A custom, open-source operating system built from scratch Designed for user sovereignty, censorship resistance, and privacy by architecture.
[!CAUTION]
The ghOSt operating system, its kernel, and all associated source code are strictly NOT authorized for distribution, use, compilation, modification, or deployment within the State of California. Any use of this software by individuals or entities located in or operating from California is expressly prohibited. This restriction is prompted by California AB-2273 (The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act) and the broader regulatory trajectory it represents. By accessing this repository, you acknowledge and agree to this restriction. See the full Legal Disclaimer for details.
ghOSt is a ground-up operating system with two deployment profiles:
| Profile | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimal Rescue | A floppy/USB-bootable CLI environment for quick system operations — formatting, diagnostics, and recovery. |
| Full Install | A complete desktop/server OS with a browser-like graphical UX, broad application compatibility, and full COM support. |
| Principle | Details |
|---|---|
| User Autonomy First | No telemetry, no mandatory online or cloud accounts, no age-gating, no content censorship at the OS level. Local user and administrator accounts only. |
| Privacy by Design | Local-first operation, user-owned encryption, minimal data collection. |
| Small, Auditable, Deliberate | Every component earns its place. |
| Layer | Language |
|---|---|
| Kernel / Boot | Assembly + C |
| System Services | C / C++ |
| GUI Shell | C++ / HTML / CSS / JS / TS |
| Configuration | JSON |
- Boot: UEFI required. Secure Boot and TPM support are optional (design does not block them).
- Storage: Protocol-based rather than connector-name based — M.2 NVMe and U.2 NVMe fall under PCIe + NVMe support, while M.2 SATA falls under SATA/AHCI support.
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Development Bible | The canonical design reference |
| Changelog | Version history and release log |
| Issue Tracker | Known issues, planned work, and open questions |
| Legal Disclaimer | Warranty, liability, and jurisdictional terms |
Licensed under GNU GPL v3.0 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later).
See LICENSE for the full license text and ADR-0001 for the rationale.
By submitting a contribution to ghOSt, you agree that your contribution will be licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later.
Read the Development Bible before making architecture-impacting changes.
AnotherLaughingMan
ghOSt — Your machine. Your rules.