SerenityOS

Last updated
SerenityOS
LadyBall-SerenityOS.png
SerenityOS 2023-07-14.png
The SerenityOS Desktop
Developer Andreas Kling and the SerenityOS community
Written in Serenity C++
OS family Unix-like
Working stateCurrent
Source model Open source
Initial releaseOctober 10, 2018;5 years ago (2018-10-10)
Repository
Available in English
Package manager Ports (as part of the build system)
Platforms x86-64
Kernel typeMonolithic
Userland POSIX
Default
user interface 		GUI
License BSD-2-Clause
Official website www.serenityos.org

SerenityOS is a free and open source desktop operating system that has been in continuous development since 2018. Initially the one-man project of Swedish programmer Andreas Kling, SerenityOS is now developed by a community of hobbyists. The system supports the x86-64 instruction set [1] (though work is currently at the early stages to support aarch64 and RISCV [2] ), features a preemptive kernel, and hosts multiple complex applications including its own web browser, Ladybird, and integrated development environment (IDE). [3] [4]

Contents

History

Buggie, the SerenityOS mascot Buggie-SerenityOS.png
Buggie, the SerenityOS mascot

Andreas Kling previously worked at Nokia and later at Apple on the WebKit team. [5] He began developing the project in part to aid his recovery from addiction, and as such the name of the project derives from the Serenity Prayer. [6] As of 2021, Kling works full-time on SerenityOS, supported by community donations. [6]

Features

SerenityOS aims to be a modern Unix-like operating system, with a look and feel that emulates 1990s operating systems such as Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. [7] Incorporating third-party code into the system is discouraged. The web browser, for instance, does not use a pre-existing web engine such as WebKit, instead using its own known as LibWeb. There is a collection of ported software, such as GCC, Git and Doom, with varying levels of functionality. [8]

Development does not adhere to a release cycle; as such, there are no releases. [9] Additionally, no binary distributions are provided and prospects are expected to build the system from source. [10] The system is written in what the authors call "Serenity C++", [11] a variant of C++ that lacks exceptions and features its own standard library. [12]

The relative popularity of SerenityOS compared to other hobbyist systems is in part due to the modest success of Kling's YouTube channel, where he uploads videos of himself developing parts of the system alongside demos and monthly progress updates. [13]

Web browser

SerenityOS includes the Ladybird browser, which can also run on other operating systems. It includes a functional JavaScript engine. [14] [15]

Reception

Jim Salter of Ars Technica regarded the use of the ext2 file system as his least favorite feature of the operating system. Compared to TempleOS (another operating system well known in the hobbyist community), he considered it more accessible. [4] For less technical users that are looking for a mid–to–late 90s reminiscent visual style, the Xfce Chicago95 theme or the Redmond Project has been recommended instead. [16]

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References

  1. ↑ "SerenityOS update (December 2022)". YouTube .
  2. ↑ "SerenityOS update (April 2024)". YouTube .
  3. ↑ Kling, Andreas. "SerenityOS" . Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  4. 1 2 Salter, Jim (2021-08-18). "Not-a-Linux distro review: SerenityOS is a Unix-y love letter to the '90s". Ars Technica . Archived from the original on 2021-08-21. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  5. ↑ Proven, Liam. "SerenityOS: A remarkable achievement for a small project". The Register . Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  6. 1 2 Kling, Andreas (2021-05-28). "I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time".
  7. ↑ TIVI. "Ohjelmoija kehitti c++:lla uuden käyttöjärjestelmän, joka jäljittelee 1990-lukua". Tivi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 2020-05-16. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  8. ↑ "serenity/Ports at master · SerenityOS/serenity". GitHub. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  9. ↑ "Releases · SerenityOS/serenity". GitHub. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  10. ↑ "Where are the ISO images?" in: serenity/FAQ.md, SerenityOS, 2021-10-07, retrieved 2021-10-07
  11. ↑ Documentation/CodingStyle.md, SerenityOS, 2021-10-07, retrieved 2021-10-07
  12. ↑ Kazakova, Anastasia (2021-11-12). "Talking to SerenityOS Contributors About a Scratch-built C++ Developer's Playground in Modern C++". blog.jetbrains.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  13. ↑ Gregori, Sven (2020-02-24). "Reaching Serenity: Porting Git To A Homebrew Operating System". Hackaday . Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  14. ↑ Proven, Liam. "Serenity OS browser, Ladybird, now cross-platform". The Register . Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  15. ↑ By (2023-10-10). "Jenny's Daily Drivers: SerenityOS, And In Particular, Ladybird". Hackaday. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  16. ↑ Beschizza, Rob (2021-08-17). "A refined 90s-style operating system you can actually use". Boing Boing . Archived from the original on 2021-08-21. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
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