this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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[–] [email protected] 75 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The story behind Senerenity OS is quite amazing:

It was October 2018 and I had just completed a 3-month rehab program at a state addiction clinic in Sweden. I was unemployed, staying with family, and had basically nothing going on.

With no drugs or other vices to pass the time, the days seemed impossibly long. I struggled to find activities to fill them. I enrolled in school for a while, but it wasn’t for me this time either. Eventually I turned to programming, since it’s always been my big interest in life.

Until that point, my career had been focused on web browsers (WebKit at Apple & Nokia). However, I had always been interested in low-level things so I began tinkering with some of that. I wrote a little ELF executable parser.. And an Ext2 filesystem browser.. And a little GUI framework with an event loop..

Out of this tinkering, an operating system began to take shape. I chose the name SerenityOS because I wanted to always remember the Serenity Prayer. I was quite worried about my future at the time, and I figured that this name would help me stay on the good path.

My general idea was to build my own dream system for daily use. It would be a combination of my two favorite computing paradigms: the 1990s GUI and the no-nonsense command-line of late-2000s Unix.

Source: https://awesomekling.substack.com/p/i-quit-my-job-to-focus-on-serenityos-full-time

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago

The author was a guest on the Changelog podcast. The episode was an interesting one, I highly recommend it

The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source: The serenity of building your own OS

Episode webpage: https://changelog.com/podcast/554

Media file: https://op3.dev/e/https://cdn.changelog.com/uploads/podcast/554/the-changelog-554.mp3

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

I will never not be impressed with people who get themselves off drugs and have endless respect for that.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wait, so that's a proper *NIX system? A non-linux system? That's quite impressive!

[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Yes and they implement EVERYTHING in house. In case you haven't heard they also started implementing a browser engine from scratch https://ladybird.dev/ just for fun. It kinda took off and they even got some nice donations, just to keep it going and see where it leads.

The "founders" youtube channel is quit interesting. Especially the monthly update videos if you want to keep up to date with the latest developments. https://inv.tux.pizza/channel/UC3ts8coMP645hZw9JSD3pqQ

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Yikes.

Building everything from scratch is one thing.

Maintaining it is completely different.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Does the browser work yet? Can’t find screenshots

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

It's a work in progress. Most sites won't work but some do. Check out this latest development update video: https://inv.tux.pizza/watch?v=giq5iXJntgQ&t=911 That link leads directly to the "demo segment" where he opens some sites.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Wow, a whopping 100k from Shopify, that’s awesome!

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Is it possible to run it in VM?

[–] HumanPerson 1 points 1 year ago

Quite easy. It automatically starts in qemu when you build it.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

I read "senility operating system" which is stupid and also probably the OS I have installed

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Why do groups insist on BSD/MIT/Apache style licensing...

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago

I don't know about the creators of this project, but in general: So that they can use the stuff in their closed source applications while finding enough contributors to write software for them for free.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

For some software, where EEE tactics aren't a concern, but corporate adoption matters, these licenses make perfect sense. However. that's not the case here: an OS is a prime target for EEE.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Here's why.

Because I like the 2-clause BSD license. I am not a fan of β€œcopyleft” or forcing obligations on people in general. I want my software to be available for anyone who wants to use it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

He missed the entire point of copyleft which is a bit disappointing.

All well, at least it is libre. I respect his choice in the end as pressuring or forcing someone to use a copy left license us just as bad as proprietary software

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

His coding videos are really nice to see. I don't even understand that much, as it's mostly C++, but the coding, the explanation, and the final feature and commit is somehow relaxing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How does it compare to TempleOS though?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Oh, so it's already corrupted by sin, I see

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Whoa whoa slow down with this new-fangled fad ideas. Next you'll try and tell me every user process doesn't run in ring 0.