L4Linux

L4Linux
DeveloperDresden Real-Time Operating System Project
Written inC
OS familyLinux kernel
Working statecurrent
Source modelOpen source
Initial release5 October 1997; 27 years ago (1997-10-05)
Latest release6.10 / August 2024; 3 months ago (2024-08)
PlatformsIA-32, x86-64, ARM
Kernel typeMonolithic on microkernel
LicenseGNU General Public License
Official websitel4linux.org

L4Linux is a variant of the Linux kernel for operating systems, that is altered to the extent that it can run paravirtualized on an L4 microkernel, where the L4Linux kernel runs a service. L4Linux is not a fork but a variant and is binary compatible with the Linux x86 kernel, thus it can replace the Linux kernel of any Linux distribution.

L4Linux is being developed by the Dresden Real-Time Operating System Project (DROPS) to allow real-time and time-sharing programs to run on a computer in parallel at the same time.

L4Linux also allows setting up a virtualized environment vaguely similar to Xen or Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), but a few significant differences exist[further explanation needed] between the intent of Xen and L4Linux.