# SerenityOS/serenity

The Serenity Operating System 🐞

Repository: https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/serenity
Homepage: https://serenityos.org
Language: C++
License: BSD-2-Clause
License Family: permissive
Topics: operating-system, c-plus-plus, os, unix, desktop-environment, kernel, browser
Last push: 2026-08-26T11:21:14+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2831, "days_push": 7, "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 33784, forks 3544 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:58.446741+00:00)

## What it is
SerenityOS is a graphical Unix-like operating system for 64-bit x86, Arm, and RISC-V computers, built from scratch in C++ with a custom kernel, desktop environment, and applications. It combines a late-1990s productivity software aesthetic with modern power-user features including its own web browser, security hardening, and POSIX compatibility.

## Use cases
- learn how an operating system kernel works
- run a self-contained desktop OS with its own web browser
- study a from-scratch C++ operating system codebase
- experiment with a POSIX-compatible hobby OS in a VM
- explore OS security features like W^X and pledge/unveil
- develop software with the bundled HackStudio IDE

## When to choose
- you want to read or contribute to a complete, real operating system codebase
- you need a self-contained graphical Unix-like system for learning or experimentation
- you're interested in OS-level security research or kernel development
- you want a nostalgic desktop environment with modern internals

## When to avoid
- you need a production OS for daily work or servers
- you require broad hardware driver support or mainstream software compatibility
- you need long-term support, enterprise tooling, or package ecosystems
- you want a lightweight Linux distribution rather than a full custom OS

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: programming-language, gui, security, networking, developer-tools, graphics
- domain: operating-systems, desktop-applications, developer-tools, security
- platform: windows, cross-platform, cpp
- tags: operating-system, kernel, unix-like, desktop-environment, from-scratch-os, retro-ui, x86, arm, risc-v, posix, self-hosted-browser, hobby-os, browser, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- SerenityOS/serenity (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:58.446741+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 2026-08-29T16:28:08.745042+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:58.446741+00:00, sha 0e5ff4d82e53)
  - homepage: https://serenityos.org (fetched 2026-08-29T07:48:29.274347+00:00, sha 728135599bb6)
  - site_page: https://serenityos.org/faq (fetched 2026-08-29T07:48:29.283301+00:00, sha f326d6899d9e)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.