GodotOS
Productivity
desktop environment interface
SHOW HN2024
534points
280comments
#59of 3,515 in 2024
Top 2%of 2024 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
19 positive, 27 neutral or asking, 1 mixed, 14 critical, out of 61 comments about the project. Thread score +0.13.
Idea: 10 for, 5 againstDesign: 2 for, 6 againstPerformance: 3 for, 1 againstExecution: 1 for, 2 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Good performance and simple single-executable distribution
From 2 comments
This is actually a great proof of concept for using Godot as a cross-platform framework for desktop applications. The distribution package is incredibly simple -- just a single…
Gormo on HNThe performance is really nice, I kinda love it.
Rucadi on HN
Fun nostalgic toy and cool proof of concept
From 2 comments
Ha! This is really cool I'm really impressed that you were able to create this in Godot. Looks like it's all GDScript too. Nice You even tucked away a pong game in there. What do…
David_FF on HNWe at a stage where desktop environments become faster than the OS they run on (ahem... Windows).
rubymamis on HN
Objections
Naming implies affiliation with the Godot project
From 3 comments
Popcar2 , a note on your disclaimer that you are not affiliated with the Godot foundation. Is that usual in projects using an engine? Or is it because of your , IMHO, poor naming…
iosonofuturista on HNShouldn’t use the godot name for this
barbariangrunge on HNIt's a game launcher that uses Godot, but neither an OS nor connected with the Godot project. It's a bit like writing a game launcher in Rust and calling it RustOS.
xyproto on HN
Written in GDScript, which is seen as weak for apps
From 2 comments
I feel like the scripting language (GDScript) is pretty bad. There's no real way to handle errors and its type system sucks compared to typescript. Not to mention you lose out on…
hazelnutcloud on HN>written in GDScript Quite unfortunate.
neonsunset on HN
Not a real OS; it is an application
From 2 comments
From the screenshot: > GodotOS is a fake operating system Is it fake, though? Does the term "operating system" imply the level of hardware it's running on? Otherwise, even if…
cl3misch on HN> Note: GodotOS is not actually an operating system, it's an application with an interface resembling one. ...actually, is GodotOS any less of an operating system than early…
Wowfunhappy on HN
Requests
Turn it into a real desktop environment or Linux window manager
From 3 comments
Very nice! (and AGPLv3 too!!) I have been working on a similar project for actual filesystem/OS interaction (heavily abusing OS.execute…
arminiusreturns on HNThis is really neat! I almost wonder if this could be adapted into a “real” desktop environment, as in “competing alongside KDE or Gnome”. I have no idea what’s involved with…
tombert on HNHave you thought about turning this into a linux desktop environment? It wouldn't even be the first Wayland compositor using Godot.
Silphendio on HN
Make it work on mobile
From 1 comment
Very nice. I wish it would also work on mobile. The initial screen showed up but "clicking" on folders does not cause any action.
FpUser on HN
Rename the project
From 2 comments
Please consider calling it GodOS (pr: gud-os)
bentt on HNPopcar2 , a note on your disclaimer that you are not affiliated with the Godot foundation. Is that usual in projects using an engine? Or is it because of your , IMHO, poor naming…
iosonofuturista on HN
Questions
Is Godot suitable for cross-platform desktop apps
From 3 comments
This is actually a great proof of concept for using Godot as a cross-platform framework for desktop applications. The distribution package is incredibly simple -- just a single…
Gormo on HNThis is great. Would you recommend Godot for prototyping UIs, in general, over HTML/JavaScript?
felideon on HNI've been thinking about making a cross-platform mobile app but don't want to think about react native, touch javascript, or fiddle with xcode any more than I have to. Is it…
jarboot on HN
Accessibility and screen reader support in Godot UI
From 1 comment
I’ve been thinking about this a bit and the main concern I’ve had is around accessibility. The web has had a lot of iteration over time to make it relatively easy to build…
nucleogenesis on HN
GPU requirements and power use
From 2 comments
It requires a GPU.
Narishma on HNI would be concerned about power efficiency / battery life considering the type of rendering it's doing. That would be cool to get some info on.
pants2 on HN
Alternatives named
Lorien whiteboard app made in Godot
From 1 comment
Completely agreed! I've been meaning to write a blog post on using Godot to professionally create cross-platform applications (and probably will soon). The short of it is that…
popcar2 on HN
Electron and Flutter for desktop apps
From 2 comments
This is actually a great proof of concept for using Godot as a cross-platform framework for desktop applications. The distribution package is incredibly simple -- just a single…
Gormo on HNSome quick googling tells me Godot doesn't have native tray icons/notifications support or access to peripherals like webcams & printers. Buut if you're using Godot over…
654wak654 on HN
Her Story and Grey Hack fake OS games
From 2 comments
Looks great! I know there are a bunch of games that use this kind of setting (fake OS) as the main mechanic. Her Story comes to mind [1]. 1:…
emmanueloga_ on HNRelated: Grey Hack is a fake OS, Network, Internet in a multiplayer game where the objective is to hack (including each other). It simulates many basic functions quite well (you…
larschdk on HN