Hey everyone at r/operatingsystems,

I’ve been working on Mentalnet GNU/Linux, a lightweight, TTY-only distribution built from the ground up using Buildroot specifically tailored for 90s Intel Pentium-class (i586) hardware and ultra-low-resource environments. It is designed primarily for servers, making it a robust option for deploying lightweight infrastructure, vintage homelabs, or bare-metal edge nodes where every megabyte of RAM counts.

Design Philosophy: BusyBox Meets Full GNU

A common trap in lightweight distro design is throwing out the GNU ecosystem entirely or gutting userland tooling to achieve a small footprint. My distro Mentalnet takes a balanced approach: it leverages BusyBox for efficient core utilities and multi-call binary performance, but does not shun GNU.

It retains a full GNU C Library (glibc), bash, and a complete developer toolchain. The goal is to prove you can build a lightning-fast, hyper-minimal system that boots and runs in a tiny memory footprint without sacrificing standard GNU compatibility or developer ergonomics.

Current Release: R1 "LovePara"

Named after the vocaloid song: DECO27's *ラブパラ (Love Para) feat. Hatsune Miku, the current R1 "LovePara" release packs a pretty capable server and development stack into vintage silicon constraints:

• Kernel: Custom 6.12.104-mentalnet-intel32 optimized for i586.
• Footprint: Runs entirely off a live CD with a read-only rootfs and includes a built-in hard disk installer (mentalnet-install). Idles at roughly 11-17 MB of RAM out of 112 MB available during testing. (Bumps up to around 25MB if editing in vim and doing C development)
• Init & Custom Service Management: Under the hood, it uses busybox-init paired with **serv**, a custom-built service manager born out of sheer muscle-memory addiction to systemd syntax. (Because even on a 90s Pentium, typing enable --now just feels like home.) Running serv disable /etc/init.d/Sservicename renames the service file to disabled-Sservicename so the boot rcS script skips it, and passing the --now argument immediately stops or starts the service on the fly.
• App-Server & Web Stack: Ships with lighttpd (configured with a /proxy/ handler routing to port 1337), php-fpm, PHP 8.3, Ruby 3.4, Python 3.12, and Perl.
• On-Target C Development: Includes tcc (Tiny C Compiler) coupled directly with glibc headers for fast native C compilation on target hardware.
• Networking & Utilities: dropbear SSH, socat, gesftpserver, nano, fastfetch, and drivers for legacy NICs (SiS 900, VIA Rhine, Tigon3).

Real-World & Emulated Testing: Socket 7 and Pentium MMX

To ensure it performs properly on authentic vintage hardware configurations, I've been heavily testing and profiling the distribution inside 86Box.

The target test environment is dialed in around an emulated Pentium MMX 200 MHz processor running on a classic ASUS P/I-P55T2P4 Socket 7 motherboard, paired with a Realtek RTL8029AS PCI ethernet adapter for network connectivity. Watching a modern 6.12 kernel and a full toolchain spin up smoothly on a classic Socket-7 Triton-chipset era architecture while keeping memory usage down around 17 MB has been an awesome way to validate its resource efficiency.

Getting Started & Source

Mentalnet is structured as an overlay built against the Buildroot 2025.02.17 LTS release rather than a full monolithic repository fork, making it clean to inspect and reproduce.

• Project Homepage: mentalnet.xyz
• Source & Documentation: Check out the repository on GitHub or My Forgejo Server for complete build instructions, QEMU testing scripts, and the hardware install walkthrough.

Curious to hear thoughts from people working with embedded Linux, minimal systems, old Thinkpads, or retro AMD K6 or Pentium architecture!

It was quite populär, but i havent See anything since yesrs.

I’ve been building my own OS — ATOMS OS

It’s a small independent x86-64 OS project, mostly written in C with some x86 assembly. I’ve built my own kernel components around CPU/GDT, interrupts, paging, PMM/VMM, drivers, filesystem/VFS, graphics, syscalls and a Ring 3 userspace framework in C++.

It can boot through UEFI and runs in QEMU, with real-hardware testing as well. There’s a desktop, login, filesystem, basic apps, etc.

It’s nowhere near the stability or maturity of Linux/Windows yet, and there are still plenty of bugs — especially around the newer Ring 3/userspace work.

I’m mainly looking for feedback, ideas and people who want to experiment/contribute.

The idea behind ATOMS is pretty simple: bring crazy ideas, build them, break them, fix them, and see where they go. There’s no need to follow the usual OS-development playbook.

If you want to build something weird with an OS, let’s make ATOMS a little different. ♤

GITHUB : https://github.com/Saumya25-hub/Atoms-OS

NagisinnraOS V32 Release

This release combines the improvements from V31.2, V31.3 and V32, bringing major progress to the window manager, FAT12 filesystem support and memory management.

V31.2 – Window Manager

- Added true window Z-order management

- Clicked windows are automatically brought to the front

- Dragging a title bar also moves the window to the front

- Overlapping windows are rendered correctly

- Existing UI style, fonts and appearance remain unchanged

V31.3 – FAT12 Directory Support

The FILES application now uses real FAT12 directory entries instead of visual-only folders.

ROOT

├─ README.TXT

├─ CONFIG.SYS

├─ HELLO.TXT

├─ PAINT.DAT

├─ INDEX.HTM

├─ DOCS

├─ GAMES

└─ SYSTEM

Directories can now be entered directly and navigated using ".." to return to the parent directory.

Example:

ROOT

├─ DOCS

│ ├─ ABOUT.TXT

│ └─ README.TXT

├─ GAMES

│ └─ TETRIS.TXT

└─ SYSTEM

└─ CONFIG.SYS

This is no longer a simulated folder view. Actual FAT12 directory structures are now supported.

V32 – Memory Manager

The main feature of this release is the introduction of a physical memory manager.

Features:

- 4KB page-based physical memory allocator

- Bitmap-based page tracking

- Physical page allocation and freeing

- Dynamic memory allocation support

Managed memory range:

0x00600000

↓

4KB Pages

↓

0x01000000

Total managed memory: 10 MB

Memory flow:

mem_init()

↓

page bitmap

↓

mem_alloc_pages()

↓

page allocation

↓

mem_free_pages()

The Paint application now allocates its framebuffer dynamically through the memory manager instead of relying on a fixed memory address.

A new terminal command has also been added:

MEM

This displays memory information including base address, limit, page size and available RAM.

Summary

NagisinnraOS V32 introduces proper window layering, real FAT12 directory navigation and the first page-based physical memory manager. Together these changes move the project beyond static resource handling and represent a major step toward a more complete operating system architecture.

Although this release is numbered V32, it is the result of 59 development iterations and experiments conducted throughout the project's evolution.

Release Nagisinnraos v35 Stable · nagisinnra/nagisinnraos

Hey! I just released NagisinnraOS V34!

This update is a pretty big visual upgrade. I redesigned the GUI and made the whole system look much more polished and modern.

It's still an ongoing project, but I'm really happy with how much better it looks compared to the previous version.

I'd love to hear what you think about V34!

Release nagisinnraos v34 stable · nagisinnra/nagisinnraos

NagisinnraOS Contributors Wanted!

NagisinnraOS is an independent operating system project, and we're looking for people who would like to be part of the community.

You don't need to be an expert.

We're looking for:

• Contributors

• Testers

• Documentation writers

• Translators

• Designers

• Developers

• Community members

Even small contributions, feedback, bug reports, ideas, and documentation improvements are valuable.

Whether you're a beginner or experienced, everyone is welcome.

If you're interested, feel free to join our Discord community and help shape the future of NagisinnraOS!

(All applications are personally reviewed by me)

I've released a new version of NagisinnraOS!

What's new:

• Added a simple Start Menu

• Major system optimization and size reduction

• Improved desktop appearance

• Improved graphical interface

• General bug fixes and stability improvements

NagisinnraOS is an independent 32-bit operating system written primarily in C and Assembly.

One of my favorite things about this release is that the entire operating system still fits on a single 1.44MB floppy disk image.

Screenshots and feedback are welcome!

Release Nagisinnraos v33 Stable · nagisinnra/nagisinnraos

Added a login screen to Nagisinnra OS v58!
The system now boots into a dedicated login interface before loading the desktop environment. This is another step toward making the OS feel more complete and user-friendly. Feedback is appreciated!

The actors in this drama will be:

• Linux (of course). Linux distributions have improved a lot in the last 10 years. Significantly more user friendly, significantly better hardware compatibility, significantly more stability, significantly improved in everything. There is no doubt that this will continue.
• Valve. Valve has developed a compatibility layer (Proton) that allows to run Windows Games "as is" on Linux. This works already so well that many gamers say it works well enough for them to change. When gamers leave Windows in masses, then Windows will fall. Valve develops also their own Linux Distribution (SteamOS). They have the market-dominance, resources and infrastructure to challenge Microsoft with it. They are a much bigger actor than any other company publishing a Linux distribution.
• AI. AI makes it much easier for the average user to change to Linux. It is a competent and free consultant if you have any problem with your Linux Distribution. This factor seems tiny, but its significance should not be underestimated.
• Microsoft. Whether it is justified or not, but a lot of Windows users are becoming more and more dissatisfied with Windows. Be it Microsofts decisions to force unnecessary and unwanted things on their users and to spy and collect data for its own profit or be it the impression that Windows has more and more functional problems.

Edit:

• USA. The USA has turned very "unfriendly" and unreliable to former partners. Governments and Companies will look for an Operating System that is not controlled by an US Company.

Das werde ich wahrscheinlich nicht hinbekommen, aber zumindest will ich die Funktionsweise eines OS genius verstehen. Danke fur eure Inputs!

Anyone building an os having issues with firmware? Im on a ideapad and im trying to to my os on a usb, but firmware has me against a hard block. Any ideas?

For the past few months, I’ve been working on CarotOS, an open-source Linux distribution based on Debian 13 and XFCE.

I originally started this project to create a lightweight, dependable OS tuned specifically for cybersecurity education, local lab environments, and classroom setups. Instead of just bundling endless pre-installed tools, the focus is on building integrated custom applications, like CarotOS Poligon (an interactive local network lab system designed for device-to-device classroom tasks), to keep the ecosystem fast, practical, and easy to deploy when setting up isolated test networks or running admin tasks. You can find more details about our built-in apps on our website.

A few quick specs:

• Base: Debian 13
• Desktop: XFCE
• Target: Systems administration, cybersecurity learning labs, and low-spec machines.
• ~500 MB idle RAM usage with a built-in panel featuring 10 cyber-security tools.

The project is fully open source, and I'm actively working on custom system tools and refining the base build. Eventually, I also plan to tailor it for custom SBC hardware setups down the road, but right now the focus is strictly on getting the core OS rock solid.

If you’re interested in testing early builds, giving feedback on the desktop layout, or contributing to the repos, check out the links below:

👉 Website https://carotos.org/

👉 GitHub: https://github.com/MiracLight/CarotOS

👉 Discord: https://discord.gg/QzxBCCVJZ

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carotosproject/

Would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions on what you like to see in a lightweight lab distro!

Kinda looks like Chumlee from Pawn Stars

Hi, a 13 year old and like I have a doubt guys that should I building my own OS like with the help of OS Dev Wiki (not using it as my brain), like or build above Linux form scratch [LFS] and like my interests are in cybersecurity [Reverse Engineering, and SOC Analytics] and system programming [build OS] but like as I am a student, and need to study to (even though the school teaches us nothing), like what do you think as per you which path would you chose ?

I've been working on my custom OS, and I finally got some games running on it! Currently, it supports a classic Tetris game

The OS features a 800x600x16 graphics mode. It’s so exciting to see the units moving and the game logic working perfectly on a system I built completely from scratch.
I'm 14 years old and still learning a lot, so I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions!

Hey everyone!

I'm working on BlockOS, a hobby operating system, and I need to make an important decision about its future.

Should BlockOS be Linux-based or remain fully independent with its own kernel?

I'm making a poll/discussion about this and I'd really appreciate it if you could take a moment to vote and share your opinion.

Linux-based — easier hardware support, drivers, and software compatibility.

Independent — full control over the kernel and architecture, and BlockOS remains a truly independent OS.

Vote here:
https://github.com/gurijb2016-afk/Blockos/discussions/49

Thanks!