CapROS
Encyclopedia
CapROS is an open source
operating system
. It is a pure capability-based
system that features automatic persistence of data and processes, even across system reboots. Capability systems naturally support the principle of least authority, which improves security and fault tolerance.
CapROS is an evolution of the EROS
system. While EROS was purely a research system, CapROS is intended to be a stable system of commercial quality. CapROS currently runs on Intel IA-32
and ARM
microprocessors.
CapROS is being developed by Strawberry Development Group with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
and others. The primary developer is Charles Landau.
. The EROS system in turn traces its architecture to KeyKOS
and ultimately GNOSIS
.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
. It is a pure capability-based
Capability-based security
Capability-based security is a concept in the design of secure computing systems, one of the existing security models. A capability is a communicable, unforgeable token of authority. It refers to a value that references an object along with an associated set of access rights...
system that features automatic persistence of data and processes, even across system reboots. Capability systems naturally support the principle of least authority, which improves security and fault tolerance.
CapROS is an evolution of the EROS
Extremely Reliable Operating System
EROS is an operating system developed by The EROS Group, LLC., the Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Features include automatic data and process persistence, some preliminary real-time support, and capability-based security. EROS is purely a research operating system,...
system. While EROS was purely a research system, CapROS is intended to be a stable system of commercial quality. CapROS currently runs on Intel IA-32
IA-32
IA-32 , also known as x86-32, i386 or x86, is the CISC instruction-set architecture of Intel's most commercially successful microprocessors, and was first implemented in the Intel 80386 as a 32-bit extension of x86 architecture...
and ARM
ARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
microprocessors.
CapROS is being developed by Strawberry Development Group with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military...
and others. The primary developer is Charles Landau.
History
The CapROS project was formed in 2005 as a non-academic continuation of EROSExtremely Reliable Operating System
EROS is an operating system developed by The EROS Group, LLC., the Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Features include automatic data and process persistence, some preliminary real-time support, and capability-based security. EROS is purely a research operating system,...
. The EROS system in turn traces its architecture to KeyKOS
KeyKOS
KeyKOS is a persistent, pure capability-based operating system for the IBM S/370 mainframe computers. It allows emulating the VM, MVS, and POSIX environments. It is a predecessor of the Extremely Reliable Operating System , and its successors, the CapROS and Coyotos operating systems...
and ultimately GNOSIS
GNOSIS
GNOSIS is a capability-based operating system that was researched during the 1970s in Tymshare, Inc. It was based on the research of Norman Hardy, Dale E. Jordan, Bill Frantz, Charlie Landau, Jay Jonekait, et al. It provided a foundation for the development of future operating systems such as...
.