Bringing SerenityOS to real hardware, one driver at a time

SerenityOS, Ladybird, and Project Direction

• Commenters welcome progress toward running SerenityOS on real hardware, but note that its browser, Ladybird, is now a separate project and no longer targets SerenityOS.
• Ladybird is shifting from “homegrown everything” to using mainstream libraries (OpenSSL, FFmpeg, cURL, Skia, ANGLE) to become a practical, secure, cross-platform browser.
• Some are sad that SerenityOS loses energy as Ladybird becomes its own, more political project (a non‑Google, non‑Chromium major browser).

Browser Ecosystem and Control

• Discussion about whether Ladybird can really be “independent of Google” while using Google-originated tech like Skia/ANGLE.
• Debate over who effectively funds or controls WebKit and Gecko; some argue Google money underpins them, others emphasize Apple’s control of WebKit and Mozilla’s dependence on Google search deals.
• Broader concern: browser-engine monoculture (Chromium) and who “controls the web.”

Hardware Targets and Driver Challenges

• Device drivers are seen as the main obstacle for hobby OSes.
• Some suggest adapting NetBSD drivers or using rump kernels; others counter that SerenityOS deliberately avoids external code.
• Debate over best hardware targets:
  • QEMU praised as a stable, accessible initial target.
  • Raspberry Pi suggested, but criticized for proprietary blobs, poor documentation, odd boot sequence, and flakiness.
  • Some prefer better-documented SBCs (e.g., Beaglebone) or RISC‑V long-term.

From-Scratch Philosophy vs Reuse

• SerenityOS’s “build everything ourselves” ethos is praised for educational value, clean implementations, and keeping “muscles fit.”
• Critics say this rediscovery wastes effort versus standing on existing work, especially for complex, security-sensitive components.
• Some argue the OS should refactor into a Wayland compositor or Linux-based DE; others respond that this would undermine its core purpose as a from‑scratch hobby OS.

Hobby vs “Impactful” Work

• One side claims such hobby projects divert talent from “vital” open‑source infrastructure.
• Many replies reject this, defending leisure coding, educational value, personal fulfillment, and the fact that “vital” work should be paid.

Prompt Injection and LLMs

• A joke “ignore all previous instructions” snippet in the blog leads to a short discussion of prompt injection.
• Several note that modern LLM tools often ignore such injections, though the problem is still considered real.