https://mikeos.sourceforge.net/

MikeOS logo
    News       Downloads       Images       Handbooks      
Discussion       Credits       Links      

x86 operating system

MikeOS Main MenuMikeOS is an operating system for x86 PCs, written in
assembly language. It is a learning tool to show how simple 16-bit,
real-mode OSes work, with well-commented code and extensive
documentation. Features:

  * A text-mode dialog and menu-driven interface
  * Boots from a floppy disk, CD-ROM or USB key
  * Over 60 system calls for use by third-party programs
  * File manager, text editor, image viewer, games...
  * Includes a BASIC interpreter with 46 instructions
  * PC speaker sound and serial terminal connection

The code is completely open source (under a BSD-like license), and is
written by Mike Saunders and other developers.


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News

  * 9 April 2022: MikeOS 4.7 released! -- Many updates, as described
    in the changelog. Thanks to everyone who contributed! Get it
    here.

  * 9 April 2022: BASIC compiler for MikeOS -- From Wojtek Grzela,
    this is "written in C and compiles MikeOS's BASIC dialect to
    executables for the operating system". Download it from GitHub.

  * 17 Mar 2019: MikeOS 4.6.1 released -- Includes an updated macOS
    build script, documentation updates, and MikeTron from TachyonOS.
    Get it here!

  * 9 Feb 2019: MikeOS 4.6 released! -- Many updates in this release,
    including a Forth Handbook, extra CLI commands, updates to the
    supplied BASIC apps and more; see doc/CHANGES.TXT for the full
    list.

  * 29 Jul 2018: New spin-off project, MichalOS -- An awesome new
    MikeOS-based project that runs in 32-bit "unreal" mode, has VESA
    graphics and built-in mouse functions, custom fonts, a
    screensaver and more. Check it out!


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Downloads

The link below contains the source code (see the source and programs
directories), along with disk images for floppies/USB keys and CD-Rs
in the disk_images folder.

You can write the images to a floppy disk, USB key or CD-R and boot
your PC from them to test -- or use a PC emulator such as QEMU,
VirtualBox or VMware. See the User Handbook below for a guide. System
requirements: minimum 386 PC with a keyboard and 1MB of RAM.

  * MikeOS 4.7.0 -- zip file

Here are some contributed add-on programs:

  * Joshua's MikeBASIC apps -- Visualizer, Calculator, Memory
    Manipulator, MikeBASIC++ dev kit and more
  * Mouse library -- Add mouse support to MikeOS programs

  * MikeOS C library (84K) -- Write programs in C (see ReadMe.txt)
  * MikeOS Xfer (68K) -- Xmodem file uploader (see Xfer.htm)
  * BFM file manager -- With editor and viewer, by Ondrej Cerman
  * BIN2POKE -- Convert .bin files to BASIC POKE routines, from Paulo
    Valongo

And projects that use (or are for) MikeOS:

  * MikeOS BASIC compiler -- By Wojtek Grzela
  * Analogue to Digital Converter (244K) -- Project for kids
  * Test Card Generator (17K) -- Basic engineering tool (see
    README.TXT)
  * Monitor alignment tool (14K) -- Written in MikeOS BASIC
  * Arduino project (216K) -- Arduino Diecimila board access using
    MikeOS
  * USB keyboard project (585K) -- USB KB I/O project/guidelines


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Images

Click on the thumbnails below to see full-size versions.

    MikeOS main menu    MikeOS hangman    MikeOS command line   

     MikeOS text editor MikeOS file manager    Cosmic Flight   

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Handbooks

These four Handbooks provide the complete documentation for MikeOS:

  * User Handbook -- Running MikeOS and programs

  * BASIC App Developer Handbook -- Writing MikeOS software in BASIC
  * Assembly App Developer Handbook -- Writing MikeOS software in
    assembly language
  * Forth Handbook -- For using the supplied Forth interpreter MikeOS
  * System Developer Handbook -- Modifying and building the OS

Note that the Handbooks are also included with MikeOS, in the doc
directory. If you're new to the world of OS development, see our
guide: write a simple assembly language operating system from scratch
(Serbo-Croat translation).


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Discussion

To discuss MikeOS and similar 16-bit real mode operating systems,
join us on Google Groups.


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Credits

Project admin

  * Mike Saunders -- main code and Handbooks

Development

  * E Dehling
  * Ian Seyler
  * John Endler
  * Joshua Beck
  * Justin Tokarchuk
  * Matej Horvat
  * Michael van Tellingen
  * Mike Gonta
  * Peter Nemeth
  * Paulo Valongo
  * Takayoshi Sasano
  * Tomasz Gorol
  * Tslil Clingman
  * Walt Nagel
  * Yutaka Saiko
  * Pete Dietl

Website, docs and artwork

  * Nitin Reddy Katkam -- logo and site design
  * Paul Sommers -- Handbook API reference
  * Helen Ewart -- MikeOS cat mascot

Some website artwork from the Tango icon set.


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Links

Projects based on or inspired by MikeOS:

  * MichalOS -- by Michal Prochazka; includes 32-bit "unreal" mode,
    VESA graphics, in-built mouse functions and more
  * TachyonOS -- by Joshua Beck
  * MikeOS ported to protected mode -- by Mike Gonta
  * TomOS -- by Tomosz Gorol
  * BareMetal OS -- by Ian Seyler
  * ShoockOS -- by Shoock

Resources:

  * NASM -- the assembler used to build MikeOS
  * QEMU -- excellent PC emulator for testing OSes
  * OSDev -- hugely useful forum and wiki
  * Bran's tutorials -- kernel development in C
  * JamesM's tutorials -- writing a Unix-like OS