AxOS

A bare-metal OS prototype with a biologically-inspired cognitive runtime (Hyperdimensional Computing) layered on top of x86 via Cosmos.

AxOS is an experimental research operating system exploring Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC) as a systems-architecture primitive.

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Quick links

• Architecture deep dive: ARCHITECTURE.md
• Annotated boot logs & demos: DEMOS.md
• License: LICENSE

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What is AxOS?

AxOS is a bootable bare-metal OS prototype written in C# on top of the Cosmos framework (IL2CPU → native x86). There is no underlying Windows/Linux once the kernel boots.

The key research idea: instead of relying exclusively on classical dispatch structures (opcode tables, switch chains, rigid parsers), AxOS models parts of “interpretation” and “recognition” as operations in a high-dimensional geometric space (hypervectors / tensors). Inputs can be encoded as vectors; decisions can be made by similarity (cosine) rather than only by exact byte equality.

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Scope & reality check (read this first)

AxOS is real and bootable, but it is not magic:

• x86 is still x86. The CPU remains Von Neumann at the silicon level. AxOS layers a cognitive runtime on top of conventional hardware.
• “Learning opcodes” in AxOS means: learning symbols/reflexes inside a toy symbolic ISA / ruleset used for research demos. It does not claim to rewrite arbitrary real x86 machine code semantics at runtime.
• HardwareSynapse is a developer-facing reference framework for HDC-based signal recognition. The live console path still uses Cosmos primitives (keyboard / serial). Full HDC drivers for complex devices are future work.
• Unknown input handling: unknown patterns route to System 2 (costly search), fatigue, or sandboxing inside a manifold. The intent is “don’t crash the kernel just because something is unfamiliar.”

If you want the empirical evidence, go to DEMOS.md (real boot logs + annotations).

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What the current build demonstrates

From real QEMU boots (see DEMOS.md):

• Tensor correctness & invariants (DEBUG-only checks)
• A bounded energy model (“metabolism”) + sleep/recharge
• Program-level isolation via ProgramManifold energy budgets
• Similarity-gated recognition (strict vs tolerant modes)
• Toy byte-stream ingestion mapped through a ruleset
• Reflex promotion / ruleset mutation during sleep in constrained discovery demos
• A geometric calculator demo that prints 5 + 7 = 12 to COM1
• Noisy prototype classification + explicit rejection of an “alien” pulse via similarity/margin gates

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Building & running

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio 2022
• Cosmos DevKit / User Kit
• .NET 6 SDK or later
• QEMU / VMware / Hyper-V

Build & run (typical workflow)

1. Clone the repo.
2. Open AxOS.sln in Visual Studio.
3. Set the AxOS project as Startup Project.
4. Press F5 to build the ISO and launch.

Optional CLI helpers (if present)

.\run.bat serial         # Build + launch with COM1 redirected to console
.\run.bat nobuild serial # Launch last build without recompiling

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Repo map

• README.md → project overview + quick start
• ARCHITECTURE.md → subsystem deep dive + mechanics + file reference
• DEMOS.md → annotated boot logs / proof-of-architecture

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License (AGPL-3.0)

Copyright (c) 2025–2026 alxspiker.

Licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0) — see LICENSE.

Practical summary (not legal advice):

• You can use, modify, and redistribute under AGPL-3.0 terms.
• If you modify AxOS and run it to provide functionality to users over a network, AGPL requires you to offer those users the Corresponding Source of your modified version.
• Commercial use is allowed if you comply with the license.

For alternative/commercial licensing (e.g., closed-source use), use GitHub Issues.

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"It didn't crash. It just got exhausted and lost its train of thought."