Redox is a POSIX-compliant, microkernel-based operating system written entirely in Rust. By utilizing a memory-safe language for the kernel and all system components, the project eliminates common vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows and use-after-free errors. Its architecture relies on a minimal kernel that manages only essential hardware and process isolation, delegating all other system services to unprivileged user-space processes.
The system distinguishes itself through a modular design where hardware drivers and system services run as independent user-space daemons, allowing them to be updated or restarted without a full system reboot. Communication between these components is handled through structured message-passing rather than shared memory, ensuring strict isolation. Furthermore, Redox employs a unique scheme-based resource access model, where hardware, services, and system resources are exposed as file-like objects accessed through a unified URI-based naming convention.
The operating system provides a comprehensive environment for general-purpose computing and development, including a standard library that enables the execution of existing Unix-like software with minimal modification. It supports multiple CPU architectures and includes a robust suite of tools for build automation, package management, and system image generation. These utilities allow developers to cross-compile software, manage dependencies, and test system variants within virtualized environments.
The project is maintained as an open-source repository with extensive documentation and tooling to support custom kernel builds and system-level development.
