OS Development on Linux

Most users can just use a pre-built binary from the releases page and install it manually or using the web installer.

But if for some reason that one doesn't work, or you really want to modify things under the hood, you're in the right place here!

Get the prerequisites

Clone the repositories:

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/MicroPythonOS/MicroPythonOS.git

That will take a while, because it recursively clones MicroPython, LVGL, ESP-IDF and all their dependencies.

While that's going on, make sure you have everything installed to compile code:

sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential libffi-dev pkg-config cmake ninja-build gnome-desktop-testing libasound2-dev libpulse-dev libaudio-dev libjack-dev libsndio-dev libx11-dev libxext-dev libxrandr-dev libxcursor-dev libxfixes-dev libxi-dev libxss-dev libxkbcommon-dev libdrm-dev libgbm-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libgles2-mesa-dev libegl1-mesa-dev libdbus-1-dev libibus-1.0-dev libudev-dev fcitx-libs-dev libpipewire-0.3-dev libwayland-dev libdecor-0-dev libv4l-dev librlottie-dev

Compile the code

Make sure you're in the main repository:

cd MicroPythonOS/
Start the Compilation

Usage:
```
./scripts/build_mpos.sh <target system>
```
Target systems: esp32, unix (= Linux) and macOS

Examples:
```
./scripts/build_mpos.sh esp32
./scripts/build_mpos.sh unix
./scripts/build_mpos.sh macOS
```
The resulting build file will be in lvgl_micropython/build/, for example:
- lvgl_micropython/build/lvgl_micropy_unix
- lvgl_micropython/build/lvgl_micropy_macOS
- lvgl_micropython/build/lvgl_micropy_ESP32_GENERIC_S3-SPIRAM_OCT-16.bin

Running on Linux or MacOS

Make sure you have the software

Either you built your own on MacOS or Linux or you can download a pre-built executable binary (e.g., MicroPythonOS_amd64_Linux, MicroPythonOS_amd64_MacOS) from the releases page.

Give it executable permissions:

chmod +x /path/to/MicroPythonOS_executable_binary
Make sure you have the local_filesystem/ folder

You probably already have a local clone that contains the internal_filesystem.

If not, then clone it now:
```
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/MicroPythonOS/MicroPythonOS.git
cd MicroPythonOS/
```

Start it from the local_filesystem/ folder:

cd internal_filesystem/ # make sure you're in the right place to find the filesystem
/path/to/MicroPythonOS_executable_binary -X heapsize=32M -v -i -c "$(cat boot_unix.py main.py)"

There's also a convenient ./scripts/run_desktop.sh script that will attempt to start the latest build that you compiled yourself.

Development Workflow: Desktop vs Hardware

IMPORTANT: Understanding the difference between desktop testing and hardware deployment is critical for efficient development.

Desktop Development (Recommended for Most Development)

When you run ./scripts/run_desktop.sh, the OS runs directly from internal_filesystem/. This means:

All changes to Python files are immediately active - no build or install needed
Instant testing - edit a file, restart the app, see the changes
Fast iteration cycle - the recommended way to develop and test

DO NOT run ./scripts/install.sh when testing on desktop! That script is only for deploying to physical hardware.

Example workflow:

# 1. Edit a file
nano internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.micropythonos.settings/assets/settings.py

# 2. Run on desktop - changes are immediately active!
./scripts/run_desktop.sh

# That's it! Your changes are live.

Hardware Deployment (Only After Desktop Testing)

Once you've tested your changes on desktop and they work correctly, you can deploy to physical hardware:

# Deploy to connected ESP32 device
./scripts/install.sh waveshare-esp32-s3-touch-lcd-2

The install.sh script copies files from internal_filesystem/ to the device's storage partition over USB/serial.

Modifying Files

You'll notice that whenever you change a file in internal_filesystem/, the changes are immediately visible on desktop when you reload the file or restart the app.

This results in a very quick coding cycle - no compilation or installation needed for Python code changes.

Try it yourself:

Edit internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.micropythonos.about/assets/about.py
Run ./scripts/run_desktop.sh
Open the About app
See your changes immediately!

When you DO need to rebuild:

You only need to run ./scripts/build_mpos.sh when:

Modifying C extension modules (c_mpos/, secp256k1-embedded-ecdh/)
Changing MicroPython core or LVGL bindings
Testing the frozen filesystem for production releases
Creating firmware for distribution

For all Python code development, just edit files in internal_filesystem/ and run ./scripts/run_desktop.sh.