DewOS // a small Linux experiment

Hobby Linux distribution built from scratch. Custom C++ /init, TUI installer, GRUB boot, ext4 install target. Not production-ready. That's kind of the point.

Download ISO → Source on GitHub ↗
latest: v0.1 — alpha · x86_64 only

About

DewOS is the slow attempt at a Linux distribution. It's not trying to be Debian, or even Alpine. It's a project to learn what a real OS actually does when you boot it, and to write that code yourself.

Under the hood: a Linux kernel, a custom C++ init that mounts pseudo filesystems, draws a boot splash from a PPM, drops you into a hand-written shell, and (if you ask) hands off to a TUI installer that partitions a disk and writes a real bootable system.

Status

Working

  • Custom C++ /init
  • Built-in shell with history
  • Initramfs live environment
  • GRUB ISO boot menu
  • TUI installer (GPT, ext4)
  • DHCP networking via netup
  • Wi-Fi detect / scan
  • BusyBox fallback shell
  • kilo editor
  • drop package manager (early)

Not ready

  • Graphical environment
  • Service manager
  • Stable Wi-Fi on all hardware
  • Real package repo (network)
  • Hardened login system
  • Multi-user / permissions

Download

Grab the latest ISO and write it to a USB stick or boot it in a VM. It's a single bootable image, ~80MB.

dewos.iso ↓ All releases ↗

SHA-256 and changelogs are on the release page. ISO is unsigned — DewOS isn't shipping signed media yet.

Try it

In QEMU:

qemu-system-x86_64 \
    -m 2G -enable-kvm \
    -drive file=dewos.iso,media=cdrom \
    -drive file=disk.img,format=raw,if=virtio

On real hardware — write to USB with dd (Linux/macOS):

sudo dd if=dewos.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device — this will wipe it. On Windows, use Rufus or Etcher.

Install packages

Once booted (live or installed), use the included package manager:

drop search
drop install vim
drop install fastfetch
drop list

The repo ships locally on the ISO. Network repos are planned but not in this build.

Project

DewOS is written by ArtemyStudio. Pull requests, bug reports and ridicule are all welcome on GitHub.