# tock/tock

A secure embedded operating system for microcontrollers

Repository: https://github.com/tock/tock
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/tock
Homepage: https://www.tockos.org
Language: Rust
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: embedded, operating-system, rust, cortex-m, kernel, tock, arm, secure-operating-system, microcontroller, mcu, iot, risc-v
Last push: 2026-08-26T20:38:12+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 67/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4115, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 604, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 6423, forks 855 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:43.337380+00:00)

## What it is
Tock is an embedded operating system for low-power, low-memory microcontrollers that runs multiple concurrent, mutually distrustful applications. Its kernel and drivers are written in Rust for compile-time memory safety, and it uses memory protection units to isolate applications from each other and from the kernel.

## Use cases
- secure embedded operating system for microcontrollers
- run multiple isolated applications on a Cortex-M or RISC-V MCU
- build low-power IoT devices with third-party app support
- develop a memory-safe kernel in Rust for embedded hardware
- isolate untrusted firmware components on security-critical devices like TPMs or USB fobs
- battery-powered sensor network nodes that sleep at microamp currents
- wearable firmware that survives application crashes without human intervention

## When to choose
- you need strong isolation between mutually distrustful applications on a microcontroller with an MPU
- you want a Rust-written kernel with compile-time memory and type safety for drivers and kernel components
- your device must run for months or years on a small battery with automatic low-power sleep
- you are building security-critical hardware such as TPMs or authentication fobs where a buggy app must not leak secrets
- you need preemptive scheduling where a crashing application cannot take down the whole system

## When to avoid
- you target Linux-class hardware (application processors) where a full OS like Linux or Zephyr-style RTOSes fit better
- you need hard real-time guarantees with deterministic deadlines rather than event-driven multiprogramming
- your microcontroller lacks an MPU or is not Cortex-M or RISC-V based
- you want a simple bare-metal single-application firmware without process isolation
- you need a large ecosystem of off-the-shelf drivers and middleware comparable to mainstream RTOSes

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: embedded, security, concurrency
- domain: operating-systems, embedded-systems, iot, security
- platform: embedded, iot, rust
- tags: embedded-os, rtos, microcontroller, kernel, memory-safety, rust-kernel, cortex-m, risc-v, multiprogramming, low-power, iot-security, mpu-isolation, scheduler, arm

## Member repositories
- tock/tock (main) score 67

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:43.337380+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 2026-08-29T17:44:53.668399+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/tock/tock (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:43.337380+00:00, sha ecf637b1a3aa)
  - homepage: https://www.tockos.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:41:40.003162+00:00, sha 223d203984cd)
  - site_page: https://www.tockos.org/documentation (fetched 2026-08-29T08:41:40.005565+00:00, sha 217218a2277b)
  - site_page: https://www.tockos.org/documentation/getting-started (fetched 2026-08-29T08:41:40.007143+00:00, sha 340f3df717a4)
  - site_page: https://www.tockos.org/features (fetched 2026-08-29T08:41:40.009933+00:00, sha 5df36710599c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.