Life & fun · alternatives · 2026
24 alternatives to A 3K Posix bootstrap kernel written in hex
Boot2Now is a series of compilers in the form of bootable machine images - ironmeld/boot2now
Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. A 3K Posix bootstrap kernel written in hex launched in 2022; newer entries below may have overtaken it.
- 1
Bootstrapping a Forth interpreter from hand-written tiny ELF binary. Just for fun. - GitHub - nineties/planckforth: Bootstrapping a Forth interpreter from hand-written tiny ELF binary. Just for fun.
2021 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 2
Micro Kernel / Bootloader for Ben Eater's 6502 Computer - janroesner/sixty5o2
2020 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 3
A fast, rootless sandbox and virtual resource runtime for any workload, including untrusted and AI-generated code. Daemonless: a real, kernel-enforced container in ~3.5 ms from an OCI image, out of one static binary - getkern/kern
Aug 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 4
Hi there! I've been on-and-off working on TacOS for a few months, which follows some UNIX-derived concepts (exec/fork, unix-style VFS, etc) and is now able to run a port of Doom, with a fairly small amount of modifications, using my from-scratch libc. The performance is actually decent compared to what I expected. Very interested to hear your thoughts. Thank you!
2025 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 5
Yes, this includes the MBR and partition boot sector. The partition table is modeled as a class hierarchy. Second stage loads a kernel from a FAT32 file. I'm normally a C programmer, but for a work project, I recently revisited C++, a language that I had an on-again-off-again relationship over the years. I did this as a fun training exercise on the side to get familiar with the language again, but obsessed a bit and kind of overshot the target. I thought the result might be of interest to someone.
2023 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 6
This project contains no code from Linux, BSD, Minix, or any other OS. Everything up until this point is written entirely from scratch, including a pure microkernel (that only implements multiprocessor priority scheduling, memory management, and interprocess communication), a work-in-progress implementation of the standard C library, and a variety of servers that provide drivers and other essential OS functionality. At the time of writing this post, the servers provide drivers for the keyboard, NVMe SSDs (that works on real hardware), a Unix-like virtual file system (with a single root…
2024 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 7
This is a version based on v2.3.7 running on emulated PC i386, native Raspi Model 3b and Zero 2, and eventually Olimex ESP32-P4-PC, using existing bootloaders instead of Oberon0 - Releases · rochus-keller/OberonSystem3Native
Apr 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 8
Bootstrapping a Forth interpreter from hand-written tiny ELF binary. Just for fun. - GitHub - nineties/planckforth: Bootstrapping a Forth interpreter from hand-written tiny ELF binary. Just for fun.
2021 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 9
A simple way to write standalone C programs for i386 - luke8086/boot2c
2019 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 10
:racehorse: Extremely minimal vmm for linux written in C. Hopefully someday will spin linux-vm for you. - flouthoc/wiser
2021 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 11
Battery info program for x86-64 Linux laptops in 307 bytes of machine code - meribold/btry
2024 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 12
Cinder▲122Free and open source library for creative coding in C++
2017 · libcinder.org · its alternatives →
- 13
Learn to code from scratch with hands-on lessons, a structured curriculum, and real projects. Stop watching tutorials, start writing code for free now.
2022 · boot.dev · its alternatives →
- 14
Kernel in TypeScript. Contribute to intigos/possimpible development by creating an account on GitHub.
2022 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 15
I've been working on this for ~3 months now, with pretty slow progress to be honest. So far I've got an ATA PIO mode hard disk driver, a FAT32 file system, a real time clock driver, and of course the essentials (interrupts, keyboard, pixel graphics). Kernel panics also cause a blue screen of death xD. It uses a bitmap physical memory allocator, and I'm fixing some issues with paging at the moment as a work towards running userspace applications. I'd be interested to see your thoughts on it :D
2024 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 16
VEKOS(Verified Experimental Kernel OS) is a Rust-based experimental kernel that focuses on runtime verification and security. Every filesystem operation and memory allocation generates cryptographic proofs that can be verified in real-time, ensuring system integrity. Think of it like a blockchain for OS operations rather than just storage verification. Key features: - Merkle tree-backed filesystem with operation verification - Memory manager with CoW and proof generation - Buddy allocator with zone-based memory management - Shell with VT100 support - Verified boot sequence with stage…
2024 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 17
bootstrap K3s over SSH in < 60s 🚀. Contribute to alexellis/k3sup development by creating an account on GitHub.
2021 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 18GA
I built GRSH because I wanted a modern, memory-safe shell that feels native to FreeBSD but works seamlessly on macOS. While there are many shells out there, GRSH is my take on a minimal, fast, and secure command interpreter written entirely in Rust. It's designed for users who want the safety guarantees of Rust without the overhead of more bloated alternatives. I'm currently working on the official FreeBSD port. I’d love to get feedback on the shell's behavior and performance from the community. Github: https://github.com/antoniomalara301289/grsh
Jan 2026 · grimreaper.icu · its alternatives →
- 19
BareMetal for the private/public cloud. Contribute to ReturnInfinity/BareMetal-Cloud development by creating an account on GitHub.
Jan 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 20
This is a personal project I've been working on and off for the past few years. It's a set of tools that have allowed me to prototype quickly small (and increasingly bigger) kernels, and create userspace programs to interact with them. Supports riscv64, amd64 and i386. The intel port has been tested and used on real hardware, from big dual-socket Xeon machines to an old X220. It is all C, I have plan to make rust bindings for the kernel library. But again, they're plans at this stage. Porting to new architectures is relatively simple, a basic port to riscv took me a couple of weeks of…
2024 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 21IB
You know that old TI calculator you used in high school, then put in a box and forgot about? Have you ever wished you had an operating system for your calculator with preemptive multitasking, dynamic memory management, a tree filesystem conforming to the FHS, and all the comforts of Unix? Well, good news: that's totally a thing that exists. I've been working on my kernel for about three and a half years now and I'm looking for new contributors to help out. It's written entirely in z80 assembly, and it's both challenging and fun to work on. There's an IRC channel for contributors or people…
2014 · its alternatives →
- 22
Title says all that needs to said about it, admittedly it is stupid to "copy" any Windows feature in Linux but here we are...it is not exactly made for use by extensive audience but just a rough work of it would love any suggestion/critique on it ...
2025 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 23PP
This is a hobby project I've been working on, any feedback is greatly appreciated!
2023 · pubnix.pink · its alternatives →
- 24
Also compare
- PlanckForth – Bootstrapping an interpreter from handwritten 1kb binary alternatives
- 1.5kb Microkernel for Ben Eater's 6502 Computer alternatives
- Kern – container and resource runtime in a 1.5 MB binary, no daemon alternatives
- My from-scratch OS kernel that runs DOOM alternatives
- A toy bootloader written in C++ alternatives
- My microkernel-based OS built from scratch now has basic Unix commands alternatives
Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →