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Collapse OS

Bootstrap post-collapse technology

Collapse OS is a z80 kernel and a collection of programs, tools and documentation that allows you to assemble an OS that, when completed, will be able to:

  1. Run on an extremely minimal and improvised architecture.
  2. Communicate through a improvised serial interface linked to some kind of improvised terminal.
  3. Edit text files.
  4. Compile assembler source files for a wide range of MCUs and CPUs.
  5. Write files to a wide range of flash ICs and MCUs.
  6. Access data storage from improvised systems.
  7. Replicate itself.

Additionally, the goal of this project is to be as self-contained as possible. With a copy of this project, a capable and creative person should be able to manage to build and install Collapse OS without external resources (i.e. internet) on a machine of her design, built from scavenged parts with low-tech tools.

Status

The project unfinished but is progressing well! Highlights:

  • Self replicates: Can assemble itself from within itself, given enough RAM and storage.
  • Has a shell that can poke memory, I/O, call arbitrary code from memory.
  • Can "upload" code from serial link into memory and execute it.
  • Can manage multiple "block devices".
  • Can read and write to SD cards.
  • A z80 assembler, written in z80 that is self-assembling and can assemble the whole project.
  • Compact:
    • Kernel: 3K binary, 1800 SLOC.
    • ZASM: 4K binary, 2300 SLOC, 16K RAM usage to assemble kernel or itself.
  • Extremely flexible: Kernel parts are written as loosely knit modules that are bound through glue code. This makes the kernel adaptable to many unforseen situations.
  • From a GNU environment, can be built with minimal tooling: only libz80, make and a C compiler are needed.

Organisation of this repository

  • kernel: Pieces of code to be assembled by the user into a kernel.
  • apps: Pieces of code to be assembled into "userspace" application.
  • recipes: collection of recipes that assemble parts together on a specific machine.
  • doc: User guide for when you've successfully installed Collapse OS.
  • tools: Tools for working with Collapse OS from "modern" environments. Mostly development tools, but also contains emulated zasm, which is necessary to build Collapse OS from a non-Collapse OS machine.

Each folder has a README with more details.

More information

Go to Collapse OS' website for more information on the project.