Overview

x16-PRos is a lightweight real-mode operating system designed for the x86 architecture and written entirely in NASM assembly. It features a command-line interface, supports the FAT12 file system, and includes a large standard software suite. This OS demonstrates fundamental operating system design principles, including booting, file system management, interrupt handling, and hardware interaction.

Designed for simplicity and educational value, x16-PRos provides a platform for low-level programming enthusiasts to explore bare-metal development on x86 systems.

[!IMPORTANT] The project needs contributors. Now only I, PRoX2011, is working on the kernel, but I can’t do everything alone. I would like to ask you how to help the project.

• Programs
• Development of a compatibility layer with MS DOS
• Improved documentation and instructions

If you help - thank you so much

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Developing this project requires a lot of time and effort. The project is completely open source. Everything is being done out of pure passion, so if you like it, I'd like to ask you to support me (PRoX2011) financially using this link: support me

Thanks to everyone who supported me financially. All your nicknames will appear in the project's sponsors list.

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Key Features

• MS-DOS Compatibility: Native support for running standard MS-DOS .COM and .EXE executables.
• Encrypted Password System: XOR-based password encryption with custom key
• User Authentication: Login system with configurable user account
• Password Protection: Encrypted PASSWORD.CFG prevents plaintext password storage
• Customizable Prompts: User-defined command prompt via PROMPT.CFG
• Username Support: Personalized user sessions stored in USER.CFG
• Color Themes: Multiple color palettes (DEFAULT, GROOVYBOX, UBUNTU) and fully customizable THEME.CFG if 3 standard themes are not enough for you
• First-Boot Setup: Automated SETUP.BIN execution on initial startup
• Auto-Execution: AUTOEXEC.BIN support for startup scripts
• Mouse Driver: Full PS/2 and USB mouse support
• Directory Support: Create, delete, and navigate directories (MKDIR, DELDIR, CD)
• File Management: Complete CRUD operations on files
• File Operations: COPY, REN, DEL, TOUCH, WRITE commands
• File Inspection: CAT, SIZE, HEAD, TAIL, GREP utilities
• BMP Image Viewer: 256-color BMP rendering with 2x upscaling support
• Parameter Passing: Command-line argument support for applications
• API Access: Comprehensive kernel API for file, disk, time and output operations
• Debugging Tools: CPU info display, memory viewer, register inspection
• Multiple disk support: detect/list available drives and switch drives in the terminal
• cp866 fonts support: change system font using config or TUI application
• Timezones support: change your time zone via TIMEZONE.CFG
• AND MUCH MORE FEATURES

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🖥️ PRos Terminal

The system includes a powerful terminal - PRos Terminal. It not only allows you to launch programs but also offers a wide range of built-in commands and utilities.

[!NOTE] To run a program, enter the name of the executable file (.BIN or .COM) with or without an extension. Programs will be launched from any directory if its file is placed in the BIN/ directory, and if the program file is not found there, the system will try to find the program in the current, working directory

Basic Commands

Command	Description
help	Display categorized command reference with navigation
info	Show system information and OS details
cls	Clear terminal screen
ver	Display PRos terminal version
exit	Exit to bootloader

System Information

Command	Description
cpu	Display detailed CPU information (family, model, cores, cache)
date	Show current date (DD/MM/YY format)
time	Show current time (HH:MM:SS format, UTC)

File Operations

Command	Syntax	Description
dir	dir	List files in current directory with size info
cat	cat <filename>	Display file contents
size	size <filename>	Show file size in bytes
del	del <filename>	Delete a file (kernel.bin protected)
copy	copy <source> <dest>	Copy file (root directory only)
ren	ren <old> <new>	Rename file (root directory only)
touch	touch <filename>	Create empty file
write	write <file> <text>	Write text to file

Directory Operations

Command	Syntax	Description
cd	cd <dirname>	Change directory (use .. for parent, / for root)
mkdir	mkdir <dirname>	Create new directory
deldir	deldir <dirname>	Delete empty directory

Media & Display

Command	Syntax	Description
view	view <file> [-upscale] [-stretch]	Display BMP image with optional 2x scaling

Power Management

Command	Description
shut	Shutdown system via APM
reboot	Restart system

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📦 Standard Software Package

x16-PRos includes a comprehensive collection of built-in applications:

WRITER.BIN Simple editor for text files	HEXEDIT.BIN Hex editor	LAUNCH.BIN TUI program launcher
MINE.BIN Minesweeper game	PIANO.BIN Simple piano to play melodies using PC Speaker	BCHART.BIN Barchart software for creating simple diagrams
SPACE.BIN Space arcade game	CALC.BIN Simple calculator	MEMORY.BIN Memory viewer
PAINT.BIN Paint program	PONG.BIN Pong game	FETCH.BIN Print system fetch (I use PRos btw)
IMFPLAY.BIN IMF music player	CLOCK.BIN Clock application	PROCENTC.BIN Percentages calculator
TETRIS.BIN Tetris game	MANDEL.BIN Mandelbrot-Menge	BRAINF.BIN Brainfuck interpreter
SETTINGS.BIN x16-PRos system settings	And more... SNAKE.BIN, CREDITS.BIN, AUTOEXEC.BIN, GREP.BIN, HEAD, TAIL, THEME.BIN, CHARS.BIN, WAVPLAY.BIN, FDISK.BIN, ED.BIN, HELLO.COM, FRACTAL.COM, CALENDAR.BIN

Developing Your Own Programs

You can create custom programs using NASM and the PRos API.

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🛠️ Building from Source

Packages required for compilation

• NASM
• mtools
• dosfstools
• cdrtools (optional for OS ISO image)

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Installing packages:

Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt install nasm mtools dosfstools genisoimage

[!NOTE] cdrtools (including the original mkisofs) is not included in the official Debian/Ubuntu repositories due to licensing issues. Genisoimage (a fork that provides compatibility with mkisofs via symlink) is used instead.

Arch Linux / Manjaro

sudo pacman -Syu nasm mtools dosfstools cdrtools

[!NOTE] Arch has a native cdrtools package available, which provides mkisofs.

Fedora / CentOS

sudo dnf install nasm mtools dosfstools genisoimage

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Compilation Steps

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/PRoX2011/x16-PRos.git
cd x16-PRos

2. Make build script executable:

chmod +x build-linux.sh

3. Build the project:

./build-linux.sh

[!NOTE] FOR ADVANSED USERS build-linux have special flags:

-quiet            - disable all script messages, but not disable nasm's warnings and errors
-no-music         - do not add music files in system build
-no-txt           - do not add text files in system build
-no-boot-recomp   - do not compiling bootloader, in system build using old compiled bootloader from bin/ directory
-no-kernel-recomp - do not compiling kernel, in system build using old compiled kernel from bin/ directory
-dtm              - disable setup on first boot. dev testing mode.

Build Output

• disk_img/x16pros.img - Bootable floppy disk image (1.44MB)
• build/ - Compiled binaries and intermediate files

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🚀 Running x16-PRos

QEMU (Recommended)

Install QEMU:

Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt install qemu-system-x86

ArchLinux/Manjaro

sudo pacman -S qemu-system-x86

Fedora

sudo dnf install qemu-system-x86

Run with QEMU

Run using a command:

qemu-system-x86_64 \
    -display gtk \
    -fda disk_img/x16pros.img \
    -machine pcspk-audiodev=snd0 \
    -device adlib,audiodev=snd0 \
    -audiodev pa,id=snd0

Run using a script (recommended):

chmod +x run-linux.sh
./run-linux.sh

Online Emulation

Try x16-PRos in your browser using v86 emulator:

1. Upload x16pros.img as floppy or hard disk
2. Boot the system

Real Hardware

1. Write image to USB drive:

sudo dd if=disk_img/x16pros.img of=/dev/sdX bs=512

2. Boot from USB drive (BIOS mode)

UEFI Systems: Enable "CSM Support" or "Legacy Boot" in BIOS settings

[!NOTE] More detailed launch instructions are available on the project website: https://x16-pros.prosdev.org/

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Contributors

We welcome contributions! Special thanks to all who have submitted:

• Bug reports and fixes
• Documentation improvements
• Feature suggestions
• Program development

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🤝 Contributing

How to Contribute

1. Report Bugs: Open an issue on GitHub Issues
2. Submit Code: Fork, develop, and create pull requests
3. Write Programs: Develop applications using the PRos API
4. Improve Docs: Email suggestions to prox.dev.code@gmail.com

More about contributing: contributing guide

[!IMPORTANT] Please use English when commenting on code and describing changes. This project is designed to be multinational and accessible to everyone.

Development Guidelines

• Follow existing code style (NASM assembly conventions)
• Test changes in QEMU before submitting
• Document new features in comments
• Update README.md for user-facing changes

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