nanOS

nanOS is a family of lightweight operating systems developed for embedded and resource-constrained devices. It emphasizes a small runtime footprint, modular architecture, and cross-platform portability. Implementations of nanOS vary, but many share a focus on deterministic behavior suitable for real-time control and IoT applications, with support for multiple processor architectures such as ARM, x86, and RISC-V.

Architectures within the nanOS family range from microkernel-inspired designs to compact monolithic kernels. Common features include a clear separation between the kernel and user-space components, message-based interprocess communication, and optional memory protection. Driver code and services can run in user space to improve isolation when a memory management unit is present.

Typical features include real-time scheduling, modular components, and a minimal standard library or POSIX-like API in chosen configurations. The system often provides a small set of core services (task management, timers, IPC), a networking stack (TCP/IP or lightweight alternatives), basic file systems, and tools for boot, image updates, and secure startup.

NanOS originated in academic and hobbyist communities in the early to mid-2010s and has since spawned multiple independent implementations. It is commonly used in educational projects, sensor nodes, and prototype embedded devices where a compact, portable OS is preferred over a full-featured general-purpose system.

Adoption remains limited to niche devices and research contexts. Proponents highlight predictable latency, configurability, and ease of porting across boards; critics point to a fragmented ecosystem, limited commercial support, and a sparse set of mature tooling compared with mainstream embedded operating systems. Licensing is typically open-source.