Guides

Build and run

Get darwinOS onto your own machine. Start here if you want to see it working before you commit to contributing.

• Build darwinOS from source
• Run darwinOS in QEMU
• Run darwinOS in UTM
• Your first darwinOS program

Kernel

Working on XNU itself — debugging, adding syscalls, tracing kernel behaviour.

• Debug the kernel
• Add a syscall
• Trace a syscall

Drivers

Writing drivers against the IOKit framework. Start with the family that matches your hardware.

• Write a kext

Porting

Getting darwinOS onto new hardware — a new board, a new architecture, or a new firmware.

• Port to a new board
• Bring up a new architecture
• Build a custom image

Userland

Working above libSystem — daemons, CLI tools, frameworks. More guides to come as the userland fills in.

*Nothing here yet — userland guides land alongside the Q4 2026 milestone.*