Genodians.org - Stories around the Genode Operating System

Mobile user interface, not in the face!
January 5 2023 by Norman Feske

When approaching the user interface for a Genode-based phone, we started with the vague idea to mirror time-tested user-interface paradigms established in the worlds of Android and iOS, but we ultimately diverged from this beaten track. Instead, we took the opportunity to reflect the unique security architecture of our operating system at the user-interface level, giving the user an extremely strong sense of control over the device. This article presents our rationale and the initial scope of functionality. Continue...
Pine fun - Cutting Linux-driver competencies
May 3 2022 by Norman Feske

The previous episodes of the article series covered the challenges of transplanting complex driver code from the Linux kernel into Genode components. Once running happily in its new habitat, however, the driver code needs a heavy dose of domestication. This article shows how to curb the driver code from the overarching access of power, reset, pin, and clock controls. Continue...
Pine fun - One Platform driver to rule them all
April 29 2021 by Norman Feske

In the previous article we exercised direct-device access from user-level components. In Genode systems beyond such toy scenarios, however, it would be irresponsible to follow the path of allowing arbitrary drivers to access any device willy-nilly. Our call for discipline and rigidity is answered by the (rising drum roll) platform driver. Continue...
What's new in Sculpt OS 21.03
March 24 2021 by Norman Feske

The just released version 21.03 of Sculpt OS becomes resilient against several classes of driver failures, improves the responsiveness and convenience of the user interface, and makes recent Genode features like CPU-load balancing and screen capturing available to Sculpt components. Let's have a look at the most prominent changes. Continue...
What's new in Sculpt OS 20.08
September 17 2020 by Norman Feske

The version 20.08 of Sculpt OS has just become available. Let's have a look at the most interesting changes and new features. Continue...
Re-stacking the GUI stack
June 23 2020 by Norman Feske

As I am currently right in the middle of a far-reaching rework of Genode's low-level GUI stack, I'd like to share a bit of background behind this work: the Why, the What, and the How. Continue...
Compartmentalized window management in Sculpt OS
March 27 2020 by Norman Feske

When using Sculpt OS day-in day-out, the simple default window manager as introduced in the manual is quite limiting. This article presents an alternative that is able to remember window positions across reboots, swap out window decorations on the fly, and that empowers the user to modify the window layout directly via a textual interface. Continue...
Speaking of Security
July 11 2019 by Norman Feske

The term security is overloaded to a point that makes it almost meaningless. On our website, we speak of Genode as a technology for building highly secure operating systems. But what does that even mean? Let's take a closer look at the security landscape at large, and our focus in particular. Continue...