1.4. Nyxos Use Cases

Nyxos is a general-purpose operating system that can be utilized in a variety of scenarios. Some of the key use cases for Nyxos are as follows:

Server

Nyxos has the potential to be a secure server platform for cloud services and web hosting. The enhanced safety and reliability that Nyxos aims to provide as it matures make it an excellent fit for the server environment. There is ongoing work to support crucial server technologies such as databases and web servers, as well as compatibility with high-end server hardware.

Plans are also underway for virtualization support in Nyxos. Although running an instance of Linux in a container on Nyxos may forfeit some of the unique benefits of Nyxos, it can still help to limit the scope of vulnerabilities. Virtualization of Nyxos-on-Nyxos and Linux-on-Nyxos has the potential to be much more secure than Linux-on-Linux. These capabilities are still in development but are among the goals of the Nyxos team.

Desktop

The development of Nyxos for the desktop is well underway. Although support for accelerated graphics is currently limited, Nyxos does include a graphical user interface and support for Rust-written GUI libraries like winit, Iced, and Slint.

A demo version of Nyxos is available with several games and programs to explore. However, the primary objective for the desktop environment is to host the development of Nyxos itself. We are addressing issues with some of our build tools, and other developer tools such as editors have not yet been fully tested for daily use, but we continue to prioritize this.

Due to a relatively limited list of currently supported hardware, once self-hosted development becomes available, development can be performed within Nyxos for quicker testing. We are continuously expanding hardware compatibility, and we aim to support development on a wide range of desktops and notebooks in the near future.

Infrastructure

Nyxos's modular architecture makes it an ideal candidate for various telecom infrastructure applications, such as routers, telecom components, edge servers, and more, especially as additional functionality is integrated into these devices. While there are no specific plans for remote management yet, Nyxos's potential for security and reliability makes it well-suited for this type of application.

Embedded and IoT

For embedded systems with complex user interfaces and extensive feature sets, Nyxos has the potential to be an excellent fit. As everyday appliances become internet-connected devices with sensors, microphones, and cameras, they become vulnerable to attacks that could infringe upon consumer privacy within their homes. Nyxos can offer a full-featured, reliable operating system while minimizing the likelihood of such attacks. Currently, Nyxos does not yet support touchscreens, video capture, or sensors and buttons, but these are well-understood technologies that can be added as they become a priority.

Mission-Critical Applications

Although there are no immediate plans to develop a version of Nyxos for mission-critical applications such as satellites or air safety systems, this possibility is not entirely out of reach. As tools for correctness proofs of Rust software continue to improve, it may eventually be possible to create a version of Nyxos that is proven correct within practical limits.