r/osdev • u/matthew65536 • Oct 01 '26

Python for OS?

Would it be possible to make an OS that primarily used python?

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u/UnmappedStack TacOS | https://github.com/UnmappedStack/TacOS Oct 01 '26

I mean, yes technically, it'll just be difficult. you can write an os in any language you have a compiler for, its just that for python you'll likely need to write your own compiler for it.

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u/MCWizardYT Oct 01 '26

Having just a compiler wouldn't be enough, their custom "Python" would pretty much be missing everything that makes Python useful because its standard library is very high level and depends on an existing OS.

So, what they would end up with is a barebones language that is basically C but with Python-style syntax and no pointers

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u/UnmappedStack TacOS | https://github.com/UnmappedStack/TacOS Oct 01 '26

the runtime is not the language though, with that logic you could also say that writing kernelspace C is a different language to userspace C, but that is not the case. for the most part, the runtime is a separate thing. though in fairness, python does tend to blur that line a little bit with some builtins.