JNode Project

JNode (Java New Operating System Design Effort) is an open-source project to create a Java platform operating system. The project has taken the unique direction of creating all the software in Java itself, with the exception of some assembly language to boot and load the system. The JVM compiler (which normally uses just-in-time compilation) is used to build native binaries out of the core Java code. In this way, nearly the entire system is capable of being written in the Java programming language.

Ewout Prangsma started the first attempt in 1995 with the Java Bootable System (JBS). The author was unhappy with the amount of C and assembly language required and moved on to a new attempt called JBS2. JNode is the third attempt, first introduced in 2003. JNode uses only two languages, Java and assembly. This system currently understands the ext2, FAT, NTFS and ISO 9660 filesystems and the TCP/IP network protocol, and has a working graphic user interface, including USB peripherals. JNode can be booted from a CD or run in any popular emulator. JNode uses the GNU Classpath Java library and (when completed) should run any Java programs.

The work is free software, licensed under GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).