rCore OS Tutorial Introduction

This article introduces the rCore OS tutorial, a comprehensive guide to building a Unix-like kernel from scratch using Rust on RISC-V architecture, developed by Tsinghua University professors. The tutorial aims to bridge the gap between operating system principles and practical implementation, addressing common issues in existing textbooks such as the disconnect between theory and practice, lack of historical context, and complexity of hardware platforms.

The tutorial is structured to follow the historical development of operating systems, with each chapter representing a milestone in OS evolution. It covers topics from basic character printing on bare metal to system calls, privilege level switching, task switching, and virtual storage. The authors emphasize the benefits of using Rust for OS development, citing its safety features and hardware control capabilities as advantages over traditional C-based approaches.

The article also discusses the rationale behind choosing RISC-V over more common architectures like x86 and ARM, highlighting RISC-V's open-source nature, simplicity, and suitability for AIoT scenarios. The tutorial is designed to be accessible to students, allowing them to implement their own operating systems based on the provided material and contribute feedback for continuous improvement.

The authors, Professor Chen Yu and Wu Yifan, hope to attract more readers interested in Rust and operating systems, encouraging them to implement the tutorial from scratch or explore extensions. The tutorial is available online at https://rcore-os.github.io/rCore-Tutorial-Book-v3/ and represents an excellent opportunity for those looking to learn OS development from the ground up.