Why I wrote my own OS instead of just studying how they work

📰 Medium · Machine Learning

Learn why building an OS from scratch can be a valuable learning experience, and how it can help you understand the inner workings of operating systems.

advanced Published 12 Apr 2026

Action Steps

Build a simple operating system from scratch to understand the basics of kernel development
Write a heap allocator and debug it to learn about memory management
Research existing operating systems, such as Linux and Windows, to understand their design and architecture
Join online communities, such as GitHub or Reddit, to connect with other developers and learn from their experiences
Apply your knowledge of operating systems to real-world problems, such as optimizing system performance or improving security

Who Needs to Know This

This article is relevant to software engineers, developers, and systems designers who want to deepen their understanding of operating systems and gain hands-on experience with building complex systems.

Key Insight

💡 Building an operating system from scratch can help you develop a deeper understanding of how operating systems work and give you hands-on experience with complex system development.