NetNIX
A .NET/C# Powered Virtual UNIX Environment
A self-contained virtual UNIX-like operating environment built entirely in C# on .NET 8. Boot it up, create users, write scripts, install packages, and explore a full UNIX world — all inside a single portable application.
A Fantasy Computer for the Terminal Age
Think of it as PICO-8 for operating systems — a complete, sandboxed UNIX environment you can carry in your pocket.
NetNIX is an operating environment, not an operating system. It runs as a normal console application on Windows, macOS, Linux, or Android (via Termux) — but inside that application you get a fully functional multi-user system with its own filesystem, shell, user accounts, permissions, package manager, text editor, scripting engine, daemon services, networking, and more.
Everything lives inside a single ZIP archive — nothing touches your real filesystem.
Everything You'd Expect From a UNIX System
A rich, interconnected set of tools and subsystems — all running in a safe, portable sandbox.
Virtual File System
Full hierarchical filesystem with FHS layout, UNIX-style rwx permissions, owner/group metadata, and everything persisted in a single portable .zip archive.
Interactive Shell
A bash-inspired shell with pipes, output redirection, quoting, tab-style command lookup, per-user startup scripts, and shell scripting support.
C# Scripting Engine
Write commands as plain .cs files — compiled at runtime by Roslyn with caching, a rich NixApi, #include library system, and full sandbox protection.
Package Manager
Install, remove, and manage .npak packages from local files or remote HTTP repositories. Community packages include AI tools, networking utilities, and more.
Multi-User System
Root and regular user accounts with password authentication, su/sudo privilege escalation, groups, home directories, and skeleton file templates.
Security Sandbox
Compile-time scanning blocks dangerous namespaces and tokens. Scripts use NixApi exclusively — configurable rules with per-script exceptions.
Built for Curious Minds
Retro Computing Enthusiasts
A small, self-contained computer you can tinker with. Boot it up, create users, write scripts, install packages — explore a UNIX world without any risk to your machine.
Students & Educators
Learn UNIX fundamentals, C# scripting, and systems programming concepts in a forgiving environment. Instructors can distribute pre-configured environments to students.
Systems Developers & Tinkerers
Study how a UNIX-like environment is built from scratch. Fork it and use it as a foundation for your own virtual environment, game OS, or scripting platform.
Creative Projects
Build interactive fiction, text adventures, classroom simulations, chat clients, API tools, or AI-powered utilities using the built-in networking and scripting APIs.