# siemens/jailhouse

Linux-based partitioning hypervisor

Repository: https://github.com/siemens/jailhouse
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/jailhouse
Language: C
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: hypervisor, linux, real-time
Last push: 2024-05-18T14:16:54+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 32/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4700, "days_push": 837, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1952, forks 363 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:58.409455+00:00)

## What it is
Jailhouse is a Linux-based partitioning hypervisor that splits hardware resources into isolated cells running bare-metal applications or adapted operating systems alongside Linux. It prioritizes simplicity over features, performing no scheduling or resource overcommitment, and is loaded and configured by a running Linux system.

## Use cases
- run bare-metal real-time applications alongside Linux on the same hardware
- statically partition CPUs, RAM, and devices between isolated cells
- isolate safety-critical or deterministic workloads from a general-purpose Linux host
- run a second (adapted) operating system next to Linux without full virtualization
- achieve strong isolation with minimal hypervisor overhead on x86 or ARM hardware

## When to choose
- you need static, non-overcommitted partitioning of hardware resources with strong isolation
- you want a minimal hypervisor with no scheduling overhead for real-time or embedded workloads
- you can boot Linux first and use it to configure and manage the hypervisor
- your hardware supports the required virtualization features (Intel VMX/EPT/VT-d or ARM virtualization extensions)

## When to avoid
- you need dynamic resource overcommitment, scheduling, or general-purpose VM management (use KVM or Xen)
- you want to run unmodified guest operating systems with full device virtualization
- you need a standalone bare-metal hypervisor that boots without a Linux host
- your platform lacks the required hardware virtualization and IOMMU support

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: security, embedded
- domain: operating-systems, embedded-systems, developer-tools
- platform: -
- tags: hypervisor, partitioning, bare-metal, cells, real-time, static-partitioning, virtualization, linux, x86, arm

## Member repositories
- siemens/jailhouse (main) score 32

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:58.409455+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 2026-08-30T03:06:47.758610+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/siemens/jailhouse (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:58.409455+00:00, sha 9059abc6aa61)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.