Genode OS Framework release 19.05 May 29, 2019

The highlights of version 19.05 are a new kernel-agnostic virtualization interface, initial support for the 64-bit ARM architecture, the use of C++17 by default, a new tool chain based on GCC 8.3, updated C and SPARK runtimes, and the consolidation of build directories across boards.

We dedicated the release cycle of Genode 19.05 to platform topics at various levels. The flagship feature is certainly the introduction of our kernel-agnostic virtualization interface. It has been in the works for more than a half year and gives us the prospect of running virtual machine monitors like Seoul and VirtualBox seamlessly across Genode's supported kernels.

The second major theme is the extension of Genode's CPU-architecture support to 64-bit ARM (AARCH64). This step motivated the update of many parts of the framework's fundamental infrastructure, ranging from the tool chain (updated to GCC 8.3), over the C runtime (updated to FreeBSD 12 libc), to the dynamic linker. The new tool chain, in turn, paved the ground for enabling C++17 by default.

With the diversity of kernels, CPU architectures, and boards growing, we are constantly striving to remove friction and redundancies between Genode's underlying platforms. The current release eventually consolidates the build directories not only across kernels but also across all boards of a given CPU architecture. This vastly increases the velocity of Genode-based system scenarios when targeting multiple boards or emulators at the same time.

Further details about these and many more improvements are given in the release documentation of version 19.05...