PumpkinOS, a Re-Implementation of PalmOS

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

PumpkinOS Project & Scope

  • Re-implementation of PalmOS, impressive given the need to support many legacy system calls and Palm’s unusual memory model.
  • Some debate whether it’s a full OS or more of a program/runtime that could sit on top of Linux or similar.
  • Author has experimented with making it bootable via a minimal kernel and QEMU; in principle could be adapted to ARM.
  • Uses SDL, so posters note it should be relatively straightforward to port to Android or WebAssembly.

PalmOS Architecture, Memory & Input

  • PalmOS used movable memory blocks that the OS could rearrange, requiring apps to “lock” handles before use.
  • Several posters say this is trivial to emulate on modern hardware by never moving blocks and turning locks into no-ops.
  • Discussion compares this handle-based, shared-heap design to classic Mac OS, Win16, and AmigaOS, including difficulties with fragmentation and MMU support.
  • Graffiti text input and alternatives like Fitaly are fondly remembered and considered highly efficient.

Palm Hardware, Ecosystem & Decline

  • Early devices had very little RAM (kB to single-digit MB) and used it as both storage and working memory.
  • Later Treo and Centro smartphones are cited as real “pre-iPhone” smartphones with rich app ecosystems, but PalmOS became obsolete (16‑bit legacy, no real multitasking, non-VM).
  • Posters blame Palm’s split into hardware/software companies, the never-adopted PalmOS 6/Cobalt, late and underpowered webOS devices, and carrier control.
  • Some argue Palm was trapped by backward compatibility; others think Apple showed such transitions are possible with enough resources.

Emulators, Ports & Related Projects

  • rePalm and CloudpilotEmu are mentioned as other ways to run PalmOS or its apps on modern hardware and in browsers.
  • People enjoy replaying classic games like Space Trader and Vexed; nostalgia for Palm game ecosystem is strong.

Nostalgia vs. Modern Needs

  • Many express emotional nostalgia (battery life, physical keyboards, simple PIM apps, page-up/down buttons).
  • Some doubt PalmOS would satisfy as a daily driver today; modern OSes offer far more connectivity, multitasking, and app ecosystems.
  • “Killer feature” for a revival is unclear; main appeal seems to be simplicity, responsiveness, and long battery life rather than capabilities.