osalust

osalust is a software project that provides an operating system abstraction layer (OSAL) intended to simplify cross-platform application development. By presenting a unified set of APIs for core operating-system services, osalust aims to enable software to run on multiple host platforms with minimal code changes. Typical target environments include embedded systems, cross-platform utilities, and research prototypes where portability is important.

The project typically consists of a core API surface that defines interfaces for threading, synchronization, timers, memory management, file I/O, networking, and device access, plus platform-specific adapter modules that map these interfaces to the native OS primitives. The adapters implement the OSAL on each supported host OS, decoupling application code from OS-specific details. A modular design allows optional components such as POSIX compatibility shims or real-time extensions to be included or omitted depending on needs.

Key features commonly associated with osalust include portable threading and synchronization primitives, timer and scheduling abstractions, inter-thread communication mechanisms, wrappers for file and network I/O, and utility services such as logging and error handling. The design emphasizes configurability, small footprint, and the ability to tailor the abstraction layer to specific project requirements.

Usage typically involves including the osalust headers, linking against the appropriate platform module, and configuring the build for the target OS. Licensing for osalust releases varies, but open-source licenses such as permissive or copyleft options may be used depending on the distribution and components in use.

Development status is that osalust is maintained by a community of contributors, with emphasis on documentation, examples, and ongoing platform support. See also: operating system abstraction layer, portability, cross-platform development.