NostaluxOS

NostaluxOS is a small x86-64 hobby operating system

This is my first operating-system project, there has been some heavy codex use but I have phased out of it as of 11/22/2025

Current features

• Handmade boot flow – a two-stage loader pulls the 64-bit kernel into memory and switches the CPU into long mode.
• Text-mode terminal – the kernel owns the VGA text buffer, tracks the hardware cursor, and lets you change the foreground and background colors.
• Interactive shell – type help to discover commands such as about, clear, color, history, palette, and echo. The new history command shows the most recent inputs while palette lists every VGA color code so you can theme the console quickly.

More functionality will follow over time, but these pieces make NostaluxOS fun to poke at immediately after boot.

Getting started

The repository contains a handcrafted bootloader and a tiny 64-bit kernel. The bootloader loads the kernel into memory, switches the CPU into long mode, and jumps into the kernel. Once running, the kernel clears the VGA text console, prints a welcome message, and waits for commands at the nostalux> prompt.

Requirements

The build has been tested with the GNU toolchain on Linux. You will need:

• nasm
• gcc
• ld
• objcopy
• qemu-system-x86_64 (optional, for running the image)

Build

make

The command produces build/NostaluxOS.img, a raw disk image that contains the boot sector, bootloader, and kernel.

Run in QEMU

make run

The QEMU window will display the boot banner and drop you into the tiny NostaluxOS shell. Type help to see the available commands (such as about, clear, color, history, bg/fg, or echo).

Cleaning

make clean

This removes all files under the build/ directory.

Repository layout

• bootloader/ — 16-bit MBR loader and 32/64-bit transition stage.
• kernel/ — 64-bit freestanding kernel sources and linker script.
• Makefile — build orchestration that assembles the boot stages, compiles the kernel, and produces a bootable image.

You can play with the kernel, expand the bootloader, or add new features to NostaluxOS!