# gopher-os/gopher-os

A proof of concept OS kernel written in Go

Repository: https://github.com/gopher-os/gopher-os
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/gopher-os
Language: Go
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2020-08-29T02:08:35+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 32/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3451, "days_push": 2196, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2622, forks 179 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:05.064718+00:00)

## What it is
A proof-of-concept 64-bit OS kernel written in Go, aiming for POSIX compliance and Linux-compatible syscalls. It exists to demonstrate that Go can be used for low-level ring-0 code, and is not a usable operating system.

## Use cases
- write an operating system kernel in Go
- learn how kernels boot and run at ring 0
- experiment with Linux-compatible syscalls in a hobby kernel
- study a tick-less 64-bit kernel implementation
- run a custom kernel in QEMU for OS development learning

## When to choose
- you want to study or contribute to a Go-based kernel as an educational project
- you need a reference for low-level Go (assembly, memory management, boot code)
- you are exploring OS development concepts in a familiar language

## When to avoid
- you need a production or usable operating system - the kernel panics on boot
- you need an actively maintained project - development stalled around 2020
- you need POSIX compliance or Linux syscall compatibility today

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: abandoned
- function: programming-language, developer-tools
- domain: operating-systems, programming-languages
- platform: go
- tags: os-kernel, proof-of-concept, ring-0, go-kernel, qemu, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- gopher-os/gopher-os (main) score 32

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:05.064718+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 2026-08-30T02:20:02.057717+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/gopher-os/gopher-os (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:05.064718+00:00, sha 98abe8cdbb48)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.