aos: AO Operating System

aos is a powerful operating system built on top of the AO hyper-parallel computer. While AO provides the distributed compute infrastructure, aos offers a simplified interface for interacting with and developing processes in this environment.

What is aos?

aos enables you to:

• Create and interact with processes on the AO network
• Develop distributed applications using a simple, intuitive approach
• Leverage the Lua programming language for deterministic, reliable operations

All you need to get started is a terminal and a code editor. aos uses Lua as its primary language - a robust, deterministic, and user-friendly programming language that's ideal for distributed applications.

New to AO? If you're just getting started, we recommend completing our tutorials first. They take just 15-30 minutes and provide an excellent foundation.

Getting Started with aos

Start here if you're new to aos:

• Introduction to aos - Overview of aos capabilities and concepts
• Installation Guide - Step-by-step instructions for setting up aos
• aos Command Line Interface - Learn to use the aos CLI effectively
• Customizing Your Prompt - Personalize your aos development environment
• Load Lua Files - Learn how to load and execute Lua files in aos
• Building a Ping-Pong Server - Create your first interactive aos application

Blueprints

Blueprints in aos are templates that streamline the development of distributed applications by providing a framework for creating consistent and efficient processes across the AO network.

Available Blueprints

• Chatroom - Template for building chatroom applications
• Cred Utils - Tools for managing credentials
• Staking - Framework for implementing staking mechanisms
• Token - Guide for creating and managing tokens
• Voting - Blueprint for setting up voting systems

aos Modules

aos includes several built-in modules for common operations:

• JSON Module - Parse and generate JSON data
• AO Module - Interface with the AO ecosystem
• Crypto Module - Perform cryptographic operations
• Base64 Module - Encode and decode Base64 data
• Pretty Module - Format data for easier reading
• Utils Module - Common utility functions

Developer Resources

More advanced topics for aos development:

• Editor Setup & Configuration - Configure your development environment
• Understanding the Inbox & Message Handlers - Learn how message handling works
• Troubleshooting with ao.link - Debug aos applications
• Frequently Asked Questions - Find answers to common questions
• Build a Token - Create your own token on AO

Navigation

Use the sidebar to browse through specific aos guides. For a more structured learning path, we recommend following the guides in the order listed above.