Redox OS compiles code on itself for the first time
Operating system Redox OS, written in Rust, reached an important development milestone: for the first time, a commit was made directly from within the system.
(Image: The Redox Developers)
The operating system Redox OS, written entirely in Rust, reached a significant milestone in January 2026: developers were able to perform a commit completely from within Redox for the first time. Both the Rust compiler rustc and the package manager Cargo now function on the system.
This progress marks an important step towards a self-sufficient development system. The project was significantly advanced by Anhad Singh as part of the Redox Summer of Code. Thanks to his work, developers can now compile simple programs in Rust, C, and C++ directly on Redox.
Furthermore, the developers have implemented numerous other improvements. A new capability-based security infrastructure offers granular permissions for processes. SSH support has been expanded and now reliably works for remote access. Additionally, the latency for USB input devices has been significantly reduced.
Extended Boot Functions and ARM64 Support
The bootloader now offers a text editing environment for adding, removing, and modifying boot parameters. The login manager has been enhanced with menus for power management and keyboard layout. Kernel memory management received significant improvements, while ARM64 systems now support dynamic linking.
POSIX compliance has been further improved, increasing compatibility with Unix software. Additionally, fixed bugs affect the Intel HD Audio driver, PS/2 touchpads, and UEFI firmware. The developers are also working on the RISC-V port and have ported QEMU to Redox itself. All changes implemented in January can be found in the Redox blog.
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Roadmap Envisions Specialized Releases
For the future, the project plans specialized versions: Hosted Redox for virtual machines, Redox Server for edge and cloud environments with sandboxing features, and Redox Desktop with COSMIC integration and Wayland support. These plans were already outlined in 2023 and are being implemented step by step.
Redox OS is based on a microkernel architecture and utilizes Rust's memory safety properties to enhance security. The system supports Intel, AMD, ARM, and RISC-V processors, as well as various storage and input devices. The desktop variant requires less than 512 MB of RAM, while minimal images are under 50 MB in size. In October 2023, the developers first announced concrete plans for server and desktop editions.
(fo)
