| Genode | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The desktop system Sculpt based on Genode | |
| Developer | Genode Labs |
| Written in | C++ |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Initial release | 2008; 18 years ago (2008) |
| Latest release | 25.11[1]  / 27 November 2025; 2 months ago (27 November 2025) |
| Repository | github |
| Marketing target | Desktop computers Embedded systems |
| Available in | English |
| Supported platforms | ARM,RISC-V,x86-64 |
| Kernel type | Microkernel |
| Userland | Genode,POSIX |
| License | AGPL-3.0-only and commercial |
| Official website | genode |
Genode is a novel OS architecture that aims to improvesoftware safety by applying a strict organizational structure to all software components includingdevice drivers, system services, and applications.
Within the Genode project, theOperating System framework is anopen-source tool kit for building highly secure component-based operating systems, whereasSculpt is a pre-built distribution for personal computers and smartphones.
Genode is frequently used in academia for computer science research.
Genode was first conceived as the Bastei OS Architecture[2] research report at the Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden). The focus of the report was to determine the practicality of a component-based OS usingcapability-based security. This work was influenced by concurrent research at Dresden intovirtualisation andmicrokernels which would itself mature into the NOVA microhypervisor[3] subsequently adopted as the Sculpt kernel. Following the success of an early prototype, the authors of the report founded the company Genode Labs to develop Bastei as the Genode OS Framework.
Genode OS framework is a tool kit for building highly secure special-purpose operating systems. It scales from embedded systems with as little as 4 MB of memory to highly dynamic general-purpose workloads.[4]
The system is based on a recursive structure. Each program is executed in a dedicatedsandbox and gets granted only those access rights and resources that are required to fulfill its specific purpose. Programs can create and manage sub-sandboxes out of their own resources, thereby forming hierarchies where policies can be applied at each level. The framework provides mechanisms to let programs communicate with each other and trade their resources, but only in strictly defined manners. Thanks to this rigid regime, the attack surface of security-critical functions can be reduced by orders of magnitude compared to contemporary operating systems.[4]
The framework aligns the construction principles of microkernels withUnix philosophy. In line with Unix philosophy, Genode is a collection of small building blocks, out of which sophisticated systems can be composed. But unlike Unix, those building blocks include not only applications but also all classical OS functionalities includingkernels, device drivers,file systems, andprotocol stacks.[4]
Genode supports thex86 (32 and 64 bit),ARM (32 and 64 bit), andRISC-V (64 bit) CPU architectures. On x86, modern architectural features such asIOMMUs andhardware virtualization can be utilized. On ARM, Genode is able to take advantage of TrustZone and virtualization technology.[4]
Genode can be deployed on a variety of different kernels including most members of theL4 microkernel family (NOVA, seL4, Fiasco.OC, OKL4 v2.1, L4ka::Pistachio, L4/Fiasco). Furthermore, it can be used on top of theLinux kernel kernel to attain rapid development-test cycles during development. Additionally, the framework is accompanied with a custom microkernel that has been specifically developed for Genode and thereby further reduces the complexity of the trusted computing base compared to other kernels.[4]
Genode supports virtualization at different levels:
The Framework consists of hundreds of ready-to-use components such as:
Genode is offered asfree and open source software with commercial licensing available on request.[5]
Updates are released quarterly.[6] Development follows a roadmap for each year with longer term aspirations listed separately.[7]
Pre-built general purpose operating system for commodity PC hardware and the PinePhone. As Genode Labs' in-house distribution Sculpt is used daily by the Genode developers.[8]
The design of the user interface is guided by the underlying design philosophy of Genode and thus diverges from mainstream convention.[9] This approach is typified by "Leitzentrale", an interactive chart of the system components, accessible at any time. A sizeable library of applications have been ported to Sculpt fromKDE.
The name "Sculpt" derives from the intention for users to sculpt their own desktop incorporating only their desired components.[10]
Genode Labs maintain extensive documentation of their products.[11] The master reference is "Genode Foundations" which provides a holistic description of the Framework and is revised annually. This is supported by "Genode Applications" which covers developing and porting applications to Genode, and "Genode Platforms" which deals with low level and hardware related topics.
Genode acknowledge that the unorthodox interface of Sculpt may intimidate some users.[10] Bryan Lunduke regards Sculpt as the "weirdest" contemporary operating system.[12]
| Kernels |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating systems |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Frameworks,kits | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
