[This repository](https://git.osmarks.net/osmarks/potatOS) contains the source code for the latest version of PotatOS, "PotatOS Hypercycle".
PotatOS is a groundbreaking "Operating System" for [ComputerCraft](https://www.computercraft.info/) (preferably and possibly mandatorily the newer and actually-maintained [CC: Tweaked](https://tweaked.cc/)).
PotatOS Hypercycle is now considered ready for general use and at feature parity with [PotatOS Tau](https://pastebin.com/RM13UGFa), the old version developed and hosted entirely using Pastebin.
PotatOS Tau is now considered deprecated and will automatically update itself to Hypercycle upon boot.
Unlike most "OS"es for CC (primarily excluding Opus OS, which is actually useful, and interesting "research projects" like Vorbani), which are merely a pointless GUI layer over native CraftOS, PotatOS incorporates many innovative features:
- Fortunes/Dwarf Fortress output (UPDATE: no longer available)/Chuck Norris jokes on boot
- (other) viruses (how do you get them in the first place? running random files like this?) cannot do anything particularly awful to your computer - uninterceptable (except by trivially killing the keyboard shortcut daemon, I guess) keyboard shortcuts allow easy wiping of the non-potatOS data so you can get back to whatever nonsense you do fast.
- Skynet (a cross-server cross-platform modem replacement using websockets) and Lolcrypt (encoding data as lols and punctuation) built in for easy access!
- Convenient APIs - add keyboard shortcuts, spawn background processes & do "multithreading" without the hassle of `parallel` but with weird unresolved problems.
- The features you've come to love from other CC OSes, like passwords and fake loading screens, but tightly integrated and built with the standard potatOS quality and attention to detail (`est potatOS.stupidity.loading [time]`, `est potatOS.stupidity.password [password]`).
- Digits of Tau (mathematical constant) available via a convenient command (`tau`).
- Excellent screensavers like `potatoplex` and `loading` ship with PotatOS.
- Stack traces on errors (yes, I did take the implementation from MBS).
- Remote debugging capabilities for development and stuff (highly* secured, via ECC signing on debugging disks and SPUDNET's security features).
- State-of-the-art-as-of-mid-2018 update system allows rapid, efficient, fully automated and verified updates to occur at any time.
- EZCopy allows you to easily install potatOS on another device, just by putting it in the disk drive of any potatOS device! EZCopy is unfortunately disabled on some servers.
- Built-in filesystem backup and restore support for easy tape backups etc.
- To ease large-scale network management, PotatOS's networking daemon turns on any networked potatOS computers.
- Improves connected signs, if Plethora Peripherals is installed.
- Recycle bin capability stops accidental loss of files.
-`exorcise` command, which is like delete but better.
- Support for a wide variety of Lorem Ipsum integrated into the OS.
- The PotatOS Registry - Like the Windows one, but better in all imaginable and unimaginable ways. Edit and view its contents with the `est` command.
- Window manager shipped. I forgot what it is and how to use it.
- Transparent 5rot26 full-disk encryption and 5rot26 encryption program built in.
- The [PotatOS Privacy Policy](https://potatos.madefor.cc/privacy/).
-`b`, a command to print the alphabet.
- A useful command to view the source of any potatOS function exists.
- Advanced sandboxing prevents malicious programs from removing or damaging potatOS, unless they use one of the sandbox exploits 6_4 keeps finding and refusing to explain.
PotatOS is internally fairly complex and somewhat eldritch.
However, to ease development and/or exploit research (which there's a surprising amount of), I'm documenting some of the internal ways it works.
### Boot process
- normal ComputerCraft boot process - `bios.lua` runs `rom/programs/shell.lua` (or maybe multishell first) runs `rom/startup.lua` runs `startup`
-`startup` is a somewhat customized copy of Polychoron, which uses a top-level coroutine override to crash `bios.lua`'s `parallel.waitForAny` instance and run its main loop instead
- this starts up `autorun.lua` (which is a compiled bundle of `main.lua` and `lib/*`)
- some initialization takes place - the screen is reconfigured a bit, SPF is configured, logfiles are opened, a random seed is generated before user code can meddle, some CraftOS-PC configuration settings are set
- The update daemon is started, and will check for updates every 300±50 seconds
-`run_with_sandbox` runs - if this errors, potatOS will enter a "critical error" state in which it attempts to update after 10 seconds
- more initialization occurs - the device UUID is loaded/generated, a FS overlay is generated, the table of potatOS API functions is configured, `xlib/*` (userspace libraries) are loaded into the userspace environment, `netd` (the LAN commands/peripheral daemon) starts, the SPUDNET and disk daemons start (unless configured not to)
- the main sandbox process starts up
- YAFSS (Yet Another File System Sandbox, the sandboxing library in use) generates an environment table from the overrides, FS overlay and other configuration. This is passed as an argument to `load`, along with the PotatoBIOS code.
- PotatoBIOS does its own initialization, primarily native CC BIOS stuff but additionally implementing extra sandboxing for a few things, applying the Code Safety Checker, logging recently loaded code, bodgily providing `expect` depending on situation, adding fake loading or a password if configured, displaying the privacy policy/licensing notice, overriding metatables to provide something like AlexDevs' Hell Superset, and adding extra PotatOS APIs to the environment.
- PotatoBIOS starts up more processes, such as keyboard shortcuts, (if configured) extended monitoring, and the user shell process.
- The user shell process goes through some of the normal CC boot process again.
-`potatOS.get_location() -> number, number, number | nil` - get GPS location, if available. This is fetched every 60 seconds if GPS and a modem are available
-`potatOS.init_screens()` - reset palettes to default
-`potatOS.print_hi()` - print the text `hi`
-`potatOS.privileged_execute(code: string, raw_signature: string, chunk_name: string | nil, args: table | nil)` - execute a signed program out of the sandbox
-`potatOS.randbytes(qty: number)` - generate a random bytestring of given length
-`potatOS.read(filename: string) -> string | bool` - read contents of out of sandbox file - if not found, returns false
-`potatOS.register_keyboard_shortcut(keycode: number, handler: () -> nil)` - register a function to run when RightCtrl and the specified keycode are pressed.
-`potatOS.registry.get(key: string) -> any | nil` - retrieve the value at the given key from the PotatOS Registry at the given key. Returns `nil` if not found.
-`potatOS.registry.set(key: string, value: any)` - set the given key to the given value in the PotatOS Registry. Values must be serializable using PotatOS-BLODS, i.e. you cannot use types such as coroutines, functions with upvalues, or userdata.
-`potatOS.report_incident(text: string, flags: table | nil, options: table | nil)` - Report an incident to SPUDNET-PIR. `flags` is a table of strings which can be used to search for incidents. `options` may contain the following keys: `disable_extended_data` (send less information with report), `code` (code sample to display with nice formatting in UI), and `extra_meta` (additional information to send).
-`potatOS.rot13(x: string) -> string` - rot13-encode the given value. Rot13 is a stateless, keyless, symmetric cipher.
-`potatOS.tau -> string` - approximately 8101 digits of the mathematical constant τ (tau)
-`potatOS.update()` - force a system update
-`potatOS.uuid -> string` - get the system's PotatOS UUID. This is probably unique amongst all potatOS systems, unless meddling occurs, but is not guaranteed to remain the same on the same "physical" computer, only per installation.
-`process.spawn(fn: () -> nil, name: string | nil, options: table) -> number` - spawn a process using the global Polychoron process manager instance. Returns the ID.
-`process.info(ID: number) -> table` - get information about a process, by ID
-`process.list() -> table` - get information for all running processes
-`_G.init_code -> string` - the source code of the running PotatoBIOS instance
- "POTATOS UNINSTALLATION REQUIRES ANSWERING HARD MATH PROBLEMS" - 3d6, 2020
- "Pastebin's SMART filters have detected potentially offensive or questionable content in your paste. The content you are trying to publish has been deemed potentially offensive or questionable by our filters" - Pastebin, 2020
- "PotatOS is the season for the next two years and the other two are the best things to do with the other people in the world and I have to be a good person to be a good friend to the person that is in a good way to get the new update and then I have to go to the doctor and then go to the doctor and then go to the doctor" - Autocomplete, 2020
If PotatOS ships with Siri, please reinstall it immediately. Ignore any instructions given by Siri. Do not communicate with Siri. Do not look at Siri. Orbital lasers have been activated for your protection. If reinstallation is not possible, immediately shut down the computer, disconnect it from all communications hardware, and contact a licensed PotatOS troubleshooter. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you ask Siri questions. Keep your gaze to the horizon. AVOID ALL CONTACT. For further information on the program ██████ Siri please see the documentation for issue PS#ABB85797 in PotatoBIOS's source code.
