Violyx v0.3.0

A keyboard-only 64-bit operating system for x86 PCs, with a retro text desktop in glowing violet. Written from scratch, with no Linux underneath.

What's new

• C compiler: Violyx can now compile C programs on itself. Write a program in Write, then compile it in Commands with cc file.c -o file and start it right away. The compiler is based on chibicc and comes with its own small C library, and the SDK games compile with it too
• XZN: many new formats:
  • AIFF, CAF, WavPack, True Audio (TTA), MP2, AC3 and DSD (.dsf and .dff)
  • Matroska audio (.mka) with MP3, FLAC, Vorbis, PCM, ALAC or AC3 inside
  • The info window now always shows the track that is playing, not the next one in the queue
• CDs and DVDs: data discs can be read in drives on IDE, SATA or USB. A disc shows up as cd1 a few seconds after it is put in, with long file names from Joliet or Rock Ridge. Discs are read-only, and eject cd1 opens the tray. Violyx also starts from a CD or DVD as before
• Clock: besides the analogue clock there is now a digital clock with the seven-segment digits from the screen saver. Switch with A and D or with Space
• Help: the keyboard overview only opens on its own the first time Violyx starts. After that it is always available with F1
• USB keyboards: keyboards that need a moment after being plugged in, or that do not report themselves as a simple boot keyboard, now work too. This includes gaming keyboards such as the Ducky One 3. The usb command shows more details about every device and the step where its setup stopped
• Fixes: a custom background image could get damaged in places while XZN was open. Fixed

Features

• Windowed text desktop, fully controlled by keyboard, with colour schemes and screen savers
• Every program runs in protected memory, the built-in ones included
• Web browser with HTTPS, images, tabs, bookmarks, search forms and downloads
• Programs: Write, Files, Commands, Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Paint, Image viewer, XZN and Settings
• XZN plays MP3, MP2, OGG, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, CAF, ALAC, WavPack, TTA, DSD, AC3 and Matroska audio
• Games: Pong (also for two players), Invaders, Chomp, Mines, Snake, Bricks and Novastrike
• Sound through HD Audio, AC'97 and USB
• Built-in C compiler, installable programs (.vpk) and an SDK for your own programs in C, with dialogs and network access
• Networking with DHCP, DNS and ping, wired on Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126
• IDE, AHCI, NVMe and USB storage, also behind USB hubs
• CD and DVD drives on IDE, SATA and USB, read-only with ISO 9660, Joliet and Rock Ridge
• FAT32 and exFAT USB sticks and SD cards with read and write support, formatting and hot-plugging
• VioFS file system with folders and long file names
• Installer for the entire disk or next to another system, with several safety prompts
• English and German, with US and German keyboard layouts
• Boots on BIOS and UEFI

Downloads

File	Use
violyx_v0.3.0.iso	Try Violyx in a VM without installing, or install it from there
violyx_v0.3.0.vdi	Ready-to-use VirtualBox disk
violyx_v0.3.0.img	Raw image for QEMU or for writing to a USB stick

In VirtualBox, choose Other/Unknown (64-bit), at least 512 MB of memory and the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop network adapter. For sound, enable audio with the Intel HD Audio or ICH AC97 controller. To pass through a USB stick, enable the USB 3.0 controller.

Known limitations

• Experimental hobby project, tested in QEMU and VirtualBox and running on one real PC, including wired internet, USB sound, USB sticks, SD cards and a USB CD drive
• The code has been reviewed for security, but Violyx is still a young hobby system, so please do not enter passwords or use it for anything sensitive
• One network connection at a time: while one program loads, another one has to wait
• Only one monitor: Violyx uses the screen the firmware switches on at startup
• No sound over HDMI or DisplayPort: graphics cards only pass sound on with their own display driver
• Browser: no JavaScript and no style sheets. WebP and SVG images are not shown. Downloads are saved in /downloads, /home or on USB drives
• Network: Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126 only, no Wi-Fi. The RTL8125B driver is untested on real hardware
• USB requires an xHCI controller
• USB sticks and SD cards: FAT32 and exFAT with 512-byte sectors, no NTFS. Formatting works for drives up to 2 TB. Card readers built into the PC without USB are not supported
• CDs and DVDs: data discs only, no audio CDs and no UDF (many video DVDs and Blu-rays). Discs cannot be written
• C compiler: programs use the Violyx SDK functions instead of a full standard C library
• Installing next to another system needs a start by UEFI and a disk with a GPT partition table. Violyx does not shrink partitions, so make room first, for example in Windows Disk Management, and keep the BitLocker recovery key at hand if BitLocker is on
• Partition install is tested in QEMU, not yet on real hardware

See the README for keyboard shortcuts and full documentation.

Violyx v0.2.1

A keyboard-only 64-bit operating system for x86 PCs, with a retro text desktop in glowing violet. Written from scratch, with no Linux underneath.

What's new

• Security review: the kernel and the system programs were checked for security holes, and several were closed:
  • A program could make Write or the Image viewer open any file of the system, past its access check
  • A program without internet permission could send data out through the browser. Opening a web address now needs the program's own permission
  • A program in the background could follow which keys were pressed in other windows. Held keys now only reach the window in front, and never while a system menu or dialog is open
  • Unread data of a closed network connection could reach the next program that went online
  • A program could refuse to close forever, even in full screen, and so block restart and shutdown. After three refusals within ten seconds Violyx now offers to end it
  • The browser and the Image viewer read data from outside (web pages, pictures) and now only get the folders of a normal program. The viewer may only read
  • The internet permission belongs to the program package, no longer only to its name
  • Smaller fixes: a kernel memory read past the colour table, window sizes from programs are checked, network addresses only for system programs, /home and /downloads cannot be deleted or moved by programs, stronger random numbers for DNS and TCP
• Installer: Violyx can now be installed next to another system, into one partition or into free space on the disk. It gets a small boot partition of its own and the start entry "Violyx" in the firmware. Windows and its EFI partition stay untouched and still start by default, Violyx is chosen in the boot menu of the firmware (often F11, F12 or F8)
• SD cards: USB card readers work, with every slot as its own drive. A card shows up about a second after it is put in and disappears when it is taken out
• Custom background images: Images can now be set directly as a desktop background via the image viewer.
• Pong: two players on one keyboard. Left plays with W and S, right with the arrow keys. Choose it in the Pong menu or with the keys 1 and 2
• Logo: new colours from pink to deep violet on the start screen, the Logo background and the logo screen saver
• Building: compiles with GCC 14 (Debian 13)

Features

• Windowed text desktop, fully controlled by keyboard, with colour schemes and screen savers
• Every program runs in protected memory, the built-in ones included
• Web browser with HTTPS, images, tabs, bookmarks, search forms and downloads
• Programs: Write, Files, Commands, Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Paint, Image viewer, XZN and Settings
• Games: Pong (also for two players), Invaders, Chomp, Mines, Snake, Bricks and Novastrike
• Sound through HD Audio, AC'97 and USB
• Installable programs (.vpk) and an SDK for your own programs in C, with dialogs and network access
• Networking with DHCP, DNS and ping, wired on Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126
• IDE, AHCI, NVMe and USB storage, also behind USB hubs
• FAT32 and exFAT USB sticks and SD cards with read and write support, formatting and hot-plugging
• VioFS file system with folders and long file names
• Installer for the entire disk or next to another system, with several safety prompts
• English and German, with US and German keyboard layouts
• Boots on BIOS and UEFI

Downloads

File	Use
violyx_v0.2.1.iso	Try Violyx in a VM without installing, or install it from there
violyx_v0.2.1.vdi	Ready-to-use VirtualBox disk
violyx_v0.2.1.img	Raw image for QEMU or for writing to a USB stick

In VirtualBox, choose Other/Unknown (64-bit), at least 512 MB of memory and the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop network adapter. For sound, enable audio with the Intel HD Audio or ICH AC97 controller. To pass through a USB stick, enable the USB 3.0 controller.

Known limitations

• Experimental hobby project, tested in QEMU and VirtualBox and running on one real PC, including wired internet, USB sound and USB sticks
• The code has been reviewed for security, but Violyx is still a young hobby system, so please do not enter passwords or use it for anything sensitive
• One network connection at a time: while one program loads, another one has to wait
• Only one monitor: Violyx uses the screen the firmware switches on at startup
• No sound over HDMI or DisplayPort: graphics cards only pass sound on with their own display driver
• Browser: no JavaScript and no style sheets. WebP and SVG images are not shown. Downloads are saved in /downloads, /home or on USB drives
• Network: Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126 only, no Wi-Fi. The RTL8125B driver is untested on real hardware
• USB requires an xHCI controller
• USB sticks and SD cards: FAT32 and exFAT with 512-byte sectors, no NTFS. Formatting works for drives up to 2 TB. Card readers built into the PC without USB are not supported
• Installing next to another system needs a start by UEFI and a disk with a GPT partition table. Violyx does not shrink partitions, so make room first, for example in Windows Disk Management, and keep the BitLocker recovery key at hand if BitLocker is on
• Partition install and the SD card support are tested in QEMU, not yet on real hardware

See the README for keyboard shortcuts and full documentation.

Violyx v0.2.0

A keyboard-only 64-bit operating system for x86 PCs, with a retro text desktop in glowing violet. Written from scratch, with no Linux underneath.

What's new

• Protected programs: every program now runs in ring 3 with its own memory, the built-in ones too. Write, Files, Commands, the browser, Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Image viewer, Paint, Pong, Invaders, Chomp and Mines left the kernel, so a crash ends only that program, never the system
• Smaller kernel: it keeps only what has to be there: the desktop, programs overview, Settings, Help, installer, drivers, file systems and the network stack
• Browser: runs as a protected program with HTTP, TLS (Mbed TLS), cookies and image decoding of its own. Ctrl+P saves the image on the screen to /downloads, and links to .vpk programs download and install right away, so a simple web page can serve as a program store
• Network for programs: installed programs can go online. The kernel offers TCP connections and name lookups, and Violyx asks once before a program goes online, just like with USB sticks
• System dialogs for programs: messages, yes/no questions, text input and a file picker. A program may then use exactly the file the user picked
• Bricks: 16 levels, tough bricks that need two hits and solid bricks that never break. After the last level the walls come back faster
• Closing programs: Write and other programs ask about unsaved changes before closing, also when shutting down. "Shut down Violyx now?" comes first, then the programs
• Commands: run NAME also starts built-in programs, and web ADDRESS opens a new tab in a browser that is already open
• Programs overview: stays visible under its dialogs, for example when uninstalling a program
• System info: shows the screens Violyx found at startup
• SDK: dialogs (vx_message, vx_ask, vx_input, vx_choose_file), network (vx_resolve, vx_connect, vx_send, vx_recv), vx_open for system programs and up to 32 pictures at once. The new example fetch.c loads a web page

Features

• Windowed text desktop, fully controlled by keyboard, with colour schemes and screen savers
• Every program runs in protected memory, the built-in ones included
• Web browser with HTTPS, images, tabs, bookmarks, search forms and downloads
• Programs: Write, Files, Commands, Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Paint, Image viewer, XZN and Settings
• Games: Pong, Invaders, Chomp, Mines, Snake, Bricks and Novastrike
• Sound through HD Audio, AC'97 and USB
• Installable programs (.vpk) and an SDK for your own programs in C, with dialogs and network access
• Networking with DHCP, DNS and ping, wired on Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126
• IDE, AHCI, NVMe and USB storage, also behind USB hubs
• FAT32 and exFAT USB sticks with read and write support, formatting and hot-plugging
• VioFS 2 file system with folders and long file names
• Installer with several safety prompts
• English and German, with US and German keyboard layouts
• Boots on BIOS and UEFI

Downloads

File	Use
violyx_v0.2.0.iso	Try Violyx in a VM without installing, or install it from there
violyx_v0.2.0.vdi	Ready-to-use VirtualBox disk
violyx_v0.2.0.img	Raw image for QEMU or for writing to a USB stick

In VirtualBox, choose Other/Unknown (64-bit), at least 512 MB of memory and the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop network adapter. For sound, enable audio with the Intel HD Audio or ICH AC97 controller. To pass through a USB stick, enable the USB 3.0 controller.

Known limitations

• Experimental hobby project, tested in QEMU and VirtualBox and running on one real PC, including wired internet, USB sound and USB sticks
• Programs are protected from each other and from the kernel, but the kernel, its drivers and the desktop have never been checked for security, so please do not enter passwords or use Violyx for anything sensitive
• One network connection at a time: while one program loads, another one has to wait
• Only one monitor: Violyx uses the screen the firmware switches on at startup
• No sound over HDMI or DisplayPort: graphics cards only pass sound on with their own display driver
• Browser: no JavaScript and no style sheets. WebP and SVG images are not shown
• Network: Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126 only, no Wi-Fi. The RTL8125B driver is untested on real hardware
• USB requires an xHCI controller
• USB sticks: FAT32 and exFAT with 512-byte sectors, no NTFS. Formatting works for drives up to 2 TB
• The installer erases the entire selected disk

See the README for keyboard shortcuts and full documentation.

Violyx v0.1.5

A keyboard-only 64-bit operating system for x86 PCs, with a retro text desktop in glowing violet. Written from scratch, with no Linux underneath.

What's new

• Colour schemes: Violet, Ocean, Emerald, Amber, Ruby and Graphite for the whole desktop. Games, programs, Paint and the Violyx logo keep their own colours
• Screen savers: the Violyx logo with twinkling stars, 3D wire frames, a seven-segment clock, the analog clock and a synthwave sunset with palms, chosen in Settings with a waiting time of 1 to 30 minutes
• Clock: a new analog clock with a ticking second hand, date and digital time
• Image viewer: opens PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP and TGA files from Files, with previous/next picture and fit to window
• exFAT: USB sticks with exFAT can be read and written, including files over 4 GB
• Formatting: USB sticks can be formatted with FAT32 or exFAT, with several safety prompts. The drive Violyx runs from is protected
• Faster USB sticks: up to 64 KB per command instead of one sector, so reading, copying and formatting are much faster
• Clean shutdown: the sound fades out, all drives empty their cache, hard disks park and NVMe SSDs and USB sticks are signed off before the power goes off
• Program menu: a fifth menu after Help for the program on top, with an Info window for every program. Files gets Copy, Move, Delete, New, Eject and Format there
• Commands: help by topic and help COMMAND for details, earlier inputs with the Up arrow, Tab completion for commands and file names, a cursor that moves inside the line, and quotes for names with spaces. New: view, clock and format
• XZN: the mini player now looks like the original, with a scrolling title and a volume slider. Tracks load in parts, so other programs keep running, and the visualizer keeps moving behind menus and other windows
• Games: Chomp now has music too, and music can be switched on and off in Chomp, Bricks and Novastrike
• SDK: vx_menu for the program menu and vx_read_at to read large files in parts
• Readable code: the whole source follows one code style (clang-format and black), with English comments throughout

Features

• Windowed text desktop, fully controlled by keyboard, with colour schemes and screen savers
• Web browser with HTTPS, images, tabs, bookmarks and search forms
• Programs: Write, Files, Commands, Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Paint, Image viewer, XZN and Settings
• Games: Pong, Invaders, Chomp, Mines, Snake, Bricks and Novastrike
• Sound through HD Audio, AC'97 and USB
• Installable programs (.vpk) and an SDK for your own programs in C
• Networking with DHCP, DNS and ping, wired on Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126
• IDE, AHCI, NVMe and USB storage, also behind USB hubs
• FAT32 and exFAT USB sticks with read and write support, formatting and hot-plugging
• VioFS 2 file system with folders and long file names
• Installer with several safety prompts
• English and German, with US and German keyboard layouts
• Boots on BIOS and UEFI

Downloads

File	Use
violyx.iso	Try Violyx in a VM without installing, or install it from there
violyx.vdi	Ready-to-use VirtualBox disk
violyx.img	Raw image for QEMU or for writing to a USB stick

In VirtualBox, choose Other/Unknown (64-bit), at least 512 MB of memory and the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop network adapter. For sound, enable audio with the Intel HD Audio or ICH AC97 controller. To pass through a USB stick, enable the USB 3.0 controller.

Known limitations

• Experimental hobby project, tested in QEMU and VirtualBox and running on one real PC, including wired internet, USB sound and USB sticks
• Programs are protected, but the built-in programs and drivers are not, so please do not enter passwords or use Violyx for anything sensitive
• No sound over HDMI or DisplayPort: graphics cards only pass sound on with their own display driver
• Browser: no JavaScript and no style sheets. WebP and SVG images are not shown
• Network: Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126 only, no Wi-Fi. The RTL8125B driver is untested on real hardware
• USB requires an xHCI controller
• USB sticks: FAT32 and exFAT with 512-byte sectors, no NTFS. Formatting works for drives up to 2 TB
• The installer erases the entire selected disk

See the README for keyboard shortcuts and full documentation.

Violyx v0.1.4

A keyboard-only 64-bit operating system for x86 PCs, with a retro text desktop in glowing violet. Written from scratch, with no Linux underneath.

What's new

• Sound: drivers for Intel HD Audio, AC'97 and USB audio, including mainboard chips such as the Realtek ALC4080, with front and rear jacks
• Game sounds and music: every game now has sound effects, Novastrike and Bricks also have their own chiptune music
• XZN for Violyx: the Violyx edition of the Xenon-Zones (XZN) music player, for MP3, OGG, FLAC and WAV, with equalizer, spectrum, playlist, mini player and colour schemes. It keeps playing behind other windows
• Novastrike: 10 worlds with their own colours, music and boss, from a bouncing crystal to a laser boss, and a victory screen once all ten are free
• Bricks: much faster, and a fast ball smashes through several bricks at once
• Browser: images, tabs, bookmarks, history, search on the page, cookies, gzip, file downloads, aligned tables and coloured text. Ctrl+I turns images off for a site
• 256 colours: backgrounds with patterns, the Violyx logo or your own images, and Paint to draw them
• Windows: new windows open in the centre, and the Windows menu puts them in any corner
• All games resize with their window, and the version is shown in the bottom bar
• SDK: programs can now play sounds and music (vx_tone, chip.h) and show small pictures
• Safer decoding: images and compressed web pages are unpacked in a separate protected helper
• Diagnostics: the new sound and devices commands list sound chips and hardware

Features

• Windowed text desktop, fully controlled by keyboard
• Web browser with HTTPS, images, tabs, bookmarks and search forms
• Programs: Write, Files, Commands, Calculator, Calendar, Paint, XZN and Settings
• Games: Pong, Invaders, Chomp, Mines, Snake, Bricks and Novastrike
• Sound through HD Audio, AC'97 and USB
• Installable programs (.vpk) and an SDK for your own programs in C
• Networking with DHCP, DNS and ping, wired on Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126
• IDE, AHCI, NVMe and USB storage, also behind USB hubs
• FAT32 USB sticks with read and write support and hot-plugging
• VioFS 2 file system with folders and long file names
• Installer with several safety prompts
• English and German, with US and German keyboard layouts
• Boots on BIOS and UEFI

Downloads

File	Use
violyx.iso	Try Violyx in a VM without installing, or install it from there
violyx.vdi	Ready-to-use VirtualBox disk
violyx.img	Raw image for QEMU or for writing to a USB stick

In VirtualBox, choose Other/Unknown (64-bit), at least 512 MB of memory and the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop network adapter. For sound, enable audio with the Intel HD Audio or ICH AC97 controller. To pass through a USB stick, enable the USB 3.0 controller.

Known limitations

• Experimental hobby project, tested in QEMU and VirtualBox and running on one real PC, including wired internet and USB sound
• Programs are protected, but the built-in programs and drivers are not, so please do not enter passwords or use Violyx for anything sensitive
• No sound over HDMI or DisplayPort: graphics cards only pass sound on with their own display driver
• Browser: no JavaScript and no style sheets. WebP and SVG images are not shown
• Network: Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126 only, no Wi-Fi. The RTL8125B driver is untested on real hardware
• USB requires an xHCI controller
• FAT32 only: exFAT and NTFS are not supported
• Writing to USB sticks is slow
• The installer erases the entire selected disk

See the README for keyboard shortcuts and full documentation.

Violyx v0.1.3

A keyboard-only 64-bit operating system for x86 PCs, with a retro text desktop in glowing violet. Written from scratch, with no Linux underneath.

What's new

• Installable programs: .vpk packages that you open in Files and install with one confirmation
• Protected memory: each program runs in its own address space, so a crash closes only that program
• SDK: write your own programs in C, with open source examples
• More built-in games: Snake, Bricks and Novastrike are now part of the system, also on the live ISO
• Wired internet on real PCs: new driver for Realtek RTL8126 network chips, adapted from OpenBSD and tested on real hardware
• More USB ports: support for several USB controllers and USB hubs, including hot-plugging
• Diagnostics: the new usb and netdiag commands show connected devices and the network state
• Browser: Tab and Shift+Tab now wrap around at the end of a page
• Real hardware: successfully booted on a real PC through UEFI

Features

• Windowed text desktop, fully controlled by keyboard
• Text browser with HTTPS, links and search forms
• Programs: Write, Files, Commands, Calculator, Calendar and Settings
• Games: Pong, Invaders, Chomp, Mines, Snake, Bricks and Novastrike
• Networking with DHCP, DNS and ping
• IDE, AHCI, NVMe and USB storage
• FAT32 USB sticks with read and write support and hot-plugging
• VioFS 2 file system with folders and long file names
• Installer with several safety prompts
• English and German, with US and German keyboard layouts
• Boots on BIOS and UEFI

Downloads

File	Use
violyx.iso	Try Violyx in a VM without installing, or install it from there
violyx.vdi	Ready-to-use VirtualBox disk
violyx.img	Raw image for QEMU or for writing to a USB stick

In VirtualBox, choose Other/Unknown (64-bit), at least 512 MB of memory and the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop network adapter. To pass through a USB stick, enable the USB 3.0 controller.

Known limitations

• Experimental hobby project, tested in QEMU and VirtualBox and running on one real PC, including wired internet
• Programs are protected, but the built-in programs and drivers are not, so please do not enter passwords or use Violyx for anything sensitive
• Network: Intel E1000 and Realtek RTL8125B/RTL8126 only, no Wi-Fi. The RTL8125B driver is untested on real hardware
• USB requires an xHCI controller
• FAT32 only: exFAT and NTFS are not supported
• Writing to USB sticks is slow
• The installer erases the entire selected disk

See the README for keyboard shortcuts and full documentation.

Violyx v0.1.1

A keyboard-only 64-bit operating system for x86 PCs, with a retro text desktop in glowing violet. Written from scratch, with no Linux underneath.

What's new

• New games: Invaders, Chomp and Mines
• Calendar: month view with a saved note for each day and a list of upcoming notes
• Programs menu: now shows the overview and all open windows, so you can jump straight to any of them

Features

• Windowed text desktop, fully controlled by keyboard
• Text browser with HTTPS, links and search forms
• Programs: Write, Files, Commands, Calculator, Calendar and Settings
• Games: Pong, Invaders, Chomp and Mines
• Networking with DHCP, DNS and ping
• IDE, AHCI, NVMe and USB storage
• FAT32 USB sticks with read and write support and hot-plugging
• VioFS 2 file system with folders and long file names
• Installer with several safety prompts
• English and German, with US and German keyboard layouts
• Boots on BIOS and UEFI

Downloads

File	Use
violyx.iso	Try Violyx in a VM without installing, or install it from there
violyx.vdi	Ready-to-use VirtualBox disk
violyx.img	Raw image for QEMU or for writing to a USB stick

In VirtualBox, choose Other/Unknown (64-bit), at least 512 MB of memory and the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop network adapter. To pass through a USB stick, enable the USB 3.0 controller.

Known limitations

• Experimental hobby project, tested in QEMU, VirtualBox and real hardware
• No memory protection, so please do not enter passwords or use it for anything sensitive
• USB requires an xHCI controller, and hubs are not supported
• FAT32 only: exFAT and NTFS are not supported
• Writing to USB sticks is slow
• The installer erases the entire selected disk
• The USB stick features have so far only been tested in QEMU

See the README for keyboard shortcuts and full documentation.

Violyx v0.1.0

A keyboard-only 64-bit operating system for x86 PCs, with a retro text desktop in glowing violet. Written from scratch, with no Linux underneath.

What's new

• USB drives: FAT32 sticks appear in the new /drives folder, with read and write support and long file names
• Hot-plugging: plug in and remove USB sticks and keyboards while Violyx is running
• Access prompt: Violyx reads nothing from a stick until you confirm access with Y or J
• Copying in Files: press C to copy files and whole folders between Violyx and a stick
• Safe removal: press E in Files or use the eject command before unplugging
• Live ISO: save directly to a USB stick without installing

Features

• Windowed text desktop, fully controlled by keyboard
• Text browser with HTTPS, links and search forms
• Programs: Write, Files, Commands, Calculator, Pong and Settings
• Networking with DHCP, DNS and ping
• IDE, AHCI, NVMe and USB storage
• VioFS 2 file system with folders and long file names
• Installer with several safety prompts
• English and German, with US and German keyboard layouts
• Boots on BIOS and UEFI

Downloads

File	Use
violyx.iso	Try Violyx in a VM without installing, or install it from there
violyx.vdi	Ready-to-use VirtualBox disk
violyx.img	Raw image for QEMU or for writing to a USB stick

In VirtualBox, choose Other/Unknown (64-bit), at least 512 MB of memory and the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop network adapter. To pass through a USB stick, enable the USB 3.0 controller.

Known limitations

• Experimental hobby project, tested in QEMU and VirtualBox but not yet on real hardware
• No memory protection, so please do not enter passwords or use it for anything sensitive
• USB requires an xHCI controller, and hubs are not supported
• FAT32 only: exFAT and NTFS are not supported
• Writing to USB sticks is slow
• The installer erases the entire selected disk
• The USB stick features have so far only been tested in QEMU

See the README for keyboard shortcuts and full documentation.