Genode OS Framework 23.11 released Nov 30, 2023

Genode 23.11 brings advanced power monitoring and control for PC platforms, introduces kernel-agnostic DMA protection, and showcases the port of the Linphone VoIP stack.

At the dusk of November, we have released version 23.11 of the Genode OS Framework, which includes all the recent improvements present in Sculpt OS 23.10 as well as plenty of new feats and features.

Just to name the highlights, the new version moves the IOMMU driver from the kernel to the user land, introduces the monitoring and steering of CPU power/temperature/frequency, comes with a new API for low-complexity GUI applications, and streamlines the framework's virtualization interface. It also improves developer ergonomics and showcases the port of the Linphone VoIP stack.

You can find these and more topics covered in great detail in the official release documentation for the new version.

Genode OS Framework 23.08 released Sep 29, 2023

The current release puts the spotlight on tooling for developing, debugging, porting, and publishing Genode components.

The release of version 23.08 marks the 15th anniversary of our Genode OS framework. Fifteen years filled with curiosity, tireless exploration, learning, and finding fulfilment in our craft. Yet, when looking back at where we started, the goals and the principles behind Genode have remained constant all the time. We started with the vision of a truly trustworthy operation system. Today we can enjoy Genode every day on each of our machines and even on the PinePhone. Our quarterly releases stack up to sixty versions, each marking an indispensable step along our way.

Our latest version 23.08 in this series puts emphasis on developer tooling. In particular, it introduces a multi-component debugging instrument and extends our Goa build tool. Our new debug monitor is a drop-in replacement of Genode's init component, extending init's functionality with the GDB protocol. It ultimately clears the way towards frictionless on-target debugging directly on the Genode-based Sculpt OS.

The Goa tool has evolved into an all-encompassing alternative to Genode's traditional work flows for developing, porting, and publishing applications. With this release, runtime testing with Goa gets extremely flexible and handling of multiple Goa projects becomes a no brainer.

Beside the tooling topics, the release comes with a new PC NIC driver based on Linux, new RaspberryPi/i.MX6 USB host-controller drivers, hardware-button and screensaver support on the PinePhone, improved Intel GPU/display, WiFi, and audio drivers. You can find all the details covered in the official release documentation.

Genode OS Framework 23.05 released May 31, 2023

Genode 23.05 introduces the use of existing SDKs like Lomiri and Rust's cargo for building applications, features a cross-platform Wifi-stack based our Linux device-driver environment, and comes with a new tool chain based on GCC 12.3.

The new tool chain enabled us to consistently switch the framework implementation from the C++ standard C++17 to C++20. This way, modern C++ niceties can be used for regular Genode components now.

As steady continuation of the previous releases, our Linux device driver environment, which got updated to Linux 6.1.20, plays a prominent role in the release. It is the enabler of our cross-platform Wifi stack that works now for the PC and ARM platforms like the PinePhone. Thanks to DDE Linux, Genode users can benefit from the enormous efforts of the Linux kernel community targeting modern hardware.

Further highlights of the new version are the initial use of our custom base-hw microkernel as x86 hypervisor, a profoundly reworked block-encryption stack, and updates of supported 3rd-party software like the seL4 kernel and VirtualBox.

Last but not least, the release is accompanied by our annual update of the "Genode Foundations" and "Genode Platforms" books.

All changes are detailed in the official release documentation.

Article series about combining Genode with FPGAs Mar 20, 2023

In addition to our developer stories at https://genodians.org, we started publishing specific tutorials at https://hackster.io for a wider audience.

Hackster.io is a community platform for hardware and software developers to share their personal and professional projects. With over two million members and 30k open source projects one can find comprehensive instructions and impressive projects for a plethora of hardware/software platforms. Back in November, we launched a distinct Genode channel and started publishing beginner-level tutorials for the Zybo Z7 board.

Genode at Hackster.io

Since then, Genode developer Johannes Schlatow continued his tutorial series about combining Genode with reconfigurable FPGA hardware, specifically targeting Xilinx Zynq. In the latest article "Taking control over DMA transactions on Zynq with Genode", he introduces custom FPGA fabric for implementing DMA protection that is normally not covered by Zynq hardware. It exemplifies how well Genode and reconfigurable hardware can go hand in hand. Please find this latest article among the other Genode tutorials at the Hackster.io channel linked above.

Genode OS release 23.02 Feb 27, 2023

The first Genode version of the year released at the end of February draws a strong connection to this year's road map, that emphasized the use of advanced platform capabilities.

For the PinePhone as our reference platform for the mobile version of Sculpt OS, all the puzzle pieces have come into place for the first ready-to-use system image mentioned above. It motivated plenty of optimizations - from kernel scheduling, over the I/O throughput of the VFS, to the interfacing of GPU drivers - that made it into the release.

Besides the phone, also stationary platforms like PCs and ARM laptops received a fair share of attention. The release enables the use of interactive virtual machines on ARM by adding device models for the GPU and input events. For the PC, the principle support for suspend/resume has become available to our custom microkernel in addition to the NOVA kernel, and Genode learned to distinguish Intel's performance cores from energy-efficient cores.

These are just a few among the many topics of the release, all of which you can find covered in the detailed documentation.

First system image of mobile Sculpt OS Feb 16, 2023

After more than two years of tireless development, we released the first system image of Sculpt OS for the PinePhone.

The first ready-to-use system image for the PinePhone, announced in a dedicated article, features a custom user interface, voice calls and mobile-data connectivity, on-target software installation and system update, device controls (battery, brightness, volume, mic, reset, shutdown), and a variety of installable software. Among the installable applications, there is the Chromium-based Morph web browser, an OpenGL demo using the GPU, tests for the camera and microphone, as well as a light-weight Unix-like system shell.

Road map for 2023 Jan 30, 2023

Genode's road map for 2023 has been finalized.

Around the turn of the year, we traditionally make up our minds about Genode's intermediate future by discussing the project's road map for the next year on our public mailing list. By mid of January, we distilled the official road map from the lively discussion.

Two topics stood out: First, the prospect of using Genode on the phone captured the imagination of many. And second, Sculpt-OS users long for the support of advanced hardware features and improved ease of use.

After having enabled all hardware features of the PinePhone that are fundamental for a mobile phone over the course of the past year, we now aim at getting the mobile version of Sculpt OS into the hands of end users. There will be multiple rounds of field tests within the community, allowing us to reach the desired state of maturity and usefulness in an iterative way. See the 3rd item of this newsletter below for a first glimpse.

On PC platforms, Genode will increasingly address advanced platform features like the distinction between power-efficient and high- performance cores, the management of temperatures and frequencies, or the practical use of suspend/resume. By the end of the year, we envision the PC version of Sculpt OS running on Genode's custom- tailored microkernel leveraging all those aspects of modern PCs.

Along the planned timeline of the project, one can spot plenty of additional topics of interest such as the continued line of work of combining Genode with FPGAs, applications implemented in Rust, the integration of IPv6, the use of C++20 by default, or completed driver support for the MNT Reform laptop.

Visit the updated road map page...