephyr, SFML, puter, srcWhich topics is it in?riscv, desktop-environment, posix, os, games, from-scratch, qemu, x86, filesystem, c-plus-plus, operating-system, arm64
riscv, desktop-environment, posix, os, games, from-scratch, qemu, x86, filesystem, c-plus-plus, operating-system, arm64