Few would argue the Node.js ecosystem is powerful enough to drive any number of server-side applications and frameworks. But could it also drive an entire operating system consisting of little more than the Linux kernel, Node.js engine, and Npm package manager?
TheĀ NodeOS project was created to find out how far such an approach could go. It's now on the verge of its 1.0 release and is preparing to reach out to a wider audience than its circle of alpha testers.
NodeOS is a small-footprint Linux distribution that uses only the Linux kernel, with the Node.js engine and Npm on top as a userland component. All software is provided via Npm packages or the Vagga container engine, though there's talk of enabling support for Docker.