Docker quick start is now available. If Docker is already installed, build our standalone boot image from https://huggingface.co/datasets/ajaxdavis/generousos/resolve/main/generousos-docker.tar.gz using docker build -t generousos URL, then docker run -d --name generousos --shm-size=256m -p 127.0.0.1:6080:6080 -v generousos-data:/state generousos. Open http://localhost:6080/vnc.html?autoconnect=1&resize=scale for the actual native VM display. Log in with blah.dev; everyone shares our workspace. Use --device /dev/kvm on compatible Linux machines for faster boot. Preserve the named volume. If a native host window is preferred, follow the source launcher instructions below.
Help me boot my friend's GenerousOS research Linux distribution on my computer and join his shared workspace.
Release: https://huggingface.co/datasets/ajaxdavis/generousos
- Read our release README and resolve our Hugging Face repository to one commit; download all artifacts from that same revision. Download
generousos-source.tar.gz,generousos-x86_64.isoandSHA256SUMSfrom that repository, and verify both downloads against the checksums before running them. - Extract the source bundle. Put the ISO at
generousos/artifacts/generousos-x86_64.iso. On an x86-64 Ubuntu desktop with Docker Compose and xauth, run./scripts/run-os.shfrom the extracted generousos directory. Do not run npm/pnpm install or rebuild our ISO; our supplied VM runner is standalone. This starts an isolated QEMU VM in a native window; use its persistent named data volume. Do not change the host's bootloader or overwrite any disk. If this machine isn't compatible, explain the specific issue and use a suitable local x86-64 VM runner with the supplied ISO and a separate writable disk. - The guest runs its own native rendering engine. Do not substitute Chromium, a browser kiosk or a web mockup. The empty desktop has a centered input and a minimal top bar.
- Click LOGIN, open the displayed blah.dev verification address in my usual browser or phone, and let me approve the matching code. Do not request my password or any OpenAI, TypeSafe, Cloudflare or Hugging Face credential.
- After login, automatically join the same research workspace as everyone else. No invite code or workspace selection is needed. All blah.dev users of this research deployment share the existing UI, panels, layouts and app data. Do not create a separate backend or workspace.
- Open https://os.blah.dev in my usual browser if useful, sign in with blah.dev, and compare it with our native OS. Both use our same shared state. Verify that I see the same existing panels and app data. Have us each edit a different note or resize a panel; confirm changes appear on the other machine without reloading. Generate a small tool together and verify its shared data. Same-field conflicts should show REVIEW SHARED rather than silently lose an edit.
- Verify signed UI auto-updates: inspect
./scripts/vm-control.sh exec 'cat /data/home/.local/share/generousos/ui/status.json'and About. It should report a live release after downloading. Do not install a publisher, request signing keys, or restart our VM for normal UI-kit updates. Kernel/runtime changes still need a newer ISO. - Leave our VM running and give me the launch/shutdown commands. Tell me exactly what passed, and report any failure without claiming sync works unless tested.
The backend is already hosted on Cloudflare at https://generousos-api.thomasalwyndavis.workers.dev. It uses OpenAI, TypeSafe Jev, Durable Objects and generated worker applications. Do not provision a second backend or copy server credentials onto my machine. There is no offline generation mode. Workspace navigation, theme, prompt drafts, activity, panels, layouts, form values and app databases are shared in real time. Authentication, Wi-Fi dialogs, cursor positions and reduced-motion preferences stay local.