guideXOS
A family of operating-system projects for desktop experimentation, server systems work, and architecture freedom.
guideXOS is an operating-system exploring different runtimes, hardware targets, and CPU families For questions, updates, or collaboration: guide_X@live.com
Pick your path
Three related projects spanning desktop OS design, multi-architecture systems work, and experimental emulation.
guideXOS
An operating system made entirely with C#
The original guideXOS desktop OS: a C#/AOT experiment with its own GUI, taskbar, applications, file tools, and bootable system image. Legacy BIOS is the most demo-friendly path today, while UEFI remains an experimental bring-up target.
guideXOS Server
An OS for a world beyond one CPU architecture
The native guideXOS systems branch focused on UEFI boot, layered kernel design, storage, networking, .gxapp packages, and portability across many CPU families.
guideXOS Hypervisor
Experimental emulation and virtualization research
A future-facing research area for architecture emulation, VM tooling, debug workflows, and controlled virtualization capabilities across the guideXOS ecosystem.
Why guideXOS?
The original desktop branch still matters as a C#/AOT operating-system experiment with a visible UI and real apps.
Desktop OS Identity
guideXOS remains the original desktop operating-system branch under the umbrella, centered on a recognizable GUI experience rather than a kernel-only technology demo.
C#/AOT Experimentation
It continues the C#/AOT branch identity that made guideXOS distinctive, including Legacy BIOS and UEFI-related bring-up paths for low-level experimentation.
GUI, Apps, and Screenshots
Screenshots, desktop tools, and application work keep the project grounded in the user-facing side of OS design, not just boot code and subsystem internals.
Why guideXOS Server?
Built around portability, layered design, and evidence-driven systems engineering.
Strict Layered Architecture
guideXOS Server keeps the bootloader focused on loading the kernel, keeps the kernel boot-aware, and pushes desktop behavior into higher layers instead of taking shortcuts across subsystems.
Kernel Networking
The current kernel already includes Ethernet, ARP, IPv4, ICMP, UDP, TCP, DHCP, DNS, and a BSD-like socket layer for building real networking features.
Storage and Filesystems
guideXOS Server already brings up ATA, AHCI, NVMe, and USB storage along with FAT32, exFAT, ext2/4, and UFS support for practical boot and file access scenarios.
Universal Application Vision
Phase 8 is centered on `.gxapp`, a single package format meant to hold architecture-specific binaries so guideXOS apps can move toward compile-once packaging.
Real Hardware Paths
The project is tested through UEFI, BIOS, OpenSBI, serial consoles, framebuffer backends, and VM workflows so features can be validated beyond a hosted harness.
Architecture Portability
guideXOS Server is where the current multi-architecture platform work, UEFI/QEMU workflow, and portability roadmap are being pushed furthest today.
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Join the Development
Open source and community driven
guideXOS Server is an active research project covering bootloaders, kernels, filesystems, networking, architecture ports, and future developer tooling. If you care about operating systems, low-level portability, or long-horizon application models, there is meaningful work to do.
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