AI-coded Vib-OS can't run Doom or connect to internet, YouTuber Tirimid reveals in brutal test

AI vibe-coded operating system is so bad it can't even run Doom -- Vib-OS can't connect to the internet, browser app is an image viewer

OS scrapes through the test, scoring deceptively respectable five out of nine. A new vibe-coded operating system was found to be a woeful attempt at building a PC operating system. This revelation comes via TechTuber Tirimid, who put an AI-coded OS through his regular set of nine quality checks. Unfortunately, Vib-OS v2.2.1 - Multi-Architecture OS with Full GUI, was found to be difficult to set up, and was stuffed with a mix of serious and/or weird bugs. Even some of its headlining features, like running Doom, simply didn't work, as evidenced by the video embedded below. Checking out the Vib-OS GitHub resources, the operating system seems to cover all the bases for a useful modern OS. The blurb insists this custom Unix-like OS "features a custom kernel, a modern macOS-inspired graphical user interface, a full TCP/IP networking stack, and a Virtual File System (VFS)." Moreover, it works natively on real hardware like Raspberry Pi 4/5, x86_64 PCs, and Apple Silicon - as well as in emulators like QEMU, according to the author (or possibly AI also wrote the readme). At version 2.2.X, one might expect a project to have gotten past teething issues such as major advertised features having obvious bugs, or not even working. Tirimid's testing of the system using QEMU on Linux x86 (as specifically stated to be compatible) shows that Vib-OS still needs a few fixes to bring it up to the level of being competent. For example, installation issues foreshadowed the bugginess that was to follow. After several hours of 'suffering,' Tirimid finally managed to get the OS to boot, though. The OS starts with a familiar-looking desktop, displaying a File Manager, Terminal, a central apps bar at the bottom of the screen, and some status icons appearing to show things like network connection status and time. It was promising to see the OS boot up with these familiar windows open and ready to do as instructed. However, the OS failed at several basic tasks: * Trying to connect to the internet - failed * The New Folder button and context menu in File Manager don't do anything * The Notepad app doesn't seem to load or save, and doesn't recognize arrow key input * There's no Python support apparent, despite GitHub assertions to the contrary * Games don't appear to be installed and/or don't work properly * The calculator doesn't work using the on-screen keypad, but is OK (except for decimals) when inputting using the keyboard * The Clock app doesn't update unless you activate (click) its window, and the time isn't the same as the system time in the status bar * The 'Browser' app is an image viewer The operating system allegedly supports Doom. The readme includes screens marked "Classic Doom running natively with full graphics, input, and sound support." And it is claimed, independently, that there is a "Full Doom port with graphics, input, and sound" in the OS. Nevertheless, Tirimid's clicking of the Doom icon in the launcher did nothing. Giving up on Doom, a pre-installed version of Snake ran, but had serious issues with screen updates and pacing. This poorly executed game managed to get Vib-OS a tick on Tirimid's 9-point checklist as it technically ran. Finally, the TechTuber couldn't even 'destroy' this OS from within. It was very limited in understanding Terminal commands, meaning that "even something like a file deletion won't be possible." Tirimid has previously tested other interesting operating systems like RetrOS, Hannah Montana Linux, and Windows XP. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

Someone tried an entirely vibe-coded operating system, and it wasn't great

* Vib-OS, a vibe-coded OS, boots to a macOS-like desktop, an impressive feat for AI-generated code. * It can handle a note app, a GUI, and a clumsy Snake game, but networking, Doom, and file ops fail. * Its bugs are surreal -- the mouse can 'eat' apps, and the note app rebuilds its own UI under the cursor. How in-depth do you think a vibe-coded app can go in terms of features and complexity? Depending on who you'd ask, you'd likely get different replies. Fans of AI programming will likely predict that programmers will end up more as AI wranglers than coders, while critics will point to vibe coding's high bugginess rate and lack of security measures. Well, regardless of what your stance on vibe coding is, you have to agree that getting an entire operating system running off the coding practice is pretty impressive. Such is the case of Vib-OS, an entire operating system created using AI. Is the operating system any good? Well, no. But the key thing is that it does boot, and that's good enough for me. Well, okay, maybe the ability to connect to the internet would have also been nice. I turned my phone into a Linux desktop with this free app It's basically Linux running inside an app, with a desktop environment, too. Posts 8 By Adam Conway Vib-OS is a vibe-coded operating system that may have vibed a little too hard But it can boot, so there's that As spotted by Hackaday, YouTuber Tirimid decided to give the AI-generated Vib-OS a try. As per its GitHub, Vib-OS sounds like a promising project: Vib-OS is a from-scratch, Unix-like operating system with full multi-architecture support for ARM64 and x86_64. It features a custom kernel, a modern macOS-inspired graphical user interface, a full TCP/IP networking stack, and a Virtual File System (VFS). Built with 25,000+ lines of C and Assembly, it runs natively on QEMU, real hardware (Raspberry Pi 4/5, x86_64 PCs), and Apple Silicon. It sounds a little too good to be true, so Tirimid decided to check it out for themselves. To better decide if Vib-OS is worthy of your time, Tirimid put the operating system through a few tests as a checklist of things they expect from an OS. The first one was that the OS has to actually boot up, and to my surprise, an entirely vibe-coded OS can boot to the desktop. Pretty impressive stuff. Unfortunately, that's seemingly where the wonders end. The only other tests Vib-OS managed to pass were hosting a functional note-taking app, handling a GUI, and running Snake (albeit poorly). Everything else, from connecting to the internet to playing the pre-included copy of Doom in the OS's files to deleting files, all failed. Subscribe to the newsletter for deep vibe-coding insights Want hands-on analysis? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear, practical breakdowns of vibe-coded projects -- what works, what breaks, and how to debug -- plus related tech deep dives that put experiments in context. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. As you might imagine, the vibe-coded OS came with some pretty amazing bugs. For instance, if you open an app using its dedicated Function key shortcut, your mouse will begin 'eating' the app when you move your cursor over it, unless you open the note-taking app, which actually begins to rebuild the parts you hover over.

This vibe-coded operating system looks like a nightmarish version of our AI OS future, although some of the function keys change the wallpaper so that's fun

Every now and then, someone brings up the haunting spectre of an AI-focused Windows 12. While recent rumours about the fabled, unicorn-like OS have since been debunked, it's not difficult to imagine an operating system that may one day be developed by AI, and all the horrors that might entail. Or indeed, you could just develop one now and see how it turns out (via Hackaday). Enter Vib-OS, a vibe-coded operating system described as a "from-scratch, Unix-like operating system with full multi-architecture support for Arm64 and x86_64" coded with Claude. You say Unix, I say the future of a Windows that never was -- and hopefully, shall never be. Thankfully, I don't have to test out whatever spaghetti code the AI deemed was suitable to run an OS, as YouTuber tirimid has done all the hard work for me. And the video, you'll be pleased to hear, is an absolute riot. Tirimid likes testing weird operating systems, and has a nine-point checklist to run through of tasks to complete in each of them. First up: booting! Setting up a virtual machine, tirimid installed the iso with 4 GB of memory allocation and a four-core processor. Unfortunately, the installer began looking for a macOS-specific utility, despite compatibility listings for various virtual machines. However, hunting around in the commands revealed more installation options, each of which appear to be broken in different ways. After much fiddling, tirimid managed to finally get the OS to boot... after over an hour's worth of hunting through forum threads and much head scratching. Discovering a Mac-like OS, tirimid attempted to connect to the internet. Finding a lack of options, he instead discovered a downloads folder -- that proceeded to add extra forward slashes to the address bar every time it was clicked, and nothing else. As did the rest of the folders, it seems. Giving up on the internet connection, tirimid began working his way through the rest of his task list. While the GUI worked to a fashion, and a basic text editor app appeared to be functional, creating a new folder for text files proved problematic. Both a New Folder button and a New Folder prompt in the right-click menu did precisely nothing. That text editor, by the way? No arrow key navigation. The horror. Python and Nano support seemed non-existent, despite being listed in the supported languages, which also meant no coding for our intrepid host. Good news for gamers! The OS is said to support Doom, and... nope, that doesn't function either. Snake does, though. Very, very badly, with an incredibly fast snake that would put a black mamba to shame. Give the video a watch for the full scoop (there's a hilarious moment with the calculator app near the end), but I have to summarise some highlights. Like the fact that the file manager and settings icons open the same window. Or that apps only update when clicked, so the clock appears to travel through time, My favourite part, however, is that the "browser" icon activates an image browser, not a web-browsing program. That's such a wonderful, very AI mistake to make, and it almost makes the entire project worth it to my eyes. Oh, and the F1 to F8 keys change the wallpaper. Now that's the sort of utility I'd love to see added to the next version of Windows. Sufficed to say, I don't think anyone will be using Vib-OS as their main operating system of choice anytime soon. While I'm sure it's possible to vibe code a good iteration with plenty of user testing and hands-on development thrown into the mix, this one... this one really isn't that. It starts to make you feel all fuzzy about Windows 11, though, doesn't it? It really could be worse, after all.