OS.js

OS.js is a web desktop platform that runs entirely in a browser tab. Built in JavaScript, it recreates the look and feel of a traditional desktop operating system inside a web page, complete with a window manager that lets you open, move, and resize windows, a set of application programming interfaces for building apps, a graphical interface toolkit, and abstractions for working with files and directories on the server.

The project is open source and available on GitHub. Its core repository serves as a base template that developers can clone and modify to create their own installations or custom distributions. The README also points to an official live demo where you can try a hosted version without installing anything locally, though it notes that some features may be disabled or temporarily unavailable on the demo server.

Getting started requires either Docker or Node.js. The Docker path is the simpler of the two: a single command pulls and runs the official image, and the desktop is accessible at port 8000 in your browser. The local installation path involves cloning the repository, installing Node.js dependencies, optionally adding extra packages from the project's package catalog, building the client-side assets, and then starting the server. The README notes that Node.js 17 is not currently supported without a workaround and that Node.js 10 or later (excluding 17 without the fix) is needed.

Official documentation is published separately in the project's manual, which covers guides, tutorials, and step-by-step articles. Community support is available through a chat channel, a forum, Twitter, and Facebook. The project is maintained by its author and accepts financial contributions through several donation platforms including GitHub Sponsors, Patreon, OpenCollective, and PayPal.