FTL: A new operating system for clouds
FTL, a new cloud OS, isolates Linux-compatible containers with a userspace library and a minimal kernel.
FTL is an early cloud operating system that runs each container as a userspace OS library implementing Linux processes, VFS, and TCP/IP. Its kernel exposes a minimal hypervisor-like interface using lightweight hardware isolation so containers can be isolated more strongly than on a monolithic kernel while staying compatible with Linux binaries. Releases v0.0.1 and v0.1.0 already run a Rust HTTP server and async Rust apps; filesystem, Node.js/Go, SMP, container images, and 64-bit Arm support are planned through January 2027.
- Each container runs a userspace OS library implementing processes, VFS, and TCP/IP.
- A minimal kernel interface uses lightweight hardware isolation, closer to a hypervisor.
- Linux binaries run on FTL; unikernel-style apps without POSIX are also supported.
- Roadmap adds filesystem, Node.js and Go, SMP, images, and 64-bit Arm by January 2027.
From the original article
2 min read at ftl-os.orgYou can build your own OS as a library . This userspace OS design makes it easy to add features, debug, upgrade the OS safely, as if writing applications. FTL kernel isolates containers (userspace OS instances) better than existing monolithic kernels, with a hypervisor-like interface based on a lightweight hardware-based isolation (user mode).
By romac · ftl-os.org
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