GridOS is an experimental operating system designed to explore alternative computing paradigms. It rejects the traditional Unix-like directory tree in favor of a spatial, tag-based architecture inspired by digital landscapes like Disney’s TRON.
Rather than managing files in nested folders, GridOS treats data as objects existing at specific coordinates within an infinite multi-modal environment.
GridOS offers three distinct ways to interact with the kernel, switchable at any time via the shell:
A high-performance text interface for users who value speed.
- 32+ Commands: Including
ls,cat,grep, and custom memory tools likelookat/pokeat. - Custom Rendering: Scaled font engine (1x to 3x) with a dedicated backbuffer.
- Command History: Full scrollback and command recall.
An infinite 2D plane where files and programs exist as floating elements.
- Spatial Freedom: Pan with WASD and zoom through the file pool.
- Floating Terminals: Open command overlays directly on top of data structures.
- Visual Comparison: Layout files side-by-side on a boundless surface.
A first-person, wireframe exploration mode.
- Dwarf Fortress Inspired: A spatial representation of the "User World."
- Software Renderer: Custom math engine (Sin/Cos Taylor series) and Bresenham line rendering.
- Procedural Generation: Explore memory as terrain through the "Spatial Hex" mode.
GridOS replaces the path/to/file convention with GridVFS, a flat, UUID-based file pool organized by metadata and coordinates.
- No Directories: Files are retrieved via tag intersection (e.g.,
focus type:text project:kernel). - Spatial Identity: Every file has an
(x, y, z)coordinate, determining its location in the Canvas and 3D Grid. - Query Engine: Filter the system state using dynamic tag queries.
> newfile config.txt
> tag config.txt system
> move config.txt 500 200 0
> prop config.txt| Subsystem | Description |
|---|---|
| Kernel | Monolithic x86_64 kernel booting via Limine. |
| Memory | 32MB Static Bump Allocator with custom malloc/free. |
| VM | Custom 11-instruction Bytecode VM for safe program execution. |
| LibC++ | Zero-dependency custom STL (Vector, HashMap, String). |
| Graphics | Generic Framebuffer with SSE-optimized software rendering. |
| Drivers | PS/2 Mouse (IntelliMouse), PS/2 Keyboard, RTC, PC Speaker. |
GridOS includes a custom-built sandbox for running untrusted or experimental code:
- 4 General-purpose registers.
- 1024-byte scratchpad memory.
- "Gas" limit to prevent infinite loops.
- Instruction set designed for genetic algorithm experiments.
nasmgcc/g++(cross-compiler for x86_64-elf recommended)makeqemu-system-x86_64
make
make run- ATA/PIO Driver: Implement persistent storage for GridVFS.
- Multitasking: Round-robin scheduler for Ring 0 processes.
- User Mode: Transition to Ring 3 with system calls.
- Networking: Basic TCP/IP stack using the e1000 driver.
GridOS is an early-stage research project. Architecture decisions and system design are original works, developed with AI assistance for implementation and documentation.