ThistleOS

A portable, open-source operating system for ESP32 devices

One kernel. Any hardware. Apps and drivers delivered over the air.

Try in Browser → Documentation

Features

Built for real hardware. Designed for developers.

A complete OS stack — from recovery bootloader to app runtime — on a microcontroller.

100% Rust Kernel

Hardware-independent kernel written entirely in Rust. 1,182 unit tests, pure Rust crypto, E2E encryption, zero unsafe C in the critical path.

Swappable Everything

Window managers, drivers, and apps loaded from storage at runtime. Swap the display driver without touching the kernel.

Ed25519 Trust Chain

Recovery verifies the kernel. The kernel verifies every app. Signed at every level. No unsigned code runs on your device.

Runs in Your Browser

Full OS compiled to WebAssembly. 14 apps, real kernel, interactive simulator — no hardware required to explore ThistleOS.

14 Built-in Apps
10 Supported Boards
1,182 Rust Tests
17 Rust Drivers

Architecture

Clean layering from boot to app

Each layer has a single responsibility. The kernel never touches hardware directly.

Recovery
Bootloader
→
Kernel
Rust Core
→
Display Server
LVGL / HAL
→
Window Manager
Swappable
→
Apps
Signed & Sandboxed

Resources

Get started

GitHub Repository Source code, issues, and contributions github.com → Documentation Architecture guides, HAL interfaces, driver authoring docs/ → Browser Simulator Run the full OS in WebAssembly, no hardware needed simulator/ → App Store Browse and install signed apps over the air apps/ →