Skip to content

Specification.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
256 lines (184 loc) · 5.78 KB

Specification.md

File metadata and controls

256 lines (184 loc) · 5.78 KB

PanoramicData.Os - Specification

Overview

PanoramicData.Os is a custom operating system built on a minimal Linux kernel with a pure .NET 10 userspace. The system provides a browser-based graphical interface where all windows are opened via URLs.

Core Architecture

Layer Technology Notes
Kernel Linux (minimal) Hardware abstraction only
Userspace .NET 10 NativeAOT Everything above kernel
Graphics Chromium/CEF Browser-based windowing
Init .NET binary Replaces traditional init system

Key Constraint

No traditional Linux userspace. No systemd, no glibc applications, no bash/shell - only:

  • Linux kernel
  • .NET 10 NativeAOT compiled binaries
  • Chromium/CEF binary (for browser rendering)

Target Platforms

The OS must boot and function correctly on all of the following virtualization platforms:

Platform Priority Notes
QEMU Primary Development and CI testing
VirtualBox Primary Common developer VM
Hyper-V Primary Windows-native, enterprise
VMware Primary Enterprise workloads

Networking

Network Interface Drivers

Support NICs commonly available across all target VMs:

  • Intel E1000 (emulated on most VMs)
  • AMD PCnet-III (VirtualBox default)
  • Realtek RTL8139 (legacy, widely supported)

Protocol Support

Protocol Version Status
IPv4 Full Required
IPv6 Full Required
TCP Full Required
UDP Full Required
ICMP v4 + v6 Required
ARP - Required
NDP - Required (IPv6)

IP Configuration

Method Support
DHCPv4 Required
DHCPv6 Required
SLAAC Required
Static IPv4 Required
Static IPv6 Required

SSH Access

Authentication

  • Public key only - no password authentication
  • Supported key types: Ed25519, RSA (4096-bit minimum)
  • Authorized keys stored on boot disk

Shell

  • Custom ANSI color terminal
  • Built-in commands (no external binaries)

Shell Commands

Command Description
help Display available commands
ls List directory contents
cd Change directory
cat Display file contents
pwd Print working directory
clear Clear terminal
ping ICMP ping
ifconfig Network interface configuration
ip IP configuration (modern)
reboot Reboot system
shutdown Shutdown system
poweroff Power off immediately
mount Mount filesystems
df Disk usage
free Memory usage
ps Process list
top Process monitor
date Display date/time
hostname Display/set hostname
dmesg Kernel messages
netstat Network statistics
ss Socket statistics
route Routing table

Disk / Filesystem

Initial Scope

  • Boot disk only (single disk support)
  • Read-write access

Filesystem

  • FAT32 (maximum compatibility)
  • Alternative: ext2 (if FAT32 proves limiting)

Storage Driver

  • IDE/ATA (PIO mode) - works across all VMs
  • Future: AHCI, virtio-blk

Graphics / Windowing

Rendering Engine

  • Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF)
  • Full ES2024+ JavaScript support
  • Modern CSS support
  • WebAssembly support

Window Management

Feature Behavior
Default mode Floating windows
Tiling Snap to edges/corners
Fullscreen F11 or double-click title
Taskbar None
Launcher Super key opens switcher/launcher
Window switching Super key or Alt+Tab

URL-Based Windows

All windows are opened via URL:

URL Scheme Purpose
panos://terminal Terminal/shell
panos://settings System settings
panos://files File manager
panos://launcher App launcher
https://... External websites
file:///... Local HTML files

Input Support

Input Method Support
Keyboard PS/2, USB HID
Mouse PS/2, USB HID
Touch Multi-touch via libinput

Development Requirements

Build Environment

  • Docker-based build system
  • Must build on Windows, macOS, and Linux hosts
  • Reproducible builds

Continuous Integration

  • GitHub Actions workflows
  • Automated image builds on every commit
  • VM-based boot tests (QEMU)

Testing

Test Type Tooling
Unit tests xUnit / NUnit
Integration tests Custom test harness
E2E tests Playwright (browser testing)
Boot tests QEMU + expect scripts

Debugging

  • Serial console output (COM1)
  • Kernel messages via dmesg
  • .NET diagnostics where possible

Licensing

  • Open source
  • Preferred: MIT or Apache 2.0
  • All dependencies must be compatible

Non-Goals (Initial Release)

The following are explicitly out of scope for v1.0:

  • Multiple user accounts
  • USB device hotplug
  • Audio support
  • Printing
  • Multiple monitors
  • GPU acceleration (software rendering only)
  • Bare metal installation
  • Package manager
  • Third-party app installation

Success Criteria

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

  1. ✅ Boots on QEMU, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, VMware
  2. ✅ Obtains IP address via DHCP (v4 and v6)
  3. ✅ Accepts SSH connections with public key auth
  4. ✅ Provides functional shell with listed commands
  5. ✅ Displays graphical browser-based desktop
  6. ✅ Opens windows via URL
  7. ✅ Window management (float, tile, fullscreen)
  8. ✅ Super key launcher works
  9. ✅ Browses public websites
  10. ✅ Boot time < 10 seconds (to graphical desktop)

Version History

Version Date Author Changes
0.1 2024-12-22 Initial Initial specification