# embox/embox

Modular and configurable OS for embedded applications

Repository: https://github.com/embox/embox
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/embox
Homepage: http://embox.github.io
Language: C
License: BSD-2-Clause
License Family: permissive
Topics: c, os, kernel, embedded, mcu, microcontroller, posix
Last push: 2026-08-24T08:34:01+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 88/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 68, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4175, "days_push": 9, "days_rel": 135, "gap_med": 89, "n_releases_24m": 6}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1590, forks 361 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:08.552381+00:00)

## What it is
Embox is a highly configurable POSIX-compliant real-time operating system for resource-constrained embedded systems and microcontrollers. Its core idea is running Linux-style software (Qt, OpenCV, Python, SSH, etc.) directly on bare-metal hardware without a full Linux kernel.

## Use cases
- run Linux software like Qt or OpenCV on an STM32 microcontroller
- build a custom RTOS with only the modules I need
- develop embedded applications with a POSIX API on bare metal
- run Python or Lua scripts on an MCU
- add TCP/IP networking and SSH to a resource-constrained board
- build a VoIP phone on a microcontroller with PJSIP

## When to choose
- you need Linux-like software on low-power hardware without a full Linux kernel
- you want a highly modular, configurable OS where you include only needed components
- your target is an MCU such as STM32, i.MX6, or RISC-V boards
- you want POSIX APIs, C++ support, and common shells/utilities on bare metal

## When to avoid
- you need a mature, widely supported production OS with broad vendor support (e.g., Zephyr, FreeRTOS)
- your hardware can run full Linux and you need its ecosystem
- you need hard real-time guarantees certified for safety-critical systems
- you depend on drivers or platforms not yet supported by Embox

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: embedded, networking, file-system, security
- domain: embedded-systems, operating-systems, iot
- platform: embedded, iot, windows, cross-platform
- tags: rtos, posix, microcontroller, kernel, mcu, bare-metal, configurable-os, operating-system, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- embox/embox (main) score 88

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:08.552381+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T03:54:47.247253+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/embox/embox (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:08.552381+00:00, sha 266b9d6f59a1)
  - homepage: http://embox.github.io (fetched 2026-08-29T11:25:22.113103+00:00, sha 9e4ce23675d8)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.