I was reading something about GenodeOS and microkernels, and I really like this idea. However, I am total newbie, I tried to run sculpt-25-10.img via Quemu, it runs, but do not know what to do next.
My idea is to run GenodeOS/Sculpt with NOVA microkernel and then on top of it run VirtualBox and then Linux (or even Windows).
Is this possible?
Is this possible in a sense, that when machine is booted, it would automatically run VirtualBox with selected virtual machine, so user would have more or less seamless experience?
Thanks for your answer - will definitively go through documentation. I just took a quick look, and if I correctly understand the Sculpt’s philosophy is, that you actually need to manually set up all the components of the base OS (for your hardware). So this is quite different with other (“mainstream”) OS-es, where installer takes of (almost) everything.
Just a short question - is it possible to install Sculpt to a disk, but that disk is encrypted (like with LUKS)?
From what I understand, Sculpt OS (the official/reference operating system based on the Genode components – there is no such thing as “Genode OS” ) selects what driver to use, during the boot sequence, similarly to other OSes. Looking at the source code for driver_manager(sp?), I remember noticing some code that looks up ID’s on the PCI bus and automatically launches and configures the AHCI and/or NVMe driver, depending on what is reported on the PCI bus, for instance. Not sure I’m using the correct wording as that’s not my specialty.
However if you craft your own operating system from the ground up, based on the Genode toolkit, it’s up to you what mechanism you use, either static or dynamic configuration.
As to Sculpt OS’s software configuration (network configuration for DHCP and WiFi, mounting file systems etc), some of it is text-based at the moment, and some is GUI-based. The Genode team mentionned plans to improve that in the future.
How is the authenticity of the base system checked? I. e. how to detect if someone inserted malware? I am thinking to install this to NovaCustom laptop with Dasharo BIOS (with Heads payload). It can check the authenticity of the BIOS and bootloader, however I am thinking how to protect files on a disk so that they can not be compromised (because it is not using encryption).
I mean, I can install VirtualBox and then run Linux (or Windows) from LUKS encrypted partition, but how to protect the base OS - or at least detect it was compromised?
Sorry to bother you with those questions, but I just found out this project and it seems very interesting to me.
You don’t need to worry about malware because Sculpt is not widely used so nobody will have bothered making such for it yet.
I do not think you have to worry if you are not in the habit of leaving the laptop lying about. I am - as with some others here - also a follower of Haiku and we often have these discussions in that project’s forum. Whilst Haiku is also not a popular target for malware, if you want something rock solid for state secrets and the like, then we openly say Haiku is not for you. In terms of resistance to being hacked from afar, and also ability to lock the machine when you step away from it, Sculpt will be streets ahead of Haiku. This means anyone targeting you will need a plot to physically get hold of your laptop. It is good that you are considering this occurrence, but is it likely that anyone is going to steal your laptop for this end?
I apologize if I seem a bit complacent, but as the Haiku community often point out, every two-bit outfit tracks everything we do online nowadays, and somebody would have to be of special interest to justify the more bespoke “spy thriller” types of hacking and espionage.
Sorry for my late reply, I got terrible flu… So, I am interested in security in general and as a system. My idea - or question - is: can we have highly secure system, that is resistant to various very advanced attacks, including physical access? So the threat model I am talking about here are advanced rootkits ad forensic acquisition/extraction of the data. Here is my presentation about this topic: https://telefoncek.si/predavanja/Rootkits_how_deep_the_rabbit_hole_is_DCTF_2025.pdf
Now, my idea is:
Let’s take NovaCustom laptop with Dasharo BIOS and external HSM. This would offer user Secure Boot and Measured Boot to detect unauthorized changes to firmware and SMM code and with external hardware security module you can verify system integrity (firmware, bootloader and kernel).
Instead of running Linux, I would like to run microkernel. Microkernel would boot the device, and Dasharo+HSM would be able to verify it’s integrity. So I know, that nobody changed microkernel. I mean, yes, Sculpt is not widely used. But by my opinion saying that nobody will have bothered making malware for it, is security through obscurity.
Then you would have encrypted disk drive. This would protect user from acquisition of data in case of physical access.
When you would unlock the encrypted drive - you can do this without worries, because with Dasharo and HSM you know that your system is not compromised so Evil Maid attack is not possible - VirtualBox would be activated and Linux or Windows would be booted.
Since VirtualBox and secondary OS is booted from encrypted drive, you can be assured it was not compromised either.
So in my scenario you have the complete chain verified - from firmware and SMM code, through bootloader, microkernel and then Virtualbox and secondary OS.
I already did that PoC with Linux, but I think that microkernels are much more secure (by my opinion, at leas conceptually).
) selects what driver to use, during the boot sequence, similarly to other OSes. Looking at the source code for driver_manager(sp?), I remember noticing some code that looks up ID’s on the PCI bus and automatically launches and configures the AHCI and/or NVMe driver, depending on what is reported on the PCI bus, for instance. Not sure I’m using the correct wording as that’s not my specialty.