AvyOS

A Linux-based operating system written entirely in pure Go —
no external packages, no CGO, no POSIX compatibility.

Overview

AvyOS is an experimental operating system that reimagines the traditional Linux userspace from the ground up. Everything — from init to shell to the tiling window manager — is implemented in pure Go with zero C dependencies.

Key characteristics:

• Pure Go — Built with CGO_ENABLED=0, no C toolchain required
• Non-POSIX — Clean, modern interfaces without legacy baggage
• TUI-only — Terminal-based interface (like tmux meets tiling WM)
• Immutable core — System files in /avyos/ are read-only
• Containerized apps — Applications run with capability-based isolation

Documentation

Why Go?

• Faster development — Go's simplicity makes building an OS userspace enjoyable
• Easier maintenance — Single-developer project needs readable, maintainable code
• No CGO complexity — Eliminates entire categories of build issues
• Strong standard library — Networking, crypto, compression without dependencies

Non-Goals

AvyOS is not POSIX-compatible. This is intentional.

POSIX compatibility would require implementing decades of legacy interfaces. Instead, AvyOS focuses on:

• Simplicity — Clean interfaces designed for the system, not compatibility
• Developer experience — Easy to understand, modify, and extend
• Modern design — No baggage from the 1970s

For running POSIX applications, AvyOS provides a Linux compatibility layer at /linux/<distro> using containerization.

Building

# Build disk image
make GOARCH=arm64

# Test your build
make GOARCH=arm64 run

# Manually run the release build
# Set $AVYOS = path/to/avyos source for firmware
# For arm64
qemu-system-aarch64 -smp 2 -m 2G  \
  -M virt -cpu cortex-a57         \
  -display gtk                    \
  -serial mon:stdio               \
  -vga none                       \
  -device virtio-gpu-pci          \
  -device virtio-keyboard-pci     \
  -device virtio-mouse-pci        \
  -drive if=pflash,file=$AVYOS_SOURCE/external/arm64/firmware,readonly=on,format=raw \
  -drive if=pflash,file=$AVYOS_SOURCE/external/arm64/variables,format=raw \
  -drive file=avyos-main-arm64.img,format=raw

# For amd64
qemu-system-x86_64 -smp 2 -m 2G   \
  -display gtk                    \
  -serial mon:stdio               \
  -vga none                       \
  -device virtio-gpu-pci          \
  -device virtio-keyboard-pci     \
  -device virtio-mouse-pci        \
  -drive if=pflash,file=$AVYOS_SOURCE/external/amd64/firmware,readonly=on,format=raw \
  -drive if=pflash,file=$AVYOS_SOURCE/external/amd64/variables,format=raw \
  -drive file=avyos-main-amd64.img,format=raw

Use admin:admin as default credentials

Status

AvyOS is experimental — a proof of concept that a usable Linux userspace can be built entirely in Go.

Acknowledgments

This project was developed with the help of LLM models.

License

GNU General Public License v3.0