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<p align="center">
<img src="book/src/images/logo_en.svg" alt="asterinas-logo" width="620"><br>
A secure, fast, and general-purpose OS kernel written in Rust and compatible with Linux<br/>
Toward a production-grade Linux alternative—memory safe, high-performance, and more<br/>
</p>
<!-- Asterinas NixOS 0.17.0 demo. It is uploaded as a Github attachment
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## Introducing Asterinas
Asterinas is a _secure_, _fast_, and _general-purpose_ OS kernel
that provides _Linux-compatible_ ABI.
It can serve as a seamless replacement for Linux
while enhancing _memory safety_ and _developer friendliness_.
The future of operating systems (OSes) belongs to Rust—a modern systems programming language (PL)
that delivers safety, efficiency, and productivity at once.
The open question is not _whether_ OS kernels should transition from C to Rust,
but _how_ we get there.
* Asterinas prioritizes memory safety
by employing Rust as its sole programming language
and limiting the use of _unsafe Rust_
to a clearly defined and minimal Trusted Computing Base (TCB).
This innovative approach,
known as [the framekernel architecture](https://asterinas.github.io/book/kernel/the-framekernel-architecture.html),
establishes Asterinas as a more secure and dependable kernel option.
Linux follows an _incremental_ path.
While the Rust for Linux project has successfully integrated Rust as an official second PL,
this approach faces _inherent friction_.
As a newcomer within a massive C codebase,
Rust must often compromise on safety, efficiency, clarity, and ergonomics
to maintain compatibility with legacy structures.
And while new Rust code can improve what it touches,
it cannot retroactively eliminate _vulnerabilities_ in decades of existing C code.
* Asterinas surpasses Linux in terms of developer friendliness.
It empowers kernel developers to
(1) utilize the more productive Rust programming language,
(2) leverage a purpose-built toolkit called [OSDK](https://asterinas.github.io/book/osdk/guide/index.html) to streamline their workflows,
and (3) choose between releasing their kernel modules as open source
or keeping them proprietary,
thanks to the flexibility offered by [MPL](#License).
Asterinas takes a _clean-slate_ approach.
By building a Linux-compatible, general-purpose OS kernel from the ground up in Rust,
we are liberated from the constraints of a legacy C codebase—its interfaces, designs, and assumptions—and from the need to preserve historical compatibility for outdated platforms.
**Languages—including PLs—shape our way of thinking**.
Through the lens of a modern PL, Asterinas rethinks and modernizes the construction of OS kernels:
While the journey towards a production-grade OS kernel is challenging,
we are steadfastly progressing towards this goal.
Over the course of 2024,
we significantly enhanced Asterinas's maturity,
as detailed in [our end-year report](https://asterinas.github.io/2025/01/20/asterinas-in-2024.html).
In December 2025,
we launched [Asterinas NixOS](https://asterinas.github.io/book/distro/index.html),
an Asterinas distribution based on [NixOS](https://nixos.org/).
This release marks Asterinas reaching the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) milestone.
In 2026, we aim to make Asterinas production-ready on x86-64 virtual machines and attract real users.
* **Modern architecture.**
Asterinas pioneers the [_framekernel_](https://asterinas.github.io/book/kernel/the-framekernel-architecture.html) architecture,
combining monolithic-kernel performance with microkernel-inspired separation.
Unsafe Rust is confined to a small, auditable framework called [OSTD](https://asterinas.github.io/api-docs-nightly/ostd/),
while the rest of the kernel is written in safe Rust,
keeping the memory-safety TCB intentionally minimal.
* **Modern design.**
Asterinas learns from Linux's hard-won engineering lessons,
but it is not afraid to deviate when the design warrants it.
For example, Asterinas improves the CPU scalability of its memory management subsystem
with a novel scheme called [CortenMM](https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3731569.3764836).
* **Modern code.**
Asterinas's codebase prioritizes safety, clarity, and maintainability.
Performance is pursued aggressively, but never by compromising safety guarantees.
Readability is treated as a feature, not a luxury,
and the codebase is structured to avoid hidden, cross-module coupling.
* **Modern tooling.**
Asterinas ships a purpose-built toolkit, [OSDK](https://asterinas.github.io/book/osdk/guide/index.html),
to facilitate building, running, and testing Rust kernels or kernel components.
Powered by OSTD,
OSDK makes kernel development as easy and fluid as writing a standard Rust application, eliminating the traditional friction of OS engineering.
Asterinas aims to become **a production-grade, memory-safe Linux alternative**,
with performance that matches Linux—and in some scenarios, exceeds it.
The project has been under active development for four years,
supports 230+ Linux system calls,
and has launched an experimental distribution,
[Asterinas NixOS](https://asterinas.github.io/book/distro/index.html).
In 2026, our priority is to advance project maturity toward production readiness,
specifically targeting standard and confidential virtual machines on x86-64.
Looking ahead, we will continue to expand functionality and
harden the system for **mission-critical deployments**
in data centers, autonomous vehicles, and embodied AI.
## Getting Started