December 6, 2025
Doom boots, USB doesn't
PatchworkOS: An OS for x86_64, built from scratch in C and assembly
DIY OS boots Doom, skips UNIX rules, sparks a brawl
TLDR: PatchworkOS is a from-scratch PC OS that rejects Unix norms and already runs Doom, but it’s early and lacks USB and drivers. Commenters split between “cool lab experiment” and “why bother,” with driver support and the odd “no users” design fueling the fight.
PatchworkOS just stormed into dev land: a from‑scratch PC operating system that channels Plan 9’s everything is a file vibe, while proudly not being another Unix clone. It already boots on real hardware, shows all CPUs sweating, and yes, DOOM runs. Under the hood: a modern scheduler like Linux uses, modular pieces, and a desktop in baby steps. It’s early, it’s experimental, it’s educational—and it’s pure chaos in the comments.
Strongest reaction? Driver drama. User orionblastar kicks it off with, “what type of driver support…?” Folks pile on: RAM‑disk only for now and USB is “the holy grail” has people joking “Doom boots, thumb drive doesn’t.” Security skeptics clutch pearls over no ‘user’ accounts, while fans cheer the clean break from POSIX (the Unix rulebook most apps expect). The big brawl: reinvent the wheel vs. learn by building—one side says “cool lab project,” the other asks “so… how do we run anything?” Memes fly: “Does it run Doom?” check; “When USB?” pending; “Spawn not fork,” cue groans. Verdict: ambitious, weird, and irresistibly watchable. Portability worries loom too: ditching POSIX means common apps won’t just drop in, but supporters say that’s the point—fresh ideas, fewer sacred cows. Either way, eyes are glued.
Key Points
- •PatchworkOS is an early-stage, modular, non-POSIX operating system for x86_64, written in C and assembly with a Plan 9-inspired “everything is a file” model.
- •It implements a fully preemptive, tickless EEVDF scheduler using an Augmented Red-Black tree, supports SMP, and provides O(1) per-page memory management.
- •IPC and device interaction are file-based, with support for pipes, shared memory, sockets, Plan 9-style “notes,” and device APIs for framebuffers, keyboards, and mice.
- •The OS offers a Unix-style VFS, custom .fbmp image and .grf font formats, and a minimal user space with a custom C standard library and modular desktop environment.
- •Current limits include RAM-disk-only storage and x86_64-only support; future plans include async I/O/syscalls (possibly io_uring), USB support, and expanded Doxygen documentation.