RigelstraCoded from scratch
The bootloader, kernel and core programs are all our own work. No inherited code and no bundled third-party libraries — nothing in the system that we didn’t write and can’t account for.
Early development · actively building
An operating system written entirely from scratch.
Rigelstra is a new, Canadian-made operating system with no Linux, Windows or BSD underneath it. It is designed around two promises — your data stays yours, and the system stays up.
Three principles
Built differently, on purpose.
Private by design
Rigelstra contains no telemetry and no tracking, and nothing in it reports back to anyone. Whole-disk encryption, with cryptography written from scratch, and a firewall that blocks incoming connections by default are built in.
Built to stay up
Changes to the system’s state either complete fully or don’t happen at all. Every change is tested automatically — including tests that crash the kernel on purpose — before it is accepted.
How it compares
What sets Rigelstra apart.
A starting point from a clean slate, rather than another layer on top of decades-old foundations.
| Most mainstream systems | Rigelstra | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the code comes from | Decades of inherited code plus many bundled third-party libraries. | Written from scratch. No third-party code in the operating system. |
| Data collection | Often collect usage data; how much you can switch off varies. | None. There is no telemetry code to switch off. |
| Incoming connections | Depends on the system and its configuration. | Blocked by default, with every rule change recorded in an audit trail. |
| System state | Spread across many separate structures. | Kept in one transactional core: changes are all-or-nothing and can be rolled back. |
| Boot integrity | Depends on the firmware and how it is configured. | The bootloader verifies a digital signature on the kernel and refuses to start one that has been altered. |
Where it stands
Real, running and growing.
Rigelstra boots in virtual environments and on bare-metal hardware, with video output, keyboard and mouse, storage and network connectivity. A graphical desktop, installer and updates are on the way.