NyxOS, rebuilt from scratch in C++ — a freestanding Multiboot kernel that boots on bare metal

     

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About

Part of the NyxOS family — the same OS, rebuilt from zero in a different language each time. This is the C++ cut: a tiny Multiboot assembly stub hands control to a freestanding kernel_main() written in C++ — no standard library, no exceptions, no RTTI. It writes its banner straight to VGA text memory through a small typed cell abstraction.

NyxOS-Cpp booting in QEMU — freestanding C++ writing to the VGA text buffer

Why C++: a freestanding subset (no exceptions, no RTTI) still gives you RAII, namespaces, constexpr, and templates. Proven in the wild by SerenityOS.

Build & run

Needs nasm, g++ (with 32-bit support), ld, and qemu.

make        # -> nyxos-cpp.elf  (verified Multiboot with grub-file)
make run    # boot it in QEMU

Layout

• boot.asm — Multiboot header + entry stub that calls kernel_main
• kernel.cpp — the freestanding C++ kernel (VGA console)
• linker.ld — links the kernel at 1 MiB, Multiboot header first
• Makefile — build and boot

Status

Early — it boots and paints the screen. Next up: a GDT, interrupts, and a TextConsole class with scrolling.