A very stupid OS.
TextyOS is exactly what it says on the tin: a very stupid OS. It's a minimalist, text-based operating system experiment, built for fun and to explore low-level concepts.
The entire project is written in C# and built with Cosmos (C# Open Source Managed Operating System), which allows kernel development in C#. Expect minimal features, maximum simplicity, and a whole lot of text.
You can try TextyOS in two ways: the easiest way is using a pre-built .iso file in a virtual machine, or you can build it from source.
Ready-to-run .iso files are available for each release. This is the simplest way to test TextyOS without needing to install any development tools.
- Go to the Releases Page: Visit the Releases page for TextyOS.
- Choose a Release: Select the version you want to try (e.g., V1.35).
- Download the
.iso: In the "Assets" section of the release, download the.isofile (e.g.,TextyOS.iso). - Run in a Virtual Machine: Use virtualization software like VirtualBox, VMware, or QEMU to boot the downloaded
.isofile.- Create a new virtual machine (select "Other" as the OS type if prompted).
- When prompted, select the downloaded
TextyOS.isofile as the startup disk/CD-ROM. - Start the virtual machine and watch the magic (or stupidity) happen!
Side note - you also should be able to run it on a real pc, but i havent tested that
I made this doc about some common Cosmos bugs
If you want to tinker with the code, you'll need to set up the Cosmos development environment.
- Visual Studio 2022 (Community Edition or higher) with the .NET desktop development workload.
- Cosmos User Kit: Download and install the latest Cosmos User Kit from the Cosmos Releases page. Follow the installation instructions provided there.
- Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/lazerkatsweirdstuff/TextyOS.git
- Open the solution
cd TextyOS start TextyOS.sln - In Visual Studio, set the main project (e.g.,
TextyOS) as the startup project. - Build and run the project (usually by pressing
F5). Cosmos will automatically compile the kernel and launch it in a virtual machine (like VMware or QEMU, depending on your settings).
TextyOS is very simple and text-focused. Current features include a basic command-line interface with some navigation capabilities.
As of version V1.26, you can:
- Use the Up and Down arrow keys to scroll through previously entered commands.
- Use the Left and Right arrow keys to move the cursor and edit the current command text.
Explore the very, very limited commands available. More "stupid" features may be added in the future.
- Initial commit with project files.
- Basic command history and line editing.
- Implement a command that does something (e.g.,
help). - Add more stupid features.
- Possibly make it slightly less stupid? (No promises.)
See the open issues for a full list of proposed features (and known stupidities).
Contributions are what make the open-source community such an amazing place to learn, inspire, and create. Any contributions you make to this very stupid project are greatly appreciated... and will likely keep it stupid.
If you have a suggestion that would make this less stupid, please fork the repo and create a pull request. You can also simply open an issue with the tag "enhancement".
- Fork the Project
- Create your Feature Branch (
git checkout -b feature/AmazingStupidFeature) - Commit your Changes (
git commit -m 'Add some AmazingStupidFeature') - Push to the Branch (
git push origin feature/AmazingStupidFeature) - Open a Pull Request
Distributed under the project's license. See LICENSE.txt for more information.
Me ig: lazerkato.o@gmail.com
- Hat tip to anyone who finds this even remotely amusing.
- The Cosmos OS community for making C# kernel development possible.
- Inspiration: The desire to create something intentionally simple and silly.