10 Dec 2025
#linux#programming
Building My Smallest Personal Linux (from Kernel to Lua)
In this project I build a tiny 64-bit Linux system from scratch. First, I use tinyconfig plus a few manual tweaks to build a minimal x86_64 kernel and boot it in QEMU until I hit the classic no working init found error. Then I write a very small init in Rust + assembly (no std, no libc) that talks directly to the kernel via system calls and runs as PID 1. Finally, I statically compile Lua, bundle it together with my init into an initramfs, and use the kernel’s own tooling to create a bootable ISO that can run Lua inside this tiny Linux world. The goal is not a daily-driver distro, but to build the smallest Linux system that I actually understand from the inside out.