OSDev.org

Hello,

I want to build a simple ARM 64 OS from scratch just to learn about how it really works using Rust. I am using a M2 mac with asahi linux. Can someone tell me what the simplest way to start developing and testing is? I bought a RPi 4b for this with hardware but now I think there must be a simpler way to start developing instead of writing on a mac, then testing it on the RPi over and over.
Should I emulate an ARM 64 architecture with qemu?
I am very eager to learn and still a novice in the realm of OS development.
Thanks for your advice!

fairy21 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 6:16 am Should I emulate an ARM 64 architecture with qemu?

Yes. It will make debugging far easier.

fairy21 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 6:16 amI am using a M2 mac with asahi linux.

It doesn't really matter what you're using to do your development as long as it can run a compiler and a virtual machine. Any cheap x86 PC would work too.

fairy21 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 6:16 amShould I emulate an ARM 64 architecture with qemu?

Yes. QEMU can emulate a Raspberry Pi 4b, so you won't have to change much between testing in QEMU and testing directly on hardware.

If you're planning to run your OS on other ARM64 hardware, I suggest booting with U-Boot. This will make it much easier to add support for more platforms in the future.