I had the honor and pleasure to speak with Sam Smith about the new operating system he’s building: Serenum. We had a conversation about what motivated him to build this system, plans for the future, and where this all meets the bigger picture.
Now more than ever, it’s time to seriously look closer at the fundamentals of our technological landscape and Sam has done the hard work of building something that could be the beginning of a solid new foundation to build on. For those who want to really advance their technical skills, it’s a great chance to seize the opportunity to understand computers at a very sophisticated level.
Even for those among us who aren’t ‘computer wizards’, this project should represent a ray of hope in an otherwise tragically bleak digital experience. When it comes to forging a new path, I believe that making technology truly personal is something that can be a real game-changer. Even if one isn’t able to engage with or directly support this project, some of the fundamental principles are worth understanding to be aware of just how different things can be.
This project is fascinating for many reasons, but especially because it’s a call to action for those who wish to start truly innovating for the future. Many programmers, especially inexperienced ones can become intimidated by “low level” development, feeling filtered by complexity and lost in a labyrinth of extremely technical documentation.
The Serenum project is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an exciting new frontier to take one’s technological knowledge to a new level. At the very least, let this conversation to be a reminder to stay curious, push the boundaries of your knowledge, and take the time to truly gain mastery over circuitry.
This is not about us putting all our hopes entirely on Sam’s shoulders. Some may be inspired to get involved, others may be moved to begin their own parallel pursuits. This is a real chance for those who want to develop critically important technological skills to observe what it takes to forge a new path.
If you’d like to learn more about the Serenum operating system, you can take a look at the latest release. Interested in more technical background details? Take a look at his original demo and follow-up Q&A.
Keep up with Sam’s work at: Twitch, YouTube, or join the discussion on Discord.
This is an ambitious project, which in its own right is worth celebrating. I highly recommend thinking seriously about having reasonable expectations for what you intend to get out of this. If you feel you have the desire, time, and patience you may want to consider getting your hands on the hardware. You can do so at taberna.shop.
Other from scratch operating systems you may have heard of, or be curious about are:
Serenum: The 'From Scratch' OS Revolution