Redox (operating system)
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![]() Redox running Ion shell in Orbital windowing system | |
Developer | Jeremy Soller, Redox Developers[1] |
---|---|
Written in | Rust, assembly |
OS family | Unix-like |
Working state | Current |
Source model | Free software |
Initial release | 20 April 2015 |
Latest preview | 0.8.0 / 24 November 2022 |
Repository | |
Marketing target | Desktop, workstation, server |
Available in | English |
Package manager | pkgutils |
Platforms | x86-64; ARM64 in development[2] |
Kernel type | Microkernel |
Userland | Custom |
Influenced by | POSIX[3] |
Default user interface | Command-line, Orbital |
License | MIT |
Official website | www |
Redox is a Unix-like microkernel operating system written in the programming language Rust, which has a focus on safety, stability, and performance.[4][5][6] Redox aims to be secure, usable, and free. Redox is inspired by prior kernels and operating systems, such as SeL4, MINIX, Plan 9, and BSD. It is free and open-source software distributed under an MIT License.
Redox gets its name from the reduction-oxidation reactions in chemistry; one redox reaction is the corrosion of iron, also called rust.
Design
[edit]The Redox operating system is designed to be secure.[4] This is reflected in two design decisions:
- Using the programming language Rust for implementation
- Using a microkernel design, similar to MINIX
Components
[edit]Redox provides packages (memory allocator, file system, display manager, core utilities, etc.) that together make up a functional operating system. Redox relies on an ecosystem of software written in Rust by members of the project.
- Redox kernel – derives from the concept of microkernels, with inspiration from MINIX
- Ralloc – memory allocator
- RedoxFS (file system) – inspired by the ZFS file system
- Ion shell – the underlying library for shells and command execution in Redox, and the default shell
- pkgutils – package manager
- Orbital windowing system – display and window manager, sets up the orbital: scheme, manages the display, and handles requests for window creation, redraws, and event polling
- relibc – C standard library
Command-line applications
[edit]Redox supports command-line interface (CLI) programs, including:
- Sodium – vi-like editor that provides syntax highlighting
Graphical applications
[edit]Redox supports graphical user interface (GUI) programs, including:
- NetSurf – a lightweight web browser which uses its own layout engine
- Calculator – a software calculator which provides functions similar to the Windows Calculator program
- Editor – simple text editor, similar to Microsoft Notepad
- File Browser – a file manager that displays icons, names, sizes, and details for files; uses the launcher command to open files when they are clicked
- Image Viewer – Image viewer for simple file types
- Pixelcannon – 3D renderer, can be used to benchmark the Orbital desktop
- Orbterm – ANSI type terminal emulator
History
[edit]Redox was created by Jeremy Soller and was first published on 20 April 2015 on GitHub.[7] As of July 2021, the Redox repository had a total of 79 contributors.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Redox Contributors". GitLab. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
- ^ "Porting Redox to ARM (AArch64)". 6 August 2018.
- ^ "What is Redox?". Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Redox - Your Next(Gen) OS - Redox - Your Next(Gen) OS". www.redox-os.org.
- ^ Weisinger, Dick (4 May 2016). "Operating Systems: Rust Redox – An Next-Generation Attempt to Plug Linux OS Gaps". Formtek. Formtek, Inc. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ . Yegulalp, Serdar (21 March 2016). "Rust's Redox OS could show Linux a few new tricks". InfoWorld. San Francisco: IDG Communications, Inc. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ Soller, Jeremy (jackpot51) (20 April 2015). "Initial commit of Rustboot-based OS". GitHub. GitHub, Inc. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Redox Repository". GitHub. Retrieved 2016-03-26.