Building CubeCactusOS - Quick Guide

Prerequisites Check

The OS build requires a cross-compiler toolchain. You have three options:

Option 1: Install Toolchain on macOS (Recommended for development)

./os/install-toolchain.sh

This installs:

• i386-elf-gcc (cross-compiler)
• i386-elf-binutils (assembler, linker)
• QEMU (emulator)
• GRUB (bootloader tools)

Option 2: Use Docker (Works on any platform)

./build-docker.sh

Builds everything in a container with all tools pre-installed.

Option 3: Manual Installation

macOS:

brew tap nativeos/i386-elf-toolchain
brew install i386-elf-binutils i386-elf-gcc
brew install qemu xorriso
brew install grub --HEAD

Linux:

sudo apt-get install build-essential gcc-multilib g++-multilib
sudo apt-get install qemu-system-x86 grub-pc-bin xorriso

Building the OS

Once toolchain is installed:

# Build kernel and create bootable ISO
make -f Makefile.os os-image

# Run in QEMU emulator
make -f Makefile.os os-run

Build Targets

• make -f Makefile.os os-build - Compile kernel only
• make -f Makefile.os os-image - Build + create ISO file
• make -f Makefile.os os-run - Build + create ISO + run in QEMU
• make -f Makefile.os os-clean - Clean build artifacts

Output

• Kernel binary: os/build/cubecactusos.bin
• ISO image: os/build/cubecactusos.iso

Testing

# Run in QEMU
qemu-system-i386 -cdrom os/build/cubecactusos.iso -m 512M

# Or use the Makefile target
make -f Makefile.os os-run

Troubleshooting

"Cross-compiler not found"

Run ./os/install-toolchain.sh or use Docker build

"grub-mkrescue: command not found"

brew install grub --HEAD xorriso

"QEMU not found"

brew install qemu

Current Status

The build system creates:

1. ✓ Boot loader (Multiboot-compliant)
2. ✓ Kernel with microkernel architecture
3. ✓ System servers (PM, VFS)
4. ✓ Device drivers (TTY)
5. ✓ Bootable ISO image
6. ✓ GRUB configuration

This is a development/educational OS based on MINIX3 architecture.