
Node-OS: The first operating system powered by node.js and npm - borski
http://node-os.com/
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tyingq
There's probably some interesting stuff in here, but _" operating system
powered by node.js"_ is a little strong. They also say things like _" NodeOS
is an operating system built entirely in Javascript"_, which isn't true at
all.

They basically replaced bash and some of the gnu utils with node.js scripts.
The OS itself is just Linux.

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kanox
Linux is just a kernel, the proper terminology is Node/Linux.

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tyingq
It offers a pretty limited list of user space utilities: [http://node-
os.com/docs/Commands.html](http://node-os.com/docs/Commands.html)

It does seem interesting, just noting that their rhetoric might be a bit off
base.

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meehow
I think I will stick to my Bash-OS.

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felipeccastro
I find the idea intriguing, but it's not clear to me from reading the site
what is it for. What cool things one can do with this Node-OS that wouldn't be
possible/easy with another Linux?

Also, what's the story for GUI applications? npm is mostly used for libraries,
not full apps, so I'm not sure why that was a good pick for an OS. I guess it
would be nice if there was a web view as the default GUI mechanism, so one
could use web apps as if they were native without having to resort to things
like Electron.

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fb03
This is basically Node slapped on top of a Linux kernel.

I would find it way more interesting (to say, way more actually a 'Node OS')
if they implemented a really lightweight kernel to drop into JS kernel modules
as soon as possible, and implement all features in JS (paging, filesystems)
etc.

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lachlan-sneff
It's an interesting idea, but as far as I can tell, it doesn't take advantage
of the fact that all usermode code is sandboxed. You could potentially run
everything in supervisor mode/ring 0 and remove a lot of the systemcall
overhead.

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earenndil
As predicted by gary bernhardt[1].

FWIW, I don't think doing that will be a net win. I/O-bound applications might
run slightly faster (I think gary bernhardt's number was 5%), but in exchange
they'll take quite a bit more system resources, which mean increased power use
and reduced lifespan.

1: [https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/talks/the-birth-and-
death...](https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/talks/the-birth-and-death-of-
javascript)

~~~
lachlan-sneff
Could you explain what you mean by saying that they'll take more system
resources?

~~~
earenndil
More ram, cpu usage, etc.

So, imagine you have a given task. One option is it takes 60ms to execute and
during that time it takes 50% cpu. Or, it takes 50ms to execute but takes 80%
cpu. The second one takes less wallclock time but more cpu time.

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HereBeBeasties
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

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swingline-747
Is this Atwood's law Gravity Probe B?

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integricho
Oh my God

