x86 Kernel

A bootable multitasking kernel built in no-lib C, featuring memory management, ELF program execution, and a basic command-line interface. Also includes a keyboard driver and FAT16 read support.

Prerequisites

Install the following:

• An i686-elf-gcc cross-compiler
• NASM
• QEMU (qemu-system-i386)

Build & Run

export PREFIX="/path/to/cross/compiler"
export TARGET="i686-elf"
export PATH="$PREFIX/bin:$PATH"

make all

qemu-system-x86_64 -hda ./bin/os.bin -display curses

Learning Goals

This project taught me:

• x86 protected mode and memory segmentation
• Page table management and virtual memory
• ELF format and program loading
• Interrupt handling and device drivers
• Low-level systems programming

I plan to add multi-arch functionality with ARM or RISC-V support

License

MIT