SerenityOS
🧩 1. Basic Information
Field —>Description
OS Name —>SerenityOS
Developer —>Community-led project (founded by Andreas Kling)
First Released —>~2018 (initial GitHub project launch)
Latest Version —>Actively maintained; recent birthday posts mark its 5+ years hackernoon.com+3serenityos.org+3serenityos.org+3github.com
License Type —>BSD-2-Clause open-source
Supported Platforms —>x86-64 (targets desktop PCs)
Still Active? —>✅ Yes, with vibrant community, GitHub activity, Discord chat
⚙️ 2. Kernel & Architecture
Custom-built Unix-like kernel for x86-64, with preemptive multithreading
Designed from scratch, not forked from Linux/Unix
Modular architecture featuring services like WindowServer, AudioServer, WebServer, LoginServer github.com+1codmunity.gg+1
Emphasizes security features: hardware protections, W^X memory model, pledge & unveil, KASLR, TLS support github.com
🌟 3. Key Features
Gorgeous, nostalgic ’90s-style GUI with consistency and themes
Built-in web browser (Ladybird) supporting JS, Wasm, CSS serenityos.org+1serenityos.org+1
POSIX compatibility: shell, syscalls, devfs, /proc, networking stack with HTTP, DNS, IMAP, etc. github.com
Includes rich ecosystem: terminal, text editor, pixel paint, spreadsheet, mail, games (solitaire, chess) syneto.eu+7github.com+7hackernoon.com+7
📈 4. Version History & Important Milestones ✅
Milestone —>Year
Project launch on GitHub —>~2018
First “birthday” release —>2019
Continued yearly upgrades —>2022–2024 with increased features sanityos.com+4serenityos.org+4github.com+4serenityos.comhackernoon.com+3syneto.eu+3sencity.city+3
🎯 5. Target Audience & Use Cases
Desktop OS enthusiasts who miss retro UIs
System hamd at building a Unix-like OS from scratch
Security-minded developers, thanks to memory protections
Hobbyists exploring kernel, GUI, networking, and browser integration
✅ 6. Pros & Cons
Pros —>Cons
Beautiful, nostalgic UI —>Limited hardware support (x86-64 only)
Built from scratch, clearly documented —>Small ecosystem relative to mainstream OS
Strong security focus —>Not suited for everyday tasks (lack of mainstream apps)
Integrated browser & critical services —>Lightweight but niche, not for daily production use
🎨 7. UI Demo & Visuals
Boot screen + login, launching into GUI
Application demos: File Manager, Terminal, PixelPaint, Ladybird browser
Show pledge/unveil restrictions, networking with HTTP client, /proc browsing
📦 8. Ecosystem & App Support
Core apps built-in: spreadsheet, mail, text editor, terminal, IDE (HackStudio) hackernoon.com+3github.com+3serenityos.org+3serenityos.comserenityos.com+2syneto.eu+2sanityos.com+2 - Posix ports (“300+” packages): multimedia tools, compilers, dev utils github.com
Community-run GitHub & Discord with active development
🔐 9. Security & Updates
Modern protections: W^X, KASLR, pledge/unveil, hardware memory safety github.com
Frequent updates via GitHub; guided DIY build using QEMU on Linux/Windows/macOS hackernoon.com+2github.com+2github.com+2
🌍 10. Community, License & Development
License: BSD-2-Clause open-source github.com+1github.com+1
Active contributors, over 3.2k GitHub stars, public Discord & GitHub discussions
Fork ecosystem includes SerenityPorts; documentation via man pages and GitHub wiki
