TaijiOS

What is TaijiOS?

TaijiOS is a modern fork of Inferno® Distributed Operating System, originally developed at Bell Labs and maintained by Vita Nuova® as Free Software (MIT License since 2021).

TaijiOS brings Inferno's powerful distributed computing capabilities to modern systems with updated build tools, C11 compliance, and enhanced platform support.

Core Features

• Limbo Programming Language - Concise concurrent language compiled to portable Dis bytecode
• Distributed Design - Built-in networking and resource sharing across heterogeneous systems
• Virtual Machine - Run anywhere: native (bare metal) or hosted (Linux, BSD, Windows, macOS)
• Everything is a File - Unified interface to all resources via Styx protocol
• Portable Applications - Write once, run on any supported architecture

How TaijiOS Differs from Inferno

• Modern Build System - C11 standard compliance, modern gcc/clang support
• Multi-Platform Support - Native amd64 support for Linux, OpenBSD, 9front, and Plan 9
• 9front Integration - Modern drivers, IP stack, and file system improvements
• NixOS Ready - First-class NixOS integration with reproducible builds
• Enhanced Security - Modern cryptography and security features
• Active Development - Regular updates and bug fixes for contemporary systems

Quick Start

On NixOS (Recommended):

cd /path/to/TaijiOS

# Option 1: Use the universal script (recommended)
./run.sh              # Build and run emu in one command

# Option 2: Use nix-shell environment
nix-shell             # Enter the build environment
./run.sh              # Build and run

# For a clean rebuild
./run.sh --clean      # Clean build then run

On OpenBSD:

cd /path/to/TaijiOS
chmod +x run.sh
./run.sh              # Build and run in one command

On Other Linux:

# Install dependencies first:
# Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install build-essential libx11-dev libxext-dev
# Fedora: sudo dnf install gcc make libX11-devel libXext-devel
# Arch: sudo pacman -S base-devel libx11 libxext

cd /path/to/TaijiOS
chmod +x run.sh
./run.sh              # Build and run in one command

Build and Run Scripts

run.sh - Universal Build & Run

The run.sh script works on NixOS, OpenBSD, and generic Linux:

./run.sh              # Build and run raw emu (no auto-start)
./run.sh --clean      # Clean build then run
./run.sh -h           # Show emu help options
./run.sh -g 800x600   # Run with specific geometry

This script:

• Automatically detects your OS (NixOS/OpenBSD/Linux)
• Builds TaijiOS if needed
• Sets up the namespace directory structure
• Runs the raw emu interpreter

run-wm.sh - Window Manager Mode

Builds and runs with the window manager auto-started:

./run-wm.sh           # Build and run with wm/wm.dis
./run-wm.sh --clean   # Clean build then run with WM

run-app.sh - Isolated App Mode

Run any app in its own isolated emu instance with its own X11 window:

./run-app.sh wm/bounce.dis 8    # Run bounce with 8 balls
./run-app.sh wm/clock.dis       # Run clock

Each instance creates its own emu process and X11 window, completely isolated from others.

NixOS Shell Environment

When you enter nix-shell, the shell.nix provides:

• Build dependencies: gcc, make, binutils, X11 libraries, linux headers
• Helper functions: Convenience wrappers that run the scripts above
• Environment: Sets PATH for mk build tool and emu binaries

The helper functions in shell.nix are simply wrappers around the scripts:

• build9ferno → runs ./run.sh (build portion)
• run9ferno → runs ./run.sh
• emu → runs ./run.sh (with any arguments passed through)

Running Apps

Full Window Manager Mode

Run the complete window manager with all apps:

./run.sh

Once emu starts, you'll see the ; prompt. You can run Limbo programs:

# Start the window manager
wm/wm

# List available commands
ls /dis

# Run a program
/wm/bounce.dis 8

# Exit
exit

Isolated App Mode

Run any app in its own isolated emu instance with its own X11 window:

# Run bouncing balls with 8 balls
./run-app.sh wm/bounce.dis 8

# Run clock
./run-app.sh wm/clock.dis

# Run multiple instances (each in separate terminal)
./run-app.sh wm/bounce.dis 8
./run-app.sh wm/clock.dis
./run-app.sh wm/bounce.dis 16

Each instance creates its own emu process and X11 window, completely isolated from others.

Creating Your Own App

Simple Console App (hello.b):

implement Hello;

include "sys.m";
    sys: Sys;

Hello: module {
    init: fn(ctxt: ref Draw->Context, argv: list of string);
};

init(ctxt: ref Draw->Context, argv: list of string)
{
    sys = load Sys Sys->PATH;
    sys->print("Hello from TaijiOS!\n");
}

Compile and run:

cd appl/cmd
mk hello.dis
./run-app.sh hello.dis

Simple Tk App (mytkapp.b):

implement Mytkapp;

include "sys.m";
    sys: Sys;
include "draw.m";
    draw: Draw;
include "tk.m";
    tk: Tk;

Mytkapp: module {
    init: fn(ctxt: ref Draw->Context, argv: list of string);
};

init(ctxt: ref Draw->Context, argv: list of string)
{
    sys = load Sys Sys->PATH;
    draw = load Draw Draw->PATH;
    tk = load Tk Tk->PATH;

    # Create window
    top := tk->toplevel(ctxt.display, "");

    # Add UI
    tk->cmd(top, "label .l -text {My App}");
    tk->cmd(top, "button .b -text Exit -command {send cmd exit}");
    tk->cmd(top, "pack .l .b");

    # Wait for exit
    cmdch := chan of string;
    tk->namechan(top, cmdch, "cmd");
    <-cmdch;
}

Directory Structure

TaijiOS/
├── Linux/amd64/      # Platform-specific binaries
│   ├── bin/          # Built binaries (emu, limbo, etc.)
│   └── lib/          # Libraries
├── dis/              # Compiled Limbo programs (.dis files)
├── appl/             # Limbo application source code
├── module/           # Limbo module definitions
├── emu/              # Inferno emulator source
├── lib*/             # Library source code
├── shell.nix         # NixOS shell environment
├── run.sh            # Universal build/run script (full WM)
└── run-app.sh        # Run isolated app instances

Building from Scratch

If you need to do a complete clean build:

# In nix-shell on NixOS
mk nuke              # Clean all built files
mk install           # Rebuild everything

Platform Support

TaijiOS runs in two modes:

Hosted Mode (Recommended)

• Runs as an application on top of another OS
• Available for: Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, macOS, Windows
• No reboot required - just run emu

Native Mode

• Boots directly on hardware
• Available for: x86 (32/64-bit), ARM, PowerPC, SPARC, MIPS
• Full control of hardware with minimal footprint

Troubleshooting

emu crashes on startup

This was a known issue with X11 threading initialization. Fixed in TaijiOS - if you still see crashes:

# Make sure you have the latest version
git pull

# Rebuild
cd /path/to/TaijiOS
nix-shell
build9ferno

Username warnings

When you see cd: /usr/username: '/usr/username' does not exist, this is normal. TaijiOS tries to set up a home directory but falls back gracefully.

Build errors on Linux

Make sure you have the required dependencies installed:

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install build-essential libx11-dev libxext-dev

Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install gcc make libX11-devel libXext-devel

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S base-devel libx11 libxext

Missing directories error

If you get errors about missing /dis directories:

# Run the full build which creates all needed directories
mk install

App fails to load in isolated mode

# Build the app first
cd appl/wm  # or wherever the app is
mk bounce.dis

# Then run
./run-app.sh wm/bounce.dis 8

"cannot open display"

# Make sure X11 is running
echo $DISPLAY

# If empty, set it (Linux)
export DISPLAY=:0

Contributing

TaijiOS welcomes contributions! Please see the source repository for guidelines on submitting patches and bug reports.

Original Source

Based on Inferno OS Fourth Edition by Vita Nuova Holdings:

• https://inferno-os.org/
• https://github.com/inferno-os/inferno-os

TaijiOS incorporates enhancements from the 9front community:

• https://9front.org/

License

MIT License (since 2021)

See individual source files for details.

Acknowledgments

• Bell Labs for the original Inferno operating system
• Vita Nuova Holdings for releasing Inferno as free software
• The 9front community for continued development and improvements
• All contributors to TaijiOS

---

TaijiOS - Distributed computing for the modern era.