ToAruOS (とあるOS)

This is a toy OS based on the POSIX standards. The primary goal of the project is for me to learn POSIX from the system side, understanding the design and constructon of an operating system on x86 hardware, and build a working implementation of the C standard library. Development of とあるOS is currently maintained by the UIUC SIGOps. While the ultimate goal is a microkernel, we currently have a very monolithic kernel.

Notice

This repository is moving to acm-uiuc/toaruos at the end of January, 2012. Please be prepared to update your pull URLs and any bookmarks you have.

Screenshots

Here's what とあるOS looks like:

• Empty kernel shell
• With a wallpaper and mouse cursor
• Running some GNU apps
• Playing a simple RPG
• Generating Julia fractals
• Early boot screen testing and some old serial output

Testing it Out

Clone the git repository and run:

make                # to build the kernel
make run            # to run qemu with the proper arguments
# or
make kvm            # to run qemu in KVM mode
# and optionally
sudo make install   # to install the kernel and ramdisk to your /boot directory

This will build the kernel and the ramdisk and, optionally, copy them to your boot directory so you can add them to your grub config. As of 10 Feb 2011, a bootdisk is no longer created and the git repository no longer carries a GRUB disk. Building a bootable floppy has been deprecated in favor of running with QEMU's built-in multiboot support.

My testing environment is a combination of QEMU and VirtualBox.

Dependencies

Kernel

To build the kernel, you will need yasm, clang (or gcc, the build tools will autodetect), and GNU ld (which you undoubtedly have if you have clang or gcc).

Hard disks and initrds

You need genext2fs to generate the EXT2 images for the ramdisk and the hard disk drive.

Documentation

To build the primary documentation, you need a complete LaTeX stack with pdftex, including the CJK module and Japanese fonts. To build the kernel API documentation, you will need Doxygen (eventually).

Goals and Roadmap

Overall, the goal of this project is to write a relatively POSIX-compatible OS from the ground up. With a focus on generic hardware functionality and universal specifications like VESA, I hope to eventually get something fairly complete in terms of what an OS should be. At some times, I may focus on an actual piece of complex hardware (I am looking to write a basic driver for Intel graphics cards based on the X driver and the Mesa components), but in general, I will stick to generic interfaces.

Basic Goals

• Create a working modular monolithic kernel capable of executing arbitrary ELF binaries
• Write, from scratch, a C standard library using past experience in writing standard library functions
• Support POSIX threads
• Implement an existing file system, specifically EXT2
• Be able to manipulate VESA modes to run at an optimal resolution for graphics
• Handle basic networking on a virtual Ethernet device (DHCP, TCP, etc.)

Loftier Goals

Some things are far easier said than done, but I like to say them anyway. The time span for these depends greatly on how quickly the basic goals are completed and can range anywhere from a few months to years from now.

• Dynamic library loader
• Create a working implementation of Wayland under VESA (will be slow)
• Port Qt (under Wayland) and some Qt apps
  • Port Qt under framebuffer first? Qt has everything...
• Support audio in a way that doesn't suck like Linux's mess of libraries and mixers
• Various hardware-specific drivers (primarily for my T410):
  • Intel graphics driver, with acceleration so Wayland isn't slow
  • Realtek wireless driver, with WPA2
  • Specific drivers for the Thinkpad itself (or just acpi?)
• Custom b-tree filesystem

Roadmap

Currently, I have a kernel capable of reading its multiboot parameters, which is terribly un-useful. The current, ordered, plan of attack is as follows:

• Finish James M's tutorial (second half), which covers:
  • Paging done
  • Heap done, implemented with klmalloc in the void
  • VFS done
  • Initial RAM Disk done
  • Multitasking done
  • User mode done
• Finish basic kernel functionality
  • Loading ELF binaries and executing them in user mode done (static)
  • Complete system call table pretty close
  • Get a better semblance of users and groups
• Write a file system driver for a real file system
  • Target is EXT2, but might do FAT hard disk read support
  • Move OS development images to some form of virtual drive (VDI or something QEMU compatible)
• Implement a VESA mode handler
  • QEMU / BOCHS VBE driver done
  • Requires a Virtual 8086 monitor
  • Need to be able to use graphics modes and still have output, so write a framebuffer terminal
• Complete libc
  • Enough to run basic unix tools...
• Port some basic UNIX tools
  • a shell (bash and zsh, because I like bash, but the office uses zsh)
  • ls, mv, rm, etc.
  • here's a real test: perl
• Implement networking
  • IPv4
  • Ethernet driver for QEMU or VirtualBox

Anything beyond this point is part of the 'Loftier Goals' section

• Wayland compositor
  • based on specifications for a Wayland environment
  • Port some of the Wayland sample applications
  • Write my own!
• Port Qt
  • Specifically, for Wayland
  • Qt is huge and has its own standard library, might need more extensive libc
  • Need to support C++-built stuff, so will probably need a C++ stdlib.
• Audio drivers
  • Maybe before Qt?
  • Should support software mixing at least, hardware under a virtual machine, maybe my Intel hw

References

I'll be more detailed here eventually, but for the most part, I have been using:

• James M's kernel development tutorials completed
• Bran's Kernel Development Tutorial completed
• Skelix's OS tutorial completed

License

ToAruOS is under the NCSA license, which is a derivative (and fully compatible with) the BSD license. It is also forward compatible with the GPL, so you can use ToAruOS bits and pieces in GPL. The terms of the license are listed here for your convience:

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
deal with the Software without restriction, including without limitation the
rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
  1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
     this list of conditions and the following disclaimers.
  2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
     notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimers in the
     documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
  3. Neither the names of the ToAruOS Kernel Development Team, Kevin Lange,
     nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse
     or promote products derived from this Software without specific prior
     written permission.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
CONTRIBUTORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
WITH THE SOFTWARE.

Additional Licenses

ToAruOS contains additional software with the following copyright notices:

• The CPU detection code provided in kernel/devices/cpudet.c: Copyright (c) 2006-2007 - http://brynet.biz.tm - brynet@gmail.com

• A copy of the VL Gothic TrueType font is included in this repository; VL Gothic is distributed under the following license:

    Copyright (c) 1990-2003 Wada Laboratory, the University of Tokyo.
    Copyright (c) 2003-2004 Electronic Font Open Laboratory (/efont/).
    Copyright (C) 2002-2010 M+ FONTS PROJECT Copyright (C) 2006-2010
    Daisuke SUZUKI .  Copyright (C) 2006-2010 Project Vine .  All rights
    reserved.
  
    Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
    modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
    met:
    1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
    2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
       documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
    3. Neither the name of the Wada Laboratory, the University of Tokyo nor
       the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote
       products derived from this software without specific prior written
       permission.
  
    THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY WADA LABORATORY, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
    INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
    MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
    IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LABORATORY OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
    DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
    DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
    OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
    HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
    STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING
    IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
    POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  

• The real-mode 8086 emulation provided for VESA support is distributed under the following license:

    Copyright 2010 John Hodge (thePowersGang). All rights reserved.
  
    Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
    modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
    met:
  
       1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
          notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
  
       2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
          notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
          the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
          distribution.
  
    THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY <COPYRIGHT HOLDER> ``AS IS'' AND ANY
    EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
    IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
    PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL <COPYRIGHT HOLDER> OR
    CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
    EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
    PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR
    PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
    LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
    NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
    SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  
    The views and conclusions contained in the software and documentation
    are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing
    official policies, either expressed or implied, of the author.
  

• As of January 23, 2012, the repository also contains DejaVu fonts, which are modifications of the Bitstream Vera font set, which is released under this license:

    Copyright (c) 2003 by Bitstream, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bitstream
    Vera is a trademark of Bitstream, Inc.
  
    Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
    copy of the fonts accompanying this license ("Fonts") and associated
    documentation files (the "Font Software"), to reproduce and distribute
    the Font Software, including without limitation the rights to use,
    copy, merge, publish, distribute, and/or sell copies of the Font
    Software, and to permit persons to whom the Font Software is furnished
    to do so, subject to the following conditions:
  
    The above copyright and trademark notices and this permission notice
    shall be included in all copies of one or more of the Font Software
    typefaces.
  
    The Font Software may be modified, altered, or added to, and in
    particular the designs of glyphs or characters in the Fonts may be
    modified and additional glyphs or characters may be added to the Fonts,
    only if the fonts are renamed to names not containing either the words
    "Bitstream" or the word "Vera".
  
    This License becomes null and void to the extent applicable to Fonts or
    Font Software that has been modified and is distributed under the
    "Bitstream Vera" names.
  
    The Font Software may be sold as part of a larger software package but
    no copy of one or more of the Font Software typefaces may be sold by
    itself.
  
    THE FONT SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
    EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF
    MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT
    OF COPYRIGHT, PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR OTHER RIGHT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
    BITSTREAM OR THE GNOME FOUNDATION BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR
    OTHER LIABILITY, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
    OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
    OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE FONT
    SOFTWARE OR FROM OTHER DEALINGS IN THE FONT SOFTWARE.
  
    Except as contained in this notice, the names of Gnome, the Gnome
    Foundation, and Bitstream Inc., shall not be used in advertising or
    otherwise to promote the sale, use or other dealings in this Font
    Software without prior written authorization from the Gnome Foundation
    or Bitstream Inc., respectively. For further information, contact:
    fonts at gnome dot org.