In an era dominated by commercial operating systems and AI developments, one developer has achieved an impressive milestone with their hobby operating system project. RetroOS-32, a 32-bit operating system built from scratch, has successfully booted on real hardware, specifically on a Lenovo ThinkPad. This achievement represents years of dedicated work in an area of computing that harkens back to the early days of personal computing, where tinkering at the system level was more common.
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| A screenshot of the GitHub repository for RetroOS-32, emphasizing the developer's commitment to creating an operating system from scratch |
A Labor of Love, Not Market Strategy
RetroOS-32 stands out as a passion project developed purely for learning and enjoyment, rather than commercial purposes. Started in May 2022, the project embraces the spirit of early computing by focusing on building everything from the ground up. The developer has written everything from kernel-level code to userspace applications, following a personal rule to write all components themselves rather than porting existing software.
It's really refreshing, not having to think about it actually being 'used' or the market. Simply just for fun and learning.
This approach contrasts sharply with today's software development landscape, which often prioritizes market fit and commercial viability. For many in the tech community, projects like RetroOS-32 represent a return to computing's roots, where exploration and learning were primary motivations.
Technical Achievements and Challenges
RetroOS-32 includes impressive features for a hobby operating system, including graphics capabilities, multitasking, and networking. Built with C and Assembly for the kernel and utilities, and C++ for userspace applications, the system demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of low-level programming concepts.
The developer has even created their own C compiler for the operating system, which works inside RetroOS-32 and can also run on Linux. While currently limited (supporting only int and char data types and lacking features like switch statements), the compiler represents another significant technical achievement in this project.
Hardware compatibility testing has been extensive, with successful boots on various machines including Lenovo x220i, Asus free PC series, Dell Optiplexes 780, Samsung devices, and IBM ThinkPads. Community members have also reported success booting the OS on additional hardware, though with some challenges related to USB input devices and memory reporting.
Community Response and Technical Insights
The technical community has responded enthusiastically to the project, with many expressing admiration for the developer's dedication to building an operating system from scratch. Several commenters shared their own experiences with OS development, creating a rich discussion around design choices, technical challenges, and implementation strategies.
Font rendering emerged as one area for potential improvement, with community members suggesting more condensed fonts to better utilize screen space. The developer acknowledged this feedback, noting that font rendering improvements are on their to-do list.
One particularly engaged community member conducted extensive testing on bare metal hardware, providing detailed insights about the boot process, partition structure, and filesystem implementation. Their comments revealed both the current capabilities of RetroOS-32 and potential areas for improvement in making the system more robust when booting from different partition configurations.
Future Directions
Looking ahead, the developer has identified several areas for continued improvement. When asked what they would do differently if starting again, they mentioned having a clearer plan from the outset, as the project evolved organically from a basic hello world OS to something much more complex. This organic growth has led to some technical debt that the developer is still working to address.
WiFi support is on the roadmap, with the developer mentioning they've already written some WiFi code and need to implement the driver. UI improvements are also planned, with the developer acknowledging that user interface design has been a challenge requiring multiple rewrites.
The project serves as an inspiration for others interested in low-level system development, demonstrating that with dedication and persistence, even complex computing projects can be accomplished as hobby endeavors. In a computing landscape increasingly dominated by high-level abstractions, RetroOS-32 stands as a testament to the continued value and educational potential of understanding computers at their most fundamental levels.
Reference: RetroOS-32