SnarkOS: A decentralized operating system for zero-knowledge applications | Hacker News Reader

SnarkOS: A decentralized operating system for zero-knowledge applications

github.com

64 pointsnateb202216 comments

I tried to find any description of the project, but no luck. Github readme is only about running it. Link to the website redirects back to the Github. Mentioned Aleo network website doesn't say anything about the project too, it's basically just "Intrigued? Subscribe below", and it's unclear if the projects are related at all. Okay, I'm intrigued. So what the project does?

Links to more resources from https://developer.aleo.org/getting_started/

It doesn't really say anything (and it was not clear that these two projects are related).

I mean it doesn't say what is it. Is it a blockchain? Is it a network protocol? It it a development SDK for something? If latter, the for what? Or maybe it's an app container like Docker or Kubernetes but encrypted? Or guessing by the name, an Operating System, it must be run on some hardware? What hardware it supports? Though from the "installation" section it doesn't seem that it's an Operating System at all. So what it is?

Its a new 'decentralized' blockchain network. I believe SnarkOS is the virtual machine used to run (d)apps (exchanges, games, markets). Most popular blockchains (Bitcoin, Ethereum) are psuedo-anonymous. And Aleo aims to be private by default, with the use of zero-knowledge protocols.

There are private blockchains like Monero, however they're some-what limited to just the cryptocurrency use-case.

The VM is called snarkVM. SnarkOS is just a client utility to interact with the VM and the nodes.

Ah yes, that's right actually.

Not sure what exactly about blockchain projects short circuits some people’s brains. SnarkOS features extensively in the Aleo documentation, which is linked right at the bottom of the first page, where it should be. It also comes up in some of their blog posts. It’s a client to interact with the Aleo blockchain, like gEth. It’s used to deploy apps, etc.

I'm just suggesting to add a one-two sentence description to understand if it's something worth exploring or not. I understand that people can go to some videos, spent some time reading bunch of articles, etc, but if they don't know what kind of project is this it's unlikely to happen.

As I mentioned below, my question: is it a blockchain? Is it a network protocol? It it a development SDK for something? If latter, the for what? Or maybe it's an app container like Docker or Kubernetes but encrypted? Or guessing by the name, an Operating System, it must be run on some hardware? What hardware it supports? Though from the "installation" section it doesn't seem that it's an Operating System at all.

This isn't an operating system in the sense that everyone else means when they say "operating system". You can't run it on bare metal. This seems to just be a user program. It's an operating system in same way that your email client is a mail operating system (that is, in name only).

Based on the description it seems more like qemu or docker? Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something

It’s a blockchain PaaS i think

I also was like "wow!!! an Operating System with Zero Knowledge!! that something new! wondering if it's something like Qubes OS?" just to find out it has nothing with Operating Systems

There's a lot of fintech co-opting the term operating system now, e.g. someone tell me what a "Guild Operating System" is. Nope, it's not an OS in the traditional sense, it's just some PAAS or SAAS type offering.

This bitcoin org has zero knowledge of what an operating system is.

Using wrong names on purpose to attract users is a good indicator of the irrelevance/uselessness of a project

cryptobros are masters of confusion (web3, somethingOS, 'zero proof' and so on)

This is cool. I'd like to see some application level code.

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