Rinux

A Unix-like monolithic modular kernel written in Rust.

Welcome to the Rinux kernel!

Rinux is an open-source free monolithic modular kernel written in Rust. The goal is to make the "twin of Linux" with the same architecture, concepts, functions and performance.

Rinux is actually in active development, you can contribute/check on our GitHub repository.

Download / Source code  |  Build instructions  |  License (GPL-2.0)

About

Rinux is a hobby operating system kernel written in Rust. It aims to be a twin of Linux in design, and follows the same core directions:

Everything is built layer by layer: boot, memory management, the heap. The source is public and meant to be studied as much as it is meant to run. Rinux does not aim to be a distribution — it is the kernel, and nothing more.

Build & run in QEMU (hardware soon)

1. Requirements

A Rust nightly toolchain (pinned by rust-toolchain.toml), plus grub-mkrescue, xorriso and QEMU. 

$ sudo pacman -S qemu-full grub xorriso
$ rustup toolchain install nightly
$ rustup component add rust-src llvm-tools --toolchain nightly

2. Compile

$ git clone https://github.com/madebyanto/rinux.git
$ cd rinux
$ cargo build

3. Make an image and boot

$ make image    # build the ISO with grub-mkrescue
$ make run      # boot it in QEMU

# or both at once:
$ bash build.sh

Note: Rinux is meant to run in a virtual machine while in development. It boots on bare metal, but use a disposable machine if you try.

FAQ

Is Rinux a Linux distribution?
No. Rinux is a standalone kernel, not a distribution: it ships no userland, no package manager, no desktop. It is a twin of Linux in design — the same ideas, written from scratch in Rust.
Why write a kernel in Rust instead of C?
Rust gives memory safety checks at compile time without a garbage collector, which matters a lot in kernel space. It also makes low-level abstractions easier to reason about and harder to get wrong.
Can I boot it on real hardware?
Rinux boots via Multiboot2 and GRUB, so technically yes, but it is tested mainly in QEMU. While it is in active development, a virtual machine is the comfortable path.
What does "monolithic modular" mean?
The core subsystems run in kernel space (monolithic), but the source is organised in distinct components — memory management, allocator, console, drivers — each with a clear responsibility (modular).
Which architectures are supported?
Currently x86-64 (64-bit long mode). Other targets may come later, but nothing is promised.
Is it ready to use?
No. Rinux is in active development and is a learning/experimentation project. It boots, prints and manages memory — that is all, for now.
Under which license is it released?
GNU General Public License version 2.0. See the LICENSE file.
I found a bug. Where do I report it?
Open an issue on GitHub. Include your environment (QEMU version or hardware), the steps to reproduce, and the serial/screen output.

Useful resources

Contribute

Rinux is in active development, and pull requests are welcome.

Fork the repository, create a branch, send a pull request with a clear description. Small focused patches are the ones that get merged.

Rinux — a handcrafted kernel.  |  Back to top  |  GitHub  |  Free software under the GNU GPL v2.0.

Credits: the logo is a modified version of Tux, originally created by Larry Ewing with The GIMP: “Permission to use and/or modify this image is granted provided you acknowledge me (Larry Ewing) and The GIMP if you use it to create a modified version.” Rinux is not affiliated with them, nor with Linux.

Last updated: November 2026.