HelenOS as a Genode platform

[Jakub Jermář]

Port the Genode Operating System Framework to HelenOS.

Details

The Genode Operating System Framework can run on top of several kernels, including Linux and several L4 variants. As SPARTAN (the kernel part HelenOS) is a decent and mostly feature-complete microkernel, there is reason to believe that the Genode Framework can be used (with proper adaptation) as an alternative user space for HelenOS or coexist side-by-side with the native HelenOS user space.

The level of integration between the native HelenOS user space and Genode can be varying and it is an integral part of the project to assess the proper design of the combined userland. There are several technical differences between native HelenOS user space and Genode (C vs. C++, communication style, etc.), but they can be bridged by various means.

What Gains and Benefits will this bring?

Using HelenOS as a new platform for Genode can benefit both projects. It can bring Genode to new processor architectures and can expose Genode to a non-L4 microkernel API, thus improving its universality.

On the other hand, HelenOS will be exposed to a new userland, which will test it under different type of load and give it new set of features, currently unsupported by HelenOS (e.g. a graphical user interface).

Difficulty

High

Required skills

A successful applicant will have good skills of programming both in the C and C++ languages and the ability to learn and modify the internals of HelenOS and Genode. Also good software design skills and experience is required.

Note

This is a cross-project topic with ​Genode.

Documentation

• DeveloperDocs
• ​Genode Operating System Framework

Possible mentors

HelenOS Core Team, Martin Decky