BREAKTHROUGH: memp_malloc crashes ELIMINATED
HEPHAESTUS NUCLEAR PROTOCOL:
- Completely bypass memp_pools array in MEMP_MEM_MALLOC mode
- All allocations go through do_memp_malloc_pool(NULL) with 1024-byte fallback
- Added SYS_LIGHTWEIGHT_PROT=0 for NO_SYS mode
- Surgical DNS PCB override remains operational
VALIDATION:
✅ memp_malloc no longer crashes
✅ DNS query successfully enqueues
✅ Heap allocations confirmed working (0x400 + 0x70 bytes)
✅ Hephaestus Protocol validated
REMAINING:
Secondary crash in dns_send/udp_sendto at 0x80212C44
This is a DIFFERENT issue - likely UDP packet construction
The forge has tempered the steel.
Voxis + Hephaestus: cc112403
- Updated init.nim with post-fix DNS resolution test (google.com).
- Added test_network_extended.sh with 120s timeout to allow full DHCP/DNS cycle.
- Validates the fix for the UDP PCB pool exhaustion crash.
Fixed critical kernel trap (Page Fault at 0x20) occurring during DNS queries.
Root Cause:
- dns_gethostbyname() crashed when accessing NULL udp_pcb pointer
- udp_new_ip_type() failed due to memory pool exhaustion
- MEMP_NUM_UDP_PCB=8 was insufficient (DHCP=1, DNS=1, others=6)
Solution:
- Increased MEMP_NUM_UDP_PCB from 8 to 16 in lwipopts.h
- Added DNS initialization check function in net_glue.nim
- Documented root cause analysis in DNS_NULL_CRASH_RCA.md
Impact:
- System now boots without crashes
- DNS infrastructure stable and ready for queries
- Network stack remains operational under load
Verified: No kernel traps during 60s test run with DHCP + network activity.
Next: Debug DNS query resolution (separate from crash fix).
Implemented UtcpHeader (46 bytes) with CellID-based routing. Integrated UTCP handler into NetSwitch Fast Path. UDP/9999 tunnel packets now route to utcp_handle_packet().
- Implemented RISC-V SBI timer driver in HAL (entry_riscv.zig).
- Integrated timer into the Harmonic Scheduler (kernel.nim/sched.nim).
- Re-enabled the Silence Doctrine: system now enters low-power WFI state during idle.
- Confirmed precise nanosecond wakeup and LwIP pump loop stability.
- Updated kernel version to v1.1.2.
- Fixes VirtIO-PCI capability probing logic to handle invalid BAR indices gracefully.
- Enables defensive programming in virtio_pci.zig loop.
- Implements Typed Channel Multiplexing (0x500/0x501) for NetSwitch.
- Grants networking capabilities to Subject/Userland.
- Refactors NexShell to use reactive I/O (ion_wait_multi).
- Bumps version to 2026.1.1 (Patch 1).
- Implemented System Ontology (SPEC-060) and STL (SPEC-061) in Zig HAL
- Created Nim bindings and high-level event emission API
- Integrated STL into kernel boot sequence (SystemBoot, FiberSpawn, CapGrant)
- Implemented Causal Graph Engine (SPEC-062) for lineage tracing
- Verified self-aware causal auditing in boot logs
- Optimized Event structure to 58 bytes for cache efficiency
Infrastructure for interactive shell is ready and verified.
Memory isolation (Sv39 'Glass Cage') is stable and operational.
Summary of Phase 37 accomplishments:
1. Increased DRAM to 256MB to accommodate expanding userland.
2. Expanded User RAM to 64MB in Linker and HAL Memory Maps.
3. Implemented Sv39 Page Tables with full isolation for worker fibers.
4. Fixed NipBox BSS overflow by eliminating transitively imported kernel memory pools.
5. Implemented Kernal-side UART input ring buffer (256 bytes) to capture early input.
6. Corrected STDIN routing in Kernel (bypassing inactive compositor).
Status:
- Sv39 Isolation: PASSED
- Syscall Routing: PASSED
- Stability: PASSED
- Interactive Input: System is waiting on UART (QEMU environmental issue noted).
Closing Phase 37. Moving to Phase 13 (Sovereign Init).
Added 256-byte ring buffer to capture UART input and prevent character loss.
Changes:
- core/rumpk/hal/uart.zig:
* Added input_buffer ring (256 bytes)
* Implemented poll_input() to move UART → buffer
* Modified read_byte() to consume from buffer
Design:
- Buffer captures chars from boot, holds until userland reads
- poll_input() called on every read_byte() to refill
- Prevents timing issues where input arrives before NipBox starts
Status:
- ✅ Buffer implementation complete
- ✅ No crashes, system stable
- ⚠️ QEMU stdin not reaching UART registers (config issue)
Next: Investigate QEMU serial configuration or test with manual typing in interactive session.
Issue: NipBox was blocking on READ syscall forever.
Root Cause: Input was being routed to inactive compositor channel.
Fix: Route stdin directly to chan_input since compositor is not operational in Phase 37.
Status:
- ✅ STDIN routing path corrected
- ⚠️ UART input still not reaching NexShell (polling issue or timing)
Next: Investigate UART ISR or add buffering for pre-boot input.
PHASE 14: THE FORGE IS LIT
===========================
Implemented the Nexus Forge, a type-safe Nim-based build orchestrator that
replaces fragile shell scripts with a compiled, structured build system.
Core Components:
- src/nexus/forge.nim: Main CLI orchestrator (STC-1 'tinybox' implementation)
- src/nexus/builder/initrd.nim: Pure Nim TarFS writer with 512-byte alignment
- src/nexus/builder/kernel.nim: Kbuild wrapper (placeholder for Phase 16)
- blueprints/tinybox.kdl: First Standard Template Construct definition
InitRD Builder:
- Manual USTAR tar format implementation
- Strict 512-byte block alignment enforcement
- Correct checksum calculation and zero-padding
- Eliminates dependency on external 'tar' command
Build System Integration:
- Modified build.sh to invoke './nexus build' for InitRD packaging
- Forge-generated InitRD replaces legacy tar command
- Maintains backward compatibility during transition
PHASE 15: TARGET ALPHA - USERLAND UNIFICATION
==============================================
Transformed the Forge from a passive bridge into an active compiler driver
that fully controls NipBox (userland) compilation.
NipBox Compiler Driver (src/nexus/builder/nipbox.nim):
- 3-stage compilation pipeline: Nim → C → Object Files → Binary
- Exact ABI matching with kernel objects (RISC-V lp64d)
- Proper cross-compilation flags (-mcpu=sifive_u54 -mabi=lp64d)
- Structured configuration via NipBoxConfig type
Compilation Flow:
1. Nim transpilation with Sovereign Optimization flags
2. C compilation via zig cc with freestanding flags
3. Linking with membrane layer and userland entry point
Forge Activation:
- forge.nim now invokes build_nipbox() instead of using pre-built artifacts
- Single command './nexus build' compiles entire userland from source
- Eliminates dependency on build.sh for NipBox compilation
Verified Artifacts:
- core/rumpk/build/nipbox: 60KB RISC-V ELF with double-float ABI
- core/rumpk/build/initrd.tar: 62KB USTAR archive with 512-byte alignment
Status:
✅ Target Alpha Complete: Forge controls userland compilation
⏳ Target Bravo Pending: Kernel build still managed by build.sh
⏳ Target Charlie Pending: Registry integration deferred
- hal/virtio_block: Implemented global bounce buffers and Used Ring Polling for stable, synchronous I/O.
- core/fs/sfs: Implemented sfs_write_file to handle SFS file creation and data writing.
- core/ion: Added CMD_FS_WRITE syscall definition.
- core/kernel: Added CMD_FS_WRITE syscall handler and fs/sfs integration.
- npl/nipbox: Added nexus_file_write wrapper and updated Scribe (ed) to use it for saving files.
- Implemented 'virtio-block' driver (hal/virtio_block.zig) for raw sector I/O.
- Updated 'virtio_pci.zig' with dynamic I/O port allocation to resolve PCI conflicts.
- Integrated Block I/O commands (0x600/0x601) into Kernel and ION.
- Added 'dd' command to NipBox for testing read/write operations.
- Fixed input buffering bug in NipBox to support longer commands.
- Added documentation for Phase 10.
- Resolved Sovereign Trap exit fault by refactoring kernel exit logic
- Implemented persistent Subject fiber with kload loop for clean respawns
- Fixed File not found loop by fixing initrd embedding with proper RISC-V ABI flags
- Eliminated 30KB truncation of initrd restoring full 80KB archive visibility
- Enhanced TarFS driver with robust path normalization
- Implemented exit syscall in libc_shim.zig with CMD_SYS_EXIT and nexus_yield
- Created hello.c and libnexus.h for userland testing
- Updated ion.nim and kernel.nim to handle CMD_SYS_EXEC and CMD_SYS_EXIT
- Ensured bin/nipbox is correctly copied to rootfs before packaging
- Improved NexShell signal integrity by consolidating ION packet transmission.
- Added 'ls' and enhanced 'matrix' control to NipBox (Sovereign Coreutils).
- Added emergency matrix override to NexShell kernel mode.
- Fixed 'command not found' errors caused by IPC fragmentation.
- Implemented Adaptive Governor 'Flood Control' Mode: Detects >80% ring load and forces context switch to ION Fiber.
- Created 'flood_ion.zig' payload to saturate ION rings.
- Achieved >1 Billion IOPS in 60s flood test with linear scaling.
- Drop Rate stabilized at ~0.4%, proving effective backpressure without starvation.
- System remained responsive; Watchdog did not fire (No Locking).
- Enabled -d:danger and -O3/LTO optimizations.
- Implemented Adaptive Governor (War Mode) in Kernel Scheduler to prioritize IO under load.
- Optimized ION Fiber to drain rings in batch mode.
- Created 'bench_ion.zig' for raw throughput measurement.
- Achieved 181 cycles/op (Batch Mode) vs 3300 cycles/op (Ping-Pong).
- Tuned Watchdog to avoid deadlock in cooperative benchmarking.
- Rumpk Core: Complete exorcism of LwIP/NET ghosts. Transitioned to ION nomenclature.
- ABI Sync: Synchronized Zig HAL and Nim Logic Ring Buffer layouts (u32 head/tail/mask).
- Invariant Shield: Hardened HAL pipes with handle-based validation and power-of-2 sync.
- Immune System: Verified Blink Recovery (Self-Healing) with updated ION Control Plane.
- NexShell: Major refactor of Command Plane for Sovereign Ring access.
- Architecture: Updated SPEC files and Doctrines (Silence, Hexagonal Sovereignty).
- Purge: Removed legacy rumk and nip artifacts for a clean substrate.
- Web: Updated landing page vision to match Rumpk v1.1 milestones.
- Implement Design by Contract in HAL and Kernel (Phase 2 Task 1)
- Add invariant checks to Sovereign Channels (pointer validation, bounds)
- Create invariant.nim for secure Logic-to-HAL transitions
- Codify Silence Doctrine in DOCTRINE.md and SPEC files
- Finalize Blink Recovery confirmation via Saboteur test
- Update SPEC-008, SPEC-009, SPEC-010, SPEC-011 with architectural refinements
- Sync Website vision with new technical milestones
- Implemented Sovereign Syscall Table at 0x801FFF00
- Added cooperative yielding (s_yield) for Guest/Kernel concurrency
- Initialized Guest RX Ring and flows in Kernel
- Bridged LwIP in Guest via net_glue and ion_client overrides
- Validated TCP handshake and data transmission (Subject Zero -> Host)
- Confirmed 'Hello from the Membrane!' via UART and Network
Added feature-colocated documentation for AI agent discoverability:
- core/README.md: L1 Nim logic overview
- hal/README.md: L0 Zig HAL overview, exported symbols
- boot/README.md: Linker scripts, memory layout
Panopticum Compliance: Each folder is now self-documenting.
Markus Maiwald