# runtimejs/runtime

[not maintained] Lightweight JavaScript library operating system for the cloud

Repository: https://github.com/runtimejs/runtime
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/runtimejs-runtime
Homepage: http://runtimejs.org
Language: C++
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Archived: true
Last push: 2019-12-19T02:13:43+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4483, "days_push": 2450, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1919, forks 126 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:54.911565+00:00)

## What it is
runtime.js is an open-source library operating system (unikernel) for the cloud that runs JavaScript on an embedded V8 engine, bundling an application into a lightweight immutable VM image. It uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model inspired by Node.js, supports some Node.js APIs and npm modules, and runs on KVM/QEMU. The project is explicitly not maintained.

## Use cases
- build a unikernel VM image from a JavaScript application
- run JavaScript apps directly on a hypervisor without a full OS
- deploy lightweight immutable VM images to the cloud
- experiment with library operating systems and V8
- run Node.js-style code locally in QEMU for testing

## When to choose
- you want to explore unikernel or library-OS concepts with JavaScript
- you need a minimal VM image for a small JavaScript service and can accept an unmaintained project
- you want to experiment with V8-based OS kernels on KVM/QEMU

## When to avoid
- you need production support, security patches, or an actively maintained project
- you need full Node.js API compatibility or modern npm packages
- you need hypervisors other than KVM
- you want a supported JavaScript runtime - use Node.js, Deno, or Bun instead

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: abandoned
- function: interpreter, http-server, cli, developer-tools
- domain: operating-systems, cloud-computing, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli
- tags: unikernel, library-os, v8, kvm, qemu, nodejs-compatible, virtualization, cloud-deployment, not-maintained, javascript, linux, macos, docker

## Member repositories
- runtimejs/runtime (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:54.911565+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 2026-08-30T03:09:58.877801+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/runtimejs/runtime (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:54.911565+00:00, sha fb92525fc92d)
  - homepage: http://runtimejs.org (fetched 2026-08-29T10:49:18.423374+00:00, sha 00e8a9c8f323)
  - site_page: http://runtimejs.org/getting-started (fetched 2026-08-29T10:49:18.433092+00:00, sha 134c1172aec5)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.