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General Questions

Redox is an open-source operating system written in Rust, a language with focus on safety, efficiency, and high performance. Redox uses a microkernel architecture and aims to be reliable, secure, usable, correct, and free. Redox is inspired by previous operating systems such as seL4, MINIX, Plan 9, Linux, and BSD.Redox is not just a kernel - it’s a full-featured operating system, providing components (file system, display server, core utilities, etc.) that together make up a functional and convenient operating system. Redox uses the COSMIC desktop apps and provides source code compatibility with many Rust, Linux, and BSD programs.
In general, contributions to Redox are governed by the MIT License. Each project repository has a LICENSE file that provides the license terms for that specific project.The MIT license is used because it provides maximum freedom for developers while maintaining open source principles. See the Philosophy page for more details on this choice.
Redox supports x86-64 and i686 architectures, with experimental ARM64 support. However, hardware support varies:Currently Supported:
  • BIOS and UEFI firmware
  • PS/2 and USB input devices
  • Intel integrated graphics (via VESA/GOP)
  • Ethernet adapters (varies by model)
  • HDA audio (on supported hardware)
Not Yet Supported:
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • AMD, NVIDIA, ARM, and PowerVR GPUs (only BIOS VESA and UEFI GOP)
  • I2C devices (including many laptop touchpads)
For detailed hardware compatibility, see the Hardware Compatibility page.
No, Redox is a completely independent operating system with its own kernel, not a Linux distribution. While Redox provides source code compatibility with many Linux programs through its C library (relibc), it has a unique microkernel architecture and is written entirely in Rust.

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Development

Building Redox requires a Linux, macOS, or BSD system (or WSL on Windows). Follow these steps:
  1. Download the bootstrap script:
curl -sf https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/redox/raw/master/podman_bootstrap.sh -o podman_bootstrap.sh
  1. Run the bootstrap:
time bash -e podman_bootstrap.sh
  1. Build the system:
make all
For systems without SELinux:
make all USE_SELINUX=0
See the Building Redox guide for complete instructions.
Yes! There are many ways to contribute:Without programming knowledge:
  • Test Redox on your hardware and report compatibility
  • Write or improve documentation
  • Report bugs and feature requests
  • Help with graphic design (logos, icons, wallpapers)
With other programming languages:
  • Web development for the website
  • Port C/C++ programs to Redox
  • Write unit tests
See the Contributing Guide for more ways to help.
Redox OS does not accept contributions generated by LLMs (Large Language Models), sometimes also referred to as “AI”. This policy is not open to discussion. Any content submitted that is clearly labeled as LLM-generated (including issues, merge requests, and merge request descriptions) will be immediately closed, and any attempt to bypass this policy will result in a ban from the project.
Software is ported to Redox using the Cookbook recipe system. The general process:
  1. Check if a recipe already exists to avoid duplication
  2. Create a recipe file defining the build process
  3. Test the build and runtime on Redox
  4. Submit a merge request
See the Application Porting guide for detailed instructions.
If a program can’t build, something may be missing in relibc, such as a POSIX/Linux function or there may be a bug.
Key documentation resources:

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Contributing

Redox uses GitLab for code hosting and collaboration:
  1. Create a GitLab account (see Signing in to GitLab)
  2. Fork the relevant repository
  3. Make your changes following the style guidelines
  4. Submit a merge request
  5. Post the MR link in the MRs Matrix room
For quick reviews, keep merge requests small. Large MRs take longer to review and may need to be split into smaller ones.
When making a contribution, you agree to:
  • I (the contributor) am the copyright owner of these changes
  • I submit these changes according to the project’s license with no additional requirements
  • I understand these changes in full and will be able to respond to review comments
This is similar to the Developer Certificate of Origin from the Linux Foundation.
Based on your skill level:Beginner-friendly:Intermediate:
  • Help wanted issues
  • Porting applications
  • Improving relibc compatibility
Advanced:See the Contributing Guide for the complete list.
Follow the Git style guidelines. Run rustfmt on Rust code changes to ensure consistent formatting.

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Community

See the Community page for all chat platforms and support channels.
  1. Search existing issues to check for duplicates
  2. Create a new issue on the appropriate repository
  3. Include:
    • System information (OS, Redox version)
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Complete error logs
  4. Post the issue link in the Dev or Support chat rooms
See the Filing Issues guide for details.
Yes! You can support Redox development through:For more information, see the Donate page.

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Additional Resources

For more questions, see:

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