(This try is abandoned. See here for my latest try.)

This project is work in progress. I want to build:

• E8: a simulator that simulates a virtual architecture with a MIPS-like instruction set.
• Leaf: a compiler that compiles a C/C++ like programming language with Go-like syntax, targeting E8.
• An operating system that runs in E8 written in Leaf.
• Some example small programs in Leaf.
• A Leaf compiler that is written in Leaf.

• FAQ
• Motivation

$ go get e8vm.net/e8

• RISC: The MIPS-like simple instructions set that e8 uses only has less than 40 instructions, which means e8 CPU will be very easy to port. In fact, I have already ported the core to Javascript: e8js.
• System Page: all IOs in e8 will be memory mapped, so there is no need for special instructions like in and out. Basic system functionality will be mapped to Page 0. Future fancy hardware will be mapped to the following small-id pages in the address space.
• OS-related features: e8 will not have protection rings (e.g. kernel mode and user mode). Instead, it will use an approach similar to ARM's TrustZone, where there will be a previledged VM that can manipulate other child VMs' execution state and page tables. Inside a VM, there will be events, but there will be no interrupt handlers. A VM can suspend itself and wake up on an interrupt event, so a VM can be event driven, but code execution will not be forced to suspend and continue with another program counter value. A previledged VM, however, can simulate interrupt handling on its child VMs, if it is desired to.
• Language support: The project (simulator, assembler, compiler) is written in golang, and I plan to implement a subset of golang that compiles to e8, the assembler and the compiler will be ported to that subset language later in the future, and there will be an advanced language compiler that runs in e8 where it can compile itself. More thoughts here.