iniOS

inios is a fictional open-source operating system designed for embedded devices and edge computing. The project emphasizes a small footprint, modularity, and security. The name blends 'INI' for initialization with OS, and is not related to iOS or other systems.

The iniOS project was proposed by a community of enthusiasts in 2019–2020 as a research-oriented platform for exploring microkernel-like separation of concerns. Version 1.0 was released in 2021, followed by minor releases through 2023. It remains a niche project with limited installations.

Design and architecture: iniOS uses a microkernel-like core called Nebula, with user-space services and device drivers running as isolated processes. It emphasizes capability-based security, message-passing, and a configuration model based on simple INI-like files. The kernel provides basic scheduling, IPC, and resource management, while most system services run in user space.

Features: A POSIX-like user environment, a minimal init system, and a modular package system. It supports multi-architecture builds (ARM, x86_64) and supports container-like isolation via lightweight sandboxes. Filesystem support includes INIFS and a simple persistence layer. The project uses safe languages where possible (Rust for core components) while interoperating with C and C++ drivers.

Reception and use: iniOS is primarily used in academic projects and hobbyist experiments. It has limited hardware support and a small ecosystem of applications compared with mainstream OSes. Critics point to a narrow device compatibility and slower maturation, though supporters cite its security-minded architecture and clear module boundaries as strengths.

See also: Genode, Minix, QNX, L4 microkernel, operating system design.