Zinnia is a modular 64‑bit Unix‑like kernel that runs almost entirely in Rust, steering clear of unsafe code. It ships a broad POSIX syscall surface while also exposing Linux and BSD extensions such as epoll and timerfd, enabling desktop environments like Wayland and X11 to operate on the kernel. It also supports dynamic memory management and basic scheduling, making it suitable for hobbyist OS builds.

Most device drivers compile as Rust ELF dylibs that the kernel loads from an initrd during boot, mirroring Linux’s module handling. Thanks to the Limine bootloader, Zinnia boots on any UEFI‑capable system. The author launched the project in 2024 as a learning exercise, and it now runs on numerous x86_64 machines, with aarch64 and riscv64 support slated for later.

Screenshots display Weston and Xfce sessions running under QEMU, even on a ThinkPad E14 G7, proving Zinnia can handle real‑world workloads. The project welcomes patches and stars on its repository, positioning itself as a proof‑of‑concept for Rust‑based kernel development. Its progress shows a viable path toward safer system software without sacrificing compatibility, and can be extended with additional user‑space tools.