TL;DR
BareMetal-Cloud is a stripped-down version of the BareMetal exokernel designed to run in cloud VMs. The kernel binary is 10,240 bytes, uses 4 MiB of memory, and the project includes scripts and instructions to build, test in QEMU, and deploy to DigitalOcean and Proxmox.
What happened
A minimal port of the BareMetal exokernel, named BareMetal-Cloud, has been published and packaged for use in public and private cloud instances. The project reduces the kernel to the drivers and components needed for cloud operation: the kernel binary is 10,240 bytes (10 KiB) and reserves 4 MiB of memory for itself, giving remaining memory to the user payload. The repository bundles a software loader (Pure64) and the BareMetal kernel, and provides a baremetal.sh script that automates setup, build, install, running in QEMU and creation of a VMDK image. The README includes step-by-step instructions to upload the generated VMDK to DigitalOcean as a custom image and to import and attach the disk in Proxmox. The project has been tested on DigitalOcean and Proxmox; the README notes additional cloud provider support is planned. A live instance is reported to respond to HTTP and ICMP at a URL provided in the project documentation.
Why it matters
- A very small kernel footprint leaves most VM memory available to user workloads.
- Targeted driver inclusion can reduce attack surface and complexity compared with full OS images.
- Provided tooling automates building and packaging for common cloud and local virtualization workflows.
- Early testing on DigitalOcean and Proxmox gives a clear initial compatibility scope and deployment path.
Key facts
- Kernel size: 10,240 bytes (10 KiB).
- Kernel memory use: 4 MiB allocated to BareMetal; remaining memory left for payload.
- Components: Pure64 (loader) and BareMetal (kernel).
- Repository provides baremetal.sh with commands: setup, build, install, run, and vmdk.
- Tested platforms: DigitalOcean and Proxmox (other providers listed as coming soon).
- Live instance: project README lists an instance responding to HTTP and ICMP at a documented URL.
- Prerequisites: Debian-based Linux or macOS (Homebrew) with nasm, qemu-system-x86, and git.
- Packaging: build produces a BareMetal_Cloud.vmdk suitable for uploading as a custom image.
- License: MIT (as shown in the repository).
- Repository metadata from the source: 4 stars, 0 forks; no published releases or packages noted.
What to watch next
- Support for additional cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) is listed as coming soon in the repository.
- Broader testing beyond DigitalOcean and Proxmox to validate compatibility and stability in other environments.
- not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- exokernel: A minimal kernel design that gives applications low-level access to hardware resources rather than abstracting them behind high-level OS services.
- VMDK: A virtual disk file format commonly used by virtualization platforms to store VM disk images.
- QEMU: An open-source machine emulator and virtualizer used to run and test operating systems and virtual machines.
- NASM: The Netwide Assembler, an assembler used to compile x86 assembly language source into binary code.
- Droplet: A term used by DigitalOcean to describe a virtual private server (VM) instance.
Reader FAQ
How large is the kernel?
The kernel binary is 10,240 bytes (10 KiB) as stated in the project documentation.
Which cloud platforms are supported?
The project has been tested on DigitalOcean and Proxmox; support for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud is listed as coming soon.
How do I build and run it locally?
The repo provides a baremetal.sh script; use setup, build, install and run commands. Prerequisites are nasm, qemu-system-x86 and git on Debian-based Linux or macOS with Homebrew.
Is this production-ready?
not confirmed in the source
Where can I find the code and license?
The source is hosted on GitHub under ReturnInfinity/BareMetal-Cloud and the repository lists an MIT license.
BareMetal-Cloud Important This has only been tested with Digital Ocean and Proxmox. Support for other hypervisor/cloud providers (AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud) is coming soon. BareMetal Cloud is a minimal…
Sources
- Show HN: A 10KiB kernel for cloud apps
- BareMetal in the Cloud – IAN SEYLER
- Why Bare Metal Can't Be Operated Like the Cloud (Yet)
- Hosted Cloud With Integrated Bare Metal
Related posts
- Moody’s says $3T needed for AI datacenters as risks and costs mount
- Moving Away from Redis for Rails 8: Adopting SolidQueue, SolidCache, SolidCable
- Why the NUKEMAP developer moved the project off Google Maps API