This video is the second part (0x1) of a series on writing an operating system. The creator, Raj, details the comprehensive studying and logging strategy he has designed to tackle this long-term project. The goal is to create a structured approach that fosters deep understanding, maintains motivation, and effectively manages the vast scope of the endeavor.
This video serves as an announcement and introduction to a new, long-term project: Operating System Development (OSDev). The creator, Raj, explains his motivations for taking on this formidable challenge, his plan for documenting the journey, and the tools he intends to use.
Why OSDev? The Motivation for a New Challenge
[00:00:15] Raj explains he’s been feeling bored with typical software engineering projects, which often feel too easy, especially with the rise of powerful LLMs.
[00:01:21] He was seeking a “formidable project” that would genuinely challenge him and couldn’t be easily solved by an AI tool.
[00:03:00] A primary driver is a personal quest to feel competent. He believes that successfully building an operating system will cement his confidence as an engineer.
[00:04:36] He wants to move beyond being a “hand-wavish” software engineer and gain a deep, fundamental understanding of the systems he uses daily, such as systemd.
[00:05:43] The project also serves as an opportunity to get back into reading textbooks and explore “old-school” computing concepts, which he enjoys.
Project Plan and Documentation
[00:02:40] The video series will be unstructured, presented as work logs and journals rather than polished tutorials. He compares the process to exploring an “open-world RPG.”
[00:02:47] His entire journey, including notes and logs, will be version-controlled and publicly available in a GitHub repository.
[00:10:48] He plans for a continuous, podcast-style format with at least one video per week (Saturdays), supplemented by shorter, micro-video updates for milestones to maintain a tight feedback loop with his audience.
Tooling and Workflow
[00:06:21] Emacs will be the central hub for the project, used for coding, note-taking, journaling, and as an LLM client.
[00:07:44] He will use Tmux for terminal management and work within an openSUSE Tumbleweed environment.
[00:10:14] The project will involve programming in C and Assembly, which he sees as a return to the fundamentals of programming.
Channel Direction and Future Goals
[00:09:44] Raj wants to shift his channel’s focus from showcasing tools in a “glass case” to demonstrating them in a real-world, complex application.
[00:13:00] OSDev provides a natural, unforced use case to explore and evaluate different tools and programming philosophies.
[00:11:15] He hopes the documented journey can serve as a guide for others who might want to start OSDev from scratch in the future.
Conclusion
Raj concludes by expressing his excitement for this new, challenging venture. He emphasizes that this project is as much for his personal growth and learning as it is for creating content. He plans to be much more regular with his uploads and invites viewers to follow along on this ambitious journey.
