title = "FAQ"This page covers the most asked questions.
- What is Redox?
- What features does Redox have?
- What is the purpose of Redox?
- What I can do with Redox?
- What is a Unix-like OS?
- How Redox is inspired by other systems?
- What is a microkernel?
- What programs can Redox run?
- Which devices does Redox support?
- Which virtual machines does Redox have integration with?
- How do I build Redox?
- How to update the sources and compile the changes
- How to launch QEMU without GUI
- How to insert files inside Redox QEMU harddisk
- How to troubleshoot your build in case of errors
- How to report bugs on Redox
- How do I contribute to Redox?
- I have a problem/question for Redox team
What is Redox?
Redox is a microkernel-based operating system, a complete, fully-functioning, general-purpose operating system with a focus on safety, freedom, reliability, correctness, and pragmatism.
Wherever possible, the system components are written in Rust and run in user-space
What features does Redox have?
Microkernel benefits
True modularity
You can modify/change many system components without a system restart, similar to livepatching.
Bug isolation
Most system components run in user-space on a microkernel system, a bug in a non-kernel component won't crash the system/kernel.
No-reboot design
The kernel changes very little (bug fixing), so you won't need to restart your system very often to update the system.
Since most of the system components are in user-space, they can be replaced on-the-fly (reducing downtime for server administrators).
Easy to develop and debug
Most of the system components run on user-space, simplifying debugging.
Rust benefits
No need for exploit mitigations
The microkernel design written in Rust protects against C/C++ memory defects.