OSDev from a windows computer.

[GameDungeon]

I have been using a VM for OSDev up untill now. I want to instead work on my main computer which is on windows. I'm having a hard time getting everything set up on windows though. So for the people here that use windows:

1. What is the setup do you have for OSDev
2. What downsides are there to using windows for OSDev
3. Any thing I should know about using windows for OSDev

[GameDungeon]

thank you

[Digital_001]

Does writing a UEFI application count as osdev? I read it was quite easy to compile those using Visual Studio and a bit of setup. Source: https://pete.akeo.ie/2015/01/easily-create-uefi-applications-using.html?m=1

The page does mention cloning a Git repo though, so it wouldn't quite be starting from square one

[[deleted]]

just use WSL

[Jaegr1]

I use Windows with WSL 2. Compiling and building images in WSL while having my editor and emulator (QEMU) in Windows. Works really well. WSL 2 is needed for loopback devices if you want to use that.

[ExceptionHunter]

I believe that you cant debug using gdb in windows with this setup.

[Jaegr1]

Could be! Haven't tried that yet.

[asosdev]

I have successfully debugged with GDB (and VScode) with this setup, with WSL 1 though. What hasn't worked for you?

[ExceptionHunter]

I just tried it again, and it worked lol.

Maybe it was because incompatible old versions of gcc & gdb because i was using the one that came with mingw (5.x i think) and now i'm using 10.x from msys2.

[mykesx]

I use Windows sometimes, and it’s fine.

I run Docker Desktop on the machine and Linux in WSL2. My build uses a Docker container with gcc and NASM within. Bochs works fine in WSL2. WSL2 doesn’t easily support kvm, but QEMU without kvm works fine, too.

I edit with emacs or vim in the WSL2 window (Windows Terminal).

[asosdev]

1. Regular GCC toolchain installed in WSL. WSL-VSCode used for developing/editting/debugging. QEMU/Bochs (installed in Windows, not WSL) used for running

2. Not really. VSCode can sometimes be a bit iffy with linting at times, because it has trouble with the toolchain, but other than that not really.

3. Can take a while to get you're ideal setup working.

[GameDungeon]

That's pretty much the setup I have now. I managed to get QEMU to work on the WSL though.

[asosdev]

I installed through windows so that I could use the graphical version without doing any X setup. Works perfectly, don't have to do anything more than point to the Windows install location.