FRACTAL SYSTEMS / RELEASE 1.0.0
FractalOS is a free, open-source virtual operating system with a familiar Unix shell, real Python, an AI agent that can actually use it, and a private mesh between machines. Open it like a website. Nothing to install, and no server holding your files.
New to the shell? Start with help, or ask Samwise in plain English. The terminal is a place, not a test.
FRACTAL SYSTEMS BIOS 1.0 MEMORY CHECK ......... OK PYTHON KERNEL ........ ONLINE VIRTUAL FS ........... MOUNTED MESH ................. OPT-IN > boot gordon@FractalOS:~$ whoami gordon gordon@FractalOS:~$ python -c "print(2**10)" 1024 gordon@FractalOS:~$ ls / etc home var gordon@FractalOS:~$
A real session from the release. The shell, the file system and the Python are the same ones you get.
01 What it is
FractalOS began as a late-night curiosity: Can I recreate the iconic green-phosphor CRT terminal experience from the Fallout games using Python and a browser?
That aesthetic challenge quickly spiraled into a fully realized virtual operating system. By compiling CPython into WebAssembly and mounting an in-memory virtual file system, FractalOS turns any browser tab into an isolated, zero-install computing environment with files, users, permissions, pipes, scripts, and a package manager. Close the tab and the machine stops; open it again and your work is right where you left it.
Today, it is evolving into something even more meaningful: an offline-first, unhackable peer-to-peer mesh network designed for community-resilient communication and local collaboration. Samwise lives directly in the shell as an agent with strict voltage brakes, giving you an assistant that touches real files without running wild.
WHAT IT ISN'T
02 The tour
No video, no mock-up. The first three are real output from a v1.0.0 session; the mesh is an example because it is off by default.
gordon@FractalOS:~$ whoami gordon gordon@FractalOS:~$ ls / etc home var gordon@FractalOS:~$ df -h Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on FractalOSVFS 640M 76B 640M 0% / gordon@FractalOS:~$ help python Usage: python SCRIPT [ARGS...] | python -c "CODE" | ... | python gordon@FractalOS:~$
A real shell with a real file system behind it. ls, grep, awk, sed, pipes, redirects, users, groups and permissions are all there, and the whole thing is Python objects rather than browser tricks.
gordon@FractalOS:~$ python -c "print(2**10)" 1024 gordon@FractalOS:~$ python -c "import sys; print(sys.version.split()[0])" 3.14.2 gordon@FractalOS:~$ python -c "from math import tau; print(f'{tau:.6f}')" 6.283185 gordon@FractalOS:~$
CPython 3.14.2 compiled to WebAssembly. A script can open files from the virtual file system, read the pipe on stdin, print to stdout and exit with a status code. A step budget stops a runaway loop before it freezes the page.
gordon@FractalOS:~$ samwise --autopilot "Create ~/garden/seeds.txt with three plant names." BONEAMANITA AUTOPILOT REPORT Status: MEDIUM VOLTAGE (Caution) (Voltage: 5.0) Execution Log: Home checkpoint saved: dab405feed ► mkdir /home/gordon/garden ► forge /home/gordon/garden/seeds.txt "Rose\nTulip\nDaisy" Forged '/home/gordon/garden/seeds.txt' (16 bytes).
Abridged from a real Ollama run. The agent plans, the kernel validates every command, and the voltage score decides whether a step needs you. --dry-run shows the whole plan without touching a file.
gordon@FractalOS:~$ cat deploy.json {"networking": true, "signalingUrl": "auto"} gordon@FractalOS:~$ peers NODE TRANSPORT LATENCY oos-7f2a WebRTC 8 ms oos-c19b BroadcastChannel 0 ms gordon@FractalOS:~$ mesh-cp field-notes.md oos-7f2a:/home/Guest/ 2.4 KB [################] 100% gordon@FractalOS:~$
The mesh is off by default. One line in deploy.json (or a provisioned node) turns it on. Peers talk directly over WebRTC data channels; a signaling relay only introduces them. attach shares a shell, mesh-cp moves files, mesh-agent hands a task to a peer's agent.
03 Capabilities
Not a feature list for a pitch deck. These are the parts you can use on the first day.
ls, grep, awk, sed, find, pipes, redirects, background jobs, sudo, users and groups. The vocabulary is familiar; the machine is a tab. Story snapshots and /var/log/audit.log are part of the furniture.
$ ls /
etc home var
$ df -h
FractalOSVFS 640M 76B 640M 0% /Run a script, a one-liner or a pipeline. open() reads and writes the virtual file system with its permissions. The kernel's own CPython does the work, not a JavaScript approximation.
$ python -c "print(2**10)"
1024
$ python -c "import sys; print(sys.version[:6])"
3.14.2Samwise sees the files, plans in commands and executes through the kernel. Every step has a voltage. Destructive steps ask first; --force is explicit; --dry-run runs nothing at all.
$ samwise --dry-run "tidy ~/notes"
# prints the plan and voltage.
# touches nothing. that is the point.Two tabs, two laptops or two Pi's can find each other and share a shell, copy files, or hand a task to a peer's agent. The signaling server introduces them; the data goes direct.
$ peers
$ attach oos-7f2a
$ mesh-cp notes.md oos-7f2a:/home/Guest/
$ mesh-agent oos-7f2a "summarize notes.md"Split the terminal, dock the process monitor, open the editor, the ASCII paint studio, the journal, BASIC, the text adventure, the document analyst or the chat. Windows, panes, clipboard and sound are part of the shell.
$ split-h
$ top --dock
$ edit notes.md
$ paint
$ basic
$ adventureInstall from a local repo or the community standard library. Packages carry hashes, dependencies and permission scopes. pkg audit reads the AST before you trust one; execution re-checks the hash.
$ pkg search cowsay
cowsay (v1.0.0 by FractalOS Community)
$ pkg verify cowsay
$ pkg audit cowsayOn a Raspberry Pi or a provisioned x86 box, the same shell can read pins, watch a button, stream a sensor and trigger an LED. The appliance build boots straight into the OS.
$ gpio read 17
0
$ gpio monitor 17 --trigger rising
$ gpio write 17 104 Who it is for
FractalOS is a sharp tool with a narrow shape. It is better to know that before you boot it.
THIS IS FOR YOU IF...
DON'T USE IT FOR...
It is for the person who reads man pages for fun, and for the person who would rather ask a question than read one.
05 Run it
The browser build is the fastest. The desktop build is the double-click one. The appliance build is the one that stays on.
A / BROWSER
Serve the folder over HTTP and open the page. There is no build step and no package install.
git clone https://github.com/aedmark/FractalOS.git
cd FractalOS/resources
python3 -m http.server 8000Open http://localhost:8000. It needs HTTP, not file://, because the kernel fetches its Python files.
B / DESKTOP
Run it as a standalone Neutralinojs window with a real local data/ folder.
# put the Neutralinojs binary in the repo root
./neutralino-linux_x64
# or neutralino-mac_x64 / neutralino-win_x64.exeThe data lives beside the binary. No browser chrome, no tab to lose.
C / MESH + APPLIANCE
Turn an old x86_64 box into a signal server, a full-time peer or a kiosk.
sudo ./extras/provision_x64.sh --role signal
sudo ./extras/provision_x64.sh --role node
sudo ./extras/provision_x64.sh --role kioskA node needs a screen once for first-run setup. The web server and relay have no auth: keep them on a trusted LAN. The Pi script is in extras/provision_appliance.sh.
WHAT YOU NEED
A modern browser (Firefox or Chromium), a little patience on first boot, and no account. For Samwise: a local Ollama model or a Gemini key. For the mesh: a trusted network.
06 Inside
Python and the browser meet at a strict, predictable boundary. Python manages the virtual file system, users, and logic; the browser renders the stage.
STAGE / JAVASCRIPT
The visible machine
terminal · windows · apps
audio · clipboard · mesh UI
KERNEL / PYTHON
The source of truth
VFS · users · commands
executor · audit · AI
Python never touches the DOM. When it needs the browser to play a sound, open a window, split a pane or copy to the host clipboard, it returns a structured effect. JavaScript performs it.
{
"effect": "play_sound",
"notes": ["C4", "E4", "G4"],
"duration": "4n"
}/etc/ai.confJARGON, TRANSLATED
07 FAQ
It is a virtual one. It has a kernel, a shell, a file system, users and permissions. It is not a Linux distribution and it does not boot your hardware; it runs inside the browser or inside a desktop wrapper.
No. help lists every command, and Samwise accepts plain English. If you already know Unix, the shape will feel familiar; if you don't, you can still make a folder, run Python and keep notes.
Not for the shell, files, Python, apps or mesh. Samwise needs a local Ollama model or a Gemini key; Chidi uses the same provider. The key is stored in /etc/ai.conf inside the OS.
Into IndexedDB in this browser. Nothing is uploaded by default. Export a snapshot or download files before you clear site data. Mesh transfers and cloud AI prompts are the exceptions you choose.
Yes, once the files are served, because everything is vendored: no CDN and no backend. A local Ollama model keeps Samwise offline; Gemini needs a connection.
The browser build is sandboxed by the browser, and file operations stay in the virtual file system. A provisioned appliance or GPIO actions can touch hardware, so treat those with the same care as any shell.
No. The mesh and its signaling relay have no authentication. Run it on a trusted LAN, or put an authenticated proxy in front. Do not put secrets in a public instance.
A chat window gives you text. FractalOS gives the model a file system, a shell, apps and a mesh, with a voltage brake and a dry-run. It is a place to do work, not just talk about it.
You can open this in a tab on a machine where you cannot install Linux. It is a playground and an appliance, not a replacement for your daily driver.
Nothing. FractalOS is MIT licensed. You pay only for a cloud model if you choose Gemini, and nothing if you run Ollama locally.
C:\> boot fractalos [ OK ] kernel .......... CPython 3.14.2 [ OK ] filesystem ...... mounted [ OK ] shell ........... 150+ commands [ OK ] samwise ......... standing by [ OK ] mesh ............ optional C:\>