Hi,
here are my thoughts regarding the roadmap discussion.
Reflection of 2025 ------------------
The past year to me meant a lot of long standing improvements at the very ground of the framework to actually become reality. Especially the re-design and implementation of our custom kernel's scheduler algorithm, elimination of exceptions within core, and kernel (base-hw), modern x86 hardware support for base-hw, accurate page-table memory accounting, and some more. Moreover, I was involved in enabling new hardware like the armStone i.MX 8MP SoC including a demonstrator for the embedded world exhibition, USB stabilization work, and some more maintainance work items. The coronation of these attempts surely was the switch to our custom kernel and the new HID configuration language on top of my relatively recent (Meteorlake) x86 hardware just 2-3 weeks ago :-).
On the downside I didn't accomplish to introduce a new USB API and server that acts as a multiplexer for either USB peripheral drivers, as well as USB host controller drivers, see roadmap 2025, for which I felt responsible. This is what I plan for the very beginning of this year.
Topics for 2026 ---------------
Beside the re-organization of the USB API (to have explicit host controller driver clients), I'd like to have support for USB Audio. Not only, but also as a practical example to stress-test the ability to have distinct drivers of different USB interfaces of one and the same USB device (AUDIO + HID of a headset). Moreover, my framework laptop has no internal ethernet card, but one that is bound via USB. Unfortunately, our USB network driver does not support it resp. doesn't work correctly here. I would like to strengthen the USB network support therefore.
Beside making the USB multiplexer more robust, the platform driver needs some internal reworks too, like removing exceptions, explicit DMA sessions to account DMA memory for distinct clients in separate, and interrupt session adaptions to support MSI and MSI-x better (more than one interrupt per device).
Now that our custom kernel is used on a daily base by ourselves, I see the necessity of more maintainance work in 2026 here, like building it without C++ exception support compiler-wise (minor issue now), strengthen its robustness in general, do some x86-related and generic optimizations, e.g. rethink system calls to combine signals and ipc in one call.
I'm hesitant to bring up new features or applications here, because I see myself confronted with the maintainance of some important components on several hardware platforms already, and of course we'll have to do driver updates and support of new modern hardware this year too. Therefore, I don't see myself porting additional native applications (e-mail client), or enabling non-functional features (like full-disk encryption) although I would be very happy about it.
Happy new Year!
Best regards Stefan