Nyx

64-bit register-based virtual machine and compiler written in Zig. Nyx supports compiling a simple assembly-like language into bytecode and executing it on a custom VM.

WARNING Nyx is in very early development. It is incomplete, lightly tested, and many features are missing. Expect breaking changes and unstable behavior.

Features

• Custom assembly-like language
• Compiler to bytecode
• Virtual machine with registers, stack, memory, and basic instructions
• Written in safe, modern Zig

Installation

Clone the repo and build:

git clone https://github.com/ciathefed/nyx.git
cd nyx
zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseFast

This will create the binary at zig-out/bin/nyx.

Usage

Compile a source file to bytecode

nyx build examples/hello.nyx -o hello.nyb

Compile and execute source file directly

nyx run examples/hello.nyx

You can also specify memory size (default is 65536 bytes):

nyx run examples/hello.nyx --mem 8192

Run precompiled bytecode

nyx execute hello.nyb

With a custom memory size:

nyx execute hello.nyb --mem 16384

Example Program

.section text
_start:
    mov q0, 1
    mov q1, message
    mov q2, 14
    mov q15, 3
    syscall
    hlt

.section data
message:
    db "Hello, world!\n", 0x00

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. If you find a bug or want to add a feature, open an issue or pull request.

To contribute code:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch
3. Make your changes
4. Open a pull request with a clear description

Please follow the Conventional Commits format for commit messages. Examples:

• fix: handle empty source input in reporter
• feat: add support for multiple source files
• refactor: simplify diagnostic builder

Keep changes focused and minimal. Include tests when appropriate.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License