Collapse OS

Bootstrap post-collapse technology

Collapse OS is a z80 kernel and a collection of programs, tools and documentation that allows you to assemble an OS that, when completed, will be able to:

1. Run on an extremely minimal and improvised architecture.
2. Communicate through a improvised serial interface linked to some kind of improvised terminal.
3. Edit text files.
4. Compile assembler source files for a wide range of MCUs and CPUs.
5. Write files to a wide range of flash ICs and MCUs.
6. Access data storage from improvised systems.
7. Replicate itself.

Additionally, the goal of this project is to be as self-contained as possible. With a copy of this project, a capable and creative person should be able to manage to build and install Collapse OS without external resources (i.e. internet) on a machine of her design, built from scavenged parts with low-tech tools.

Status

The project unfinished but is progressing well! Highlights:

• Self replicates: Can assemble itself from within itself, given enough RAM and storage.
• Has a shell that can poke memory, I/O, call arbitrary code from memory.
• Can "upload" code from serial link into memory and execute it.
• Can manage multiple "block devices".
• Can read and write to SD cards.
• A z80 assembler, written in z80 that is self-assembling and can assemble the whole project.
• Compact:
  • Kernel: 3K binary, 1800 SLOC.
  • ZASM: 4K binary, 2300 SLOC, 16K RAM usage to assemble kernel or itself.
• Extremely flexible: Kernel parts are written as loosely knit modules that are bound through glue code. This makes the kernel adaptable to many unforseen situations.
• From a GNU environment, can be built with minimal tooling: only libz80, make and a C compiler are needed.

Organisation of this repository

• kernel: Pieces of code to be assembled by the user into a kernel.
• apps: Pieces of code to be assembled into "userspace" application.
• recipes: collection of recipes that assemble parts together on a specific machine.
• doc: User guide for when you've successfully installed Collapse OS.
• tools: Tools for working with Collapse OS from "modern" environments. Mostly development tools, but also contains emulated zasm, which is necessary to build Collapse OS from a non-Collapse OS machine.

Each folder has a README with more details.

More information

Go to Collapse OS' website for more information on the project.