Bringing SerenityOS to real hardware, one driver at a time
Efforts to run the hobbyist SerenityOS operating system on real hardware highlight how device drivers and undocumented platforms remain the primary barrier for new OS projects, which often start life targeting emulators like QEMU. Commenters contrast SerenityOS’s “build everything from scratch” philosophy with more pragmatic approaches that reuse existing kernels, drivers, or libraries, debating whether such purist projects are an inspiring educational playground or a misallocation of talent compared to maintaining mainstream open‑source infrastructure. Along the way, they touch on hardware targets like Raspberry Pi and RISC‑V boards, the political and technical goals of the spun‑off Ladybird browser, and the broader stakes of browser and engine monocultures.
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.