Serenity is a graphical Unix-like operating system for 64-bit x86, Arm, and RISC-V computers built from scratch with a custom kernel and userland.
The project aims to combine the aesthetic of late-1990s productivity software with the power-user accessibility of modern Unix systems. It implements a modern 64-bit preemptive multithreading kernel, a browser with JavaScript and WebAssembly support, POSIX-compatible system libraries and utilities, a network stack supporting IPv4 and common protocols, and a complete desktop environment with graphical applications. The system emphasizes security through hardware protections, memory isolation, pledge and unveil capability restrictions, address space layout randomization, and web-content sandboxing. All components are developed within a single repository with no external dependencies for core functionality.
Serenity suits developers interested in operating system design, systems programming education, or exploring alternative approaches to user interface and system architecture. The project is appropriate for those who want to study a complete, functional OS implementation or contribute to a from-scratch system rather than modifying an existing one. The repository includes over three hundred ports of popular open-source software alongside native applications, making it viable for practical use beyond educational purposes.
Development activity shows sustained engagement across multiple areas of the system. The project maintains active work on core kernel features and system services. Contributors regularly add support for new file formats, multimedia codecs, and application functionality. Development includes ongoing refinement of standards compliance for JavaScript and CSS in the browser component. The codebase receives consistent updates to security features and system utilities, with debugging and profiling tools receiving regular enhancement.
