# vvaltchev/tilck

A Tiny Linux-Compatible Kernel

Repository: https://github.com/vvaltchev/tilck
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/tilck
Language: C
License: BSD-2-Clause
License Family: permissive
Topics: x86, kernel, bootloader, posix-compatible, assembly, uefi, uefi-boot, linux, embedded-systems, bare-metal, acpi
Last push: 2026-08-26T00:46:11+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": 3824, "days_push": 8, "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 3123, forks 140 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:44.342361+00:00)

## What it is
Tilck is a tiny educational Linux-compatible kernel written in C and assembly, targeting i386 and riscv64 with UEFI boot support. It implements a POSIX-compatible subset suitable for running a small userspace, serving as a learning and research OS rather than a production kernel.

## Use cases
- learn how operating system kernels work
- study a small POSIX-compatible kernel codebase
- run a minimal Linux-like system on bare metal x86
- experiment with kernel development and UEFI booting
- teach operating systems courses with a readable kernel
- port a tiny kernel to riscv64

## When to choose
- you want a small, readable kernel for learning OS internals
- you need an educational alternative to Linux for teaching or research
- you want to hack on a kernel without Linux's complexity

## When to avoid
- you need a production-grade kernel with full hardware support
- you need full Linux syscall compatibility or device drivers
- you need SMP, advanced scheduling, or enterprise features

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: interpreter, embedded, developer-tools
- domain: operating-systems, embedded-systems, education
- platform: cpp, c, embedded
- tags: kernel, operating-system, posix, x86, riscv, uefi, bare-metal, osdev, educational, linux

## Member repositories
- vvaltchev/tilck (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:44.342361+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 2026-08-30T07:26:33.380176+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/vvaltchev/tilck (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:44.342361+00:00, sha f3ccd0d3ebd8)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.