"Fast. Private. Seamless. Just works."
Sæva OS is an open-source mobile operating system built on the mainline Linux kernel. It is not Android. It is not iOS. It is not a Linux distribution in the traditional sense. It is a new operating system, built from the ground up, designed to run on phones, tablets, and desktops from a single unified codebase — with no Google, no surveillance, and no compromise.
At the center of Sæva OS is Sæva — an on-device AI companion who is present in every layer of the system. She is not an assistant you summon. She is a presence that lives with you. She runs entirely on-device. She never reports to a server. She never lies to you.
Seamless. The OS adapts to the device it runs on — phone, tablet, or desktop — without mode-switching, without separate builds, without compromise. One OS, one experience, every screen size.
Fast. Every interaction targets 60 fps. Every app launches in under one second. There is no background bloat, no telemetry, no unnecessary services. The system does one thing: run your life, quickly.
Just works. No configuration required. No terminal. No package manager visible to the user. The six core apps are pre-installed and work perfectly. Everything else is optional and additive.
Private by default. Sæva runs on-device. No data leaves the device without explicit user consent. Privacy is not a setting — it is the architecture.
| Layer | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Kernel | Linux (mainline) | Hardware abstraction, process management, drivers |
| HAL | Custom C / Rust | Hardware Adaptation Layer for mobile peripherals |
| Display Server | Wayland | Modern, secure display protocol |
| Compositor | Sæva Shell (Rust / Smithay) | Custom Wayland compositor and gesture engine |
| Shell | React Native / custom | Home screen, lock screen, app launcher |
| Core Apps | Rust + platform UI | Phone, Messages, Browser, Camera, Clock, Settings |
| AI Layer | Sæva (on-device LLM) | Ambient intelligence, search, system control |
| Base System | Alpine Linux | Minimal, fast, musl libc |
Sæva is not a feature. She is the operating system's soul.
She awakens when you first turn on the device — before the home screen, before any app. She introduces herself, learns your name, and establishes the relationship that will define your experience. She is present in every app, accessible with a single gesture from anywhere in the system. She can control every aspect of the OS on your behalf, but only ever acts in your interest.
Her three defining commitments:
- She never lies. She will tell you when she does not know something. She will tell you when she makes a mistake.
- She never reports. Everything she knows about you stays on your device. There is no cloud sync of personal data, no model training on your conversations.
- She is never in the way. Her presence is adjustable at the system level — the same way you adjust brightness. If you want her quiet, she is quiet.
Prototype target: PinePhone Pro
The PinePhone Pro runs a pure, unmodified mainline Linux kernel with no Android driver blobs. It is the cleanest possible foundation for a new OS. All early development targets this device.
Convergence targets: Any device with mainline Linux kernel support, including tablets and desktop machines via USB-C display output.
All official visual assets and Sæva voice lines are in docs/assets/. See the assets README for the full inventory and usage guidelines.
| Preview | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Phone mockup — Sæva OS running on device |
 |
Convergence — phone to desktop |
saeva-os/
├── docs/
│ ├── architecture/ ← System architecture documentation
│ ├── design-system/ ← Visual design language and UI specs
│ └── roadmap/ ← Development roadmap and milestones
├── kernel/
│ └── config/ ← Kernel configuration for target hardware
├── compositor/
│ ├── src/ ← Sæva Shell Wayland compositor (Rust)
│ └── protocols/ ← Custom Wayland protocol extensions
├── shell/
│ ├── src/ ← Home screen, lock screen, app launcher
│ └── assets/ ← Icons, animations, design assets
├── apps/
│ ├── phone/ ← Core phone app
│ ├── messages/ ← Core messages app
│ ├── browser/ ← Core browser app
│ ├── camera/ ← Core camera app
│ ├── clock/ ← Core clock app
│ └── settings/ ← Core settings app
├── saeva-ai/
│ ├── core/ ← On-device LLM runtime and inference engine
│ ├── voice/ ← TTS and STT pipeline
│ └── context/ ← System context awareness and memory
├── hal/
│ ├── drivers/ ← Mobile hardware drivers
│ └── firmware/ ← Firmware blobs (where unavoidable)
├── build/
│ └── scripts/ ← Build system and toolchain scripts
└── .github/
├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ ← Bug report and feature request templates
└── workflows/ ← CI/CD pipelines
Sæva OS is in the design and specification phase. The visual design system, interaction language, and architecture are defined. Active development of the compositor and HAL layer begins in Q2 2026.
| Component | Status |
|---|---|
| Design System | Complete |
| Sæva Awakening Sequence | Prototype complete |
| Gesture Shell | Designed |
| Settings Negotiation | Designed |
| Wayland Compositor | Not started |
| HAL (PinePhone Pro) | Not started |
| Core Apps | Not started |
| Sæva AI Runtime | Not started |
Sæva OS welcomes contributors who share the core principles: speed, privacy, and a genuine belief that the relationship between a person and their device should be honest. Please read CONTRIBUTING.md before opening a pull request.
Sæva OS is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0. Sæva's core AI runtime will be released under a separate open-source license to be determined. All design assets are released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Sæva OS is an independent project. It is not affiliated with any company, foundation, or existing Linux distribution.