Dusk OS

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Forth, drivers, and architecture

  • Some discussion on how Dusk OS’s Forth code actually interfaces with hardware:
    • Keyboard handling code is described as an event loop polling status in memory, reacting when hardware changes those values.
    • USB keyboard code lives in a separate Forth driver tree; several commenters say they “can’t read” Forth and find it alien.
  • Clarification that Forth in general is often a thin layer over assembly or machine code, with many non‑standard dialects.

Design goals: collapse-focused, tiny, and self-hosting

  • Dusk boots from a very small kernel (2.5–4 KB, CPU‑dependent); most of the system is recompiled from source at each boot.
  • It includes an “almost C” compiler implemented in ~50 KB of source as a deliberate trade‑off: reduced language/stdlib complexity for a much smaller codebase.
  • A key aim is extreme portability: easy to retarget to new or scavenged architectures post‑collapse.

Debate over collapse scenario and relevance

  • Many commenters find the “first stage of civilizational collapse” framing implausible or theatrical (“Fallout vibes”), arguing:
    • If we truly can’t make modern computers anymore, we likely face mass starvation or near‑extinction, making OS design a low priority.
    • In such conditions, most people would be working on food, water, and basic survival, not operating an esoteric OS.
  • Others counter:
    • Historical collapses and dark ages were uneven and local; humanity can lose complex capabilities (like dome building or moon landings) without going extinct.
    • Thinking about bootstrapping and resilience is still intellectually and practically interesting, even if the exact scenario is unlikely.

Fabs, semiconductor fragility, and what “loss of computers” means

  • One side claims that knowledge and capability to build chips is widely distributed; many universities have nanofabs and could, in principle, go “from sand to chips.”
  • Pushback emphasizes:
    • University fabs rely on an enormous global supply chain (ultra‑pure chemicals, equipment, power, maintenance, HEPA filters, etc.).
    • True “sand to hello world” requires a vast industrial pyramid that would fail quickly in major conflict or systemic collapse.
  • Some propose more moderate scenarios:
    • Advanced nodes might disappear, but older processes could survive, giving us “Pentium 4‑class” machines instead of nothing.

Practicality vs existing systems

  • Skeptics ask why Dusk is better than:
    • FreeDOS, Linux + BusyBox, or lightweight Android ROMs, which already exist with huge software ecosystems.
    • Standard RTOSes or bare‑metal code for microcontrollers, which are already small and hackable.
  • Concerns noted:
    • “Almost C” may be worse than a real C compiler; TCC is cited as an already tiny C compiler (though its source is larger).
    • In a low‑energy world, an optimizing compiler might be more valuable than a minimal one.
    • Running obsolete Windows or Linux to control existing proprietary hardware might be more immediately useful.

Human factors and prepper realism

  • Several comments argue that in any serious collapse:
    • Time and energy to sit at a computer would be hard to justify versus farming, scavenging, or defense.
    • Traditional “prepping” (bunkers, canned food) only buys months or a few years; long‑term survival requires broader social and industrial rebuilding.
  • Others stress that communication and trust networks might be the key resource:
    • Speculation that a tool like this could help build secure, decentralized communication (keys, radios, ad‑hoc communities, even improvised economies).

Perceptions: inspiration, art, and coping

  • Some view Dusk OS as a technically impressive “boutique” or “TempleOS‑like” labor of love, bordering on performance art with doomsday lore.
  • Others say the project is a healthy outlet for existential dread: hacking an OS as therapy, and interesting regardless of its literal utility.
  • A minority sees it as more relevant than religiously themed hobby OSes, while others note that historic religious institutions preserved knowledge effectively.

Miscellaneous points

  • Minor technical nit: project’s own docs prefer http:// links for future compatibility; suggestion that the HN link should match this.
  • Light jokes about Emacs vs vi, abacuses, solar calculators, and Fallout‑style narration.
  • A few commenters explicitly ask where to learn how to scavenge microcontrollers and actually boot and use such an OS, indicating genuine hands‑on interest.