Welcome to Lifo
Lifo is a browser-native operating system where the browser runtime is the kernel and Web APIs are the syscalls. It’s not a VM or emulator—it’s a reimagination of Unix principles for the modern web.Key Features
60+ Unix Commands
Complete suite of filesystem, text processing, network, and system commands—all running in pure JavaScript.
Virtual Filesystem
Full POSIX-like VFS with permissions, symlinks, hard links, and IndexedDB persistence.
bash-like Shell
Pipes, redirects, globs, variables, job control, tab completion, and command history.
Node.js Compatibility
Run JavaScript files with
node command using 15 shimmed standard library modules.Browser-Native
No WASM, no emulation—pure JavaScript leveraging Web APIs for maximum performance.
Package Manager
Install and manage WebAssembly packages with the built-in
lifo package manager.What Makes Lifo Different?
Unlike traditional web-based terminals that run Linux in a VM or WebAssembly, Lifo reimplements the Unix philosophy using browser APIs:- Browser as Kernel: Uses
fetch,ReadableStream,IndexedDB, and other Web APIs as system calls - No Compilation: Pure TypeScript/JavaScript—no C code, no WASM for core functionality
- Truly Portable: Runs anywhere modern JavaScript runs—Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Node.js
- Lightweight: Core library is under 200KB minified
Quick Example
Here’s a simple example of using Lifo programmatically:Get Started
Quickstart
Get up and running with Lifo in under 5 minutes
Installation
Install Lifo via npm, yarn, or pnpm
Core Concepts
Learn about Lifo’s architecture and design principles
API Reference
Explore the complete API documentation
Use Cases
Community
GitHub
View source code and contribute
Issues
Report bugs and request features