Coyotos

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Coyotos is a capability-based security-focused microkernel operating system being developed by researchers[1] at the Johns Hopkins University's Systems Research Laboratory[2]. It is a successor to the EROS system.

[edit] History

Coyotos is considered by its creators to be an "evolutionary step" [3] beyond the EROS operating system, which in turn was derived from KeyKOS. The primary developer of EROS was Jonathan Shapiro, and he is also a driving force behind Coyotos. A more in-depth history is located at [4].

[edit] Objectives

While it has many objectives, one of the most interesting is to become the first formally verified operating system. To support this, the Coyotos project is concurrently developing a new programming language called BitC and a new compiler called BitCC.

[edit] Microkernel

Coyotos uses a microkernel design which "retains the atomicity and pure capability-based design of the EROS system"[5], but which uses a new asynchronous communications model, and "introduces a more efficient memory mapping mechanism". Compare this with the Mach and L4 family of microkernels.

[edit] External links

• Coyotos web page
• EROS web page
• KeyKOS web page
• Jonathan Shapiro's web page
• BitC web page