violetOS

The post-UNIX operating system.

IMPORTANT As defined by SemVer 2.0.0, versions in the 0.x.y range are inherently unstable and may introduce breaking changes at any time. Until we reach 1.0.0, version increments will follow development milestones rather than strict backward compatibility.

violetOS is a radically reimagined operating system that breaks with UNIX and POSIX conventions at its core. Every part of the system — from concurrency and isolation to memory layout and dependency handling — is designed to be transparent, predictable, and consistent, with performance emerging naturally from clever design and thoughtful architecture. violetOS does not imitate the past; it aims to define what an OS can be in a lightweight, robust, and unapologetically forward-looking way.

Requirements

This project uses and is tested with Zig 0.14.1. We recommend using zvm to install and manage Zig versions.

To run a virtual instance of violet on your computer, you will also need QEMU.

Build it yourself

Thanks to Zig, building and running an operating system has never been so easy. Ensure you're using a compatible Zig version, then simply type:

zig build -Dplatform={IDENTIFIER}

Default to aarch64_qemu (see Platform matrix for more details).

Platform matrix

¹ ✅ means "Supported".

² 🔨 means "Partially supported (WIP)".

³ 🗓️ means "Planed".

⁴ Raspberry Pi 4B, 400 and 4 CM.

⁵ Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+ and 3 CM.

License

Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See LICENSE and NOTICE for more information.