What is DurgX?
A small, secure operating system core that keeps running when parts of it fail.
DurgX is a kernel: the innermost layer of an operating system. It is written in Rust by Galaxyium and runs on 64-bit x86 computers. It is designed for systems that cannot afford to stop, such as satellites, drones, factory controllers and secure defense systems.
The idea in one minute
In most operating systems the kernel holds drivers, file systems and network code, all running with full power. A bug in any one of them can bring the whole machine down.
DurgX does the opposite. The kernel keeps only six small jobs. Everything else, including drivers, file systems and your own apps, is an ordinary program with limited permissions. If one of those programs crashes, the kernel notices, and a supervisor program decides what to do next, usually restarting it.
The six jobs the kernel keeps
- Permissions: checking that a program is allowed to do what it asks (see Permissions).
- Memory mapping: giving each program its own private memory.
- Scheduling: deciding which program runs on which CPU core, and when.
- Messaging: carrying messages and data between programs.
- Interrupts: turning hardware signals into messages for the right driver.
- Timekeeping: a steady clock for predictable timing.
What you can do today
- Download the free ISO and run it in a virtual machine.
- Boot it on real hardware from a USB stick.
- Read how it works, and how an app talks to the kernel.
Important
DurgX is v0.1-alpha. It is for evaluation and is not certified for safety-critical use. Test on a spare machine or a virtual machine first.
Where to next
- New here? Start with the Quick start.
- Evaluating for a project? Read How DurgX is built and Crashes and recovery.
- Writing software for it? Go to Build apps.