Open Source Rust Operating Systems for Windows

OpenFang is an open-source agent operating system designed to orchestrate autonomous AI agents and workflows in a structured, production-oriented environment. Written primarily in Rust, the project focuses on building a high-performance runtime where multiple specialized agents can collaborate to complete complex computational or development tasks. It aims to move beyond simple chat-based agents by providing infrastructure for persistent agent memory, task coordination, and scalable execution. The system is positioned as a foundation for building advanced AI tooling, particularly in environments that require tight integration with GPU workflows and modern AI pipelines. OpenFang emphasizes modularity and extensibility so developers can plug in custom agents, tools, or execution backends. Overall, the project represents an emerging class of “agent OS” platforms that treat AI agents as first-class computational actors rather than isolated scripts.

Website: https://prismlinux.org Discord: https://discord.gg/hMrWsTpdqw

StartOS is a sovereign, self-hosted operating system built by Start9 Labs to empower individuals with digital independence. Designed to run on personal servers, it provides a privacy-first interface for installing, managing, and running decentralized applications without needing technical expertise. StartOS includes services like Bitcoin nodes, messaging platforms, file hosting, and password managers, all running locally and without third-party control. With a user-friendly UI and strong emphasis on encryption and self-ownership, StartOS offers a holistic alternative to Big Tech infrastructure.

NebiOS is Ubuntu-based secure, privacy-focused universal OS for daily life, creativity, gaming & more. Official mirror - use if main site has download issues. Main site: https://nebios.org ⚠️ DON'T DOWNLOAD FROM UNKNOWN SOURCES! 🛡️ Privacy: NebiOS has no telemetry, no background data services, no tracking daemons, and cannot send any personal data without user action. Full policy: nebisoftware.com/legal/privacy.html === 🚀 NebiOS X out now! ⚠️ Note on Virtual Machines: NebiOS X is optimized and designed for real hardware performance and native GPU acceleration. Virtualization platforms (VMware, VirtualBox, GNOME Boxes, etc.) may show degraded graphics or system performance. For accurate testing, please install NebiOS X on physical hardware. === System Requirements and informations about before installation can be found at https://nebios.org/download (select your version for it)

Bottlerocket is a free and open-source Linux-based operating system meant for hosting containers. Bottlerocket focuses on security and maintainability, providing a reliable, consistent, and safe platform for container-based workloads. This is a reflection of what we've learned building operating systems and services at Amazon. The base operating system has just what you need to run containers reliably, and is built with standard open-source components. Bottlerocket-specific additions focus on reliable updates and on the API. Instead of making configuration changes manually, you can change settings with an API call, and these changes are automatically migrated through updates. Hosting containers doesn’t require much from an operating system and hosting containers is all Bottlerocket aims to do. Many of the packages, tools, interpreters, and dependencies installed by default in general-purpose Linux distributions are simply not needed to only host containers.

Hermit Kernel is the core component of HermitCore, a Rust-based unikernel that runs directly on hypervisors or bare-metal systems to support high-performance cloud and HPC applications. This repository contains the microkernel’s implementation, optimized for running Rust applications natively in a lightweight, single-address-space environment. Hermit Kernel is designed to reduce latency and overhead by avoiding traditional OS abstractions, while still providing essential services such as scheduling, memory management, and networking. It bridges the gap between performance-critical applications and the simplicity of unikernel deployment.

Tock is a secure, embedded operating system designed for microcontrollers and low-power hardware platforms. Written in Rust, it uses a novel kernel architecture where the OS runs a minimal trusted core and all userland code, including device drivers, is sandboxed and isolated. Tock is ideal for IoT devices, wearables, and embedded research projects where reliability and safety are critical. Its capability-based security model and preemptive multitasking allow developers to safely run multiple applications on constrained devices with confidence in memory and fault isolation.

eduOS-rs is a teaching operating system written in Rust, developed by RWTH Aachen University to support courses on systems programming and operating systems. It serves as a practical and educational tool that demonstrates key OS concepts like memory management, multitasking, privilege separation, and system call handling in a safe and modern language. Designed to run on x86_64 hardware using QEMU, eduOS-rs leverages Rust’s ownership model and type safety to reduce bugs common in low-level systems development. It is a valuable resource for students and instructors alike, providing clear, structured examples of kernel development.

Horust is a Rust-based init system for Linux, designed to be fast, simple, and secure. Unlike traditional init systems, Horust focuses on stateless configuration using TOML files and aims to bring predictability and ease of use to system boot and service management. Written with Rust’s safety guarantees, Horust provides features like dependency handling, parallel service startup, and logging, making it suitable for containers, embedded systems, or minimal Linux environments where systemd is too complex or heavy.

Kerla is an experimental operating system kernel written in Rust with a Linux-compatible syscall interface. It aims to run Linux binaries in user space without relying on a traditional Linux kernel. Kerla combines the safety guarantees of Rust with a familiar POSIX-like programming model, making it a unique exploration into safe systems programming. Though early in development, it supports basic userspace execution and is a promising proof-of-concept for running Linux userland programs in a fully Rust-based kernel.

LibertyOS Kernel is the core component of the LibertyOS operating system project, focused on creating a secure, privacy-respecting OS from the ground up. Written primarily in C and C++, the kernel is being developed to support modern hardware, incorporate essential system services, and maintain transparency in design. LibertyOS is built with an emphasis on user freedom, aiming to avoid corporate tracking, offer user-centric control, and provide a robust alternative to mainstream operating systems. The kernel reflects these values through clean code, modular design, and a focus on fundamental security practices.

MOROS is a hobby operating system written in Rust by Vincent Ollivier. It targets computers with an x86-64 architecture and a BIOS, typically from 2005 to 2020. It also runs well on most emulators. MOROS is open source. You can build or download an image. Check out the manual for details on how to use it. MOROS is text-based and draws inspiration from Unix and DOS to provide a simple and efficient environment for computing and communication from the command line. Each program is designed to ensure a cohesive user interface across the entire system. The shell is the hearth of MOROS, used to navigate the filesystem and run other programs.

k23 is a microkernel-based operating system project written in Zig, an emerging systems programming language focused on safety, simplicity, and performance. k23 explores the design of modern OS features like message-passing, memory protection, and modular service construction using Zig’s powerful low-level capabilities. It is an experimental and educational project intended to show how Zig can be used for robust, readable systems programming while enabling contributors to rethink traditional OS structures from the ground up.