Redox OS

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Development & Programming Redox is a Unix-like microkernel operating system written in Rust, focused on security, reliability and safety. It targets users who want a Linux/BSD alternative for cloud and desktop use.

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Editor's Review

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Redox stands out by writing both kernel and drivers in Rust and pushing drivers into userspace, which shrinks the attack surface compared with monolithic Linux. Its Plan 9-inspired scheme architecture and TOML-based image customization give tinkerers fine control over minimal builds. The trade-off i

Site introduction

Redox is an open-source operating system project that aims to be a complete Unix-like alternative to Linux and BSD. Rather than patching an existing kernel, it builds a microkernel in Rust and provides source compatibility so that many existing programs can be ported with modest effort. The project positions itself for both cloud deployments and desktop machines.

The design centers on a microkernel with drivers running in userspace, and OS services exposed through schemes inspired by Plan 9. This architecture reduces the attack surface and isolates failures, while the Rust implementation adds memory-safety guarantees. A ZFS-inspired file system, full-disk encryption and boot support for NVMe, SATA, IDE and USB round out the storage story.

Performance and footprint are explicit goals: fast I/O, quick boot times, a desktop variant using under 512 MB of RAM and a minimal image under 50 MB. Hardware coverage spans Intel/AMD 32- and 64-bit, ARM64 and RISC-V, with PS/2 and USB input support and good virtualization compatibility.

Redox is best suited to systems programmers, OS researchers and hobbyists curious about microkernel design and Rust-based systems software. Anyone dependent on a wide range of peripherals should check the supported driver list before committing, and newcomers can start with the downloadable image and documentation.

For teams evaluating non-Linux Unix-like systems, Redox offers a concrete, security-oriented alternative worth testing in virtual machines b