Magetsu.dev home
projectslabnotes

Aster

public project · kernel

Aster kernel> sysinfox86-64 · ring 0> netrtl8139 · ipv4 · dns · icmp

Aster

small x86-64 educational kernel.

open repository ↗

what is actually there

  • Freestanding C11 and assembly
  • GRUB / Multiboot2 boot path and long-mode transition
  • Ring-0 monitor, VGA/serial diagnostics, PS/2 input
  • RTL8139 networking with Ethernet, ARP, IPv4, UDP, DNS and ICMP
  • QEMU smoke test and host-side packet boundary checks

boot + machine state

Aster starts from a Multiboot2 path, checks CPU capabilities, enters long mode, builds the CPU state it needs, and then hands control to freestanding kernel code.

network path

The repository documents a deliberately bounded stack around an emulated RTL8139 NIC: Ethernet II, ARP, IPv4, UDP DNS queries, DNS A-record parsing, and ICMP echo.

scope boundary

It is an educational kernel, not a production OS. The public README explicitly lists no userspace, scheduler, syscalls, VFS, persistent storage, TCP, IPv6, or SMP.

Technical claims on this page are intentionally limited to the current public repository documentation.

← all projects