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blankos/README.md
2024-07-22 11:07:52 +02:00

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# BlankOS
Rewritten monolithic version of Blank OS for the x86 processor architecture. Features a framebuffer, serial port driver, GDT, IDT. The OS relies on an old, legacy version of GRUB as the bootloader (eltorito). This *should* be GRUB 2 compatible. Emulation was tested on Arch Linux 6.9.7-arch1-1. The long-term goal of this OS is to be capable of running user programs and having its own complete kernel C library so that users can write their own C programs to be ran using the kernel.
Next steps for this project will be:
- ISRs and making the PIC work
- Keyboard driver
- User programs
- Shell
- Kernel libc
- Filesystem support
## Usage
### Dependencies
For Debian-based distros:
```
sudo apt install gcc nasm make bochs
```
Then change `display-library` to `sdl2` in the `bochsrc.txt` file.
For Arch-based distros:
```
sudo pacman -S nasm gcc make
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/bochs.git
```
Then follow [these](https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=178479) instructions to compile Bochs with X support. Alternatively you can use Bochs with SDL but you'll have to change the `bochsrc.txt` file accordingly.
## Building and running
```
git clone https://github.com/xamidev/blankos
make
make run
```
This will start a new Bochs debugger instance. To proceed with the kernel execution, you will have to type `c` in the shell spawning Bochs. Serial output will be saved under the `com1.out` file, this way you can debug the kernel by viewing its log messages. To quit, type `q`. Feel free to open issues or pull requests.
## Running on real hardware
To run the OS on real hardware, you'll first need to have a BIOS-compatible computer. Some of the new laptops with graphical "BIOSes" only support UEFI now. So make sure to get a computer that can boot into BIOS mode, **not UEFI mode**. Then, switch the boot mode to "Legacy" in your BIOS utility.
Then, use the Makefile target `real` to build a "real"-capable ISO disk image. The image will have GRUB2 installed on it, using the `grub-mkrescue` utility (make sure to install it before) which is dependent on `xorriso` (install it too).
Once the ISO file is generated, you can write it on a disk using this command:
```
sudo dd bs=4M if=blankos.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress oflag=sync
```
Replace `sdX` with your USB drive name (you can find it by doing `sudo fdisk -l`).
Tada! You now have a working BlankOS USB stick. Go ahead and try it out!
### ⚠️ Disclaimer
This is a hobbyist operating system kernel and it comes without any warranty whatsoever! It isn't capable of anything really. Feedback and contributions are highly appreciated!