> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/serenityOS/serenity/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Frequently Asked Questions

> Common questions about SerenityOS development, features, and philosophy

## General Questions

<Accordion title="Will SerenityOS support $THING?">
  Maybe. Maybe not. There is no plan.

  SerenityOS is a hobby project driven by what contributors find interesting and fun to implement. There's no formal roadmap or feature guarantee.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="When will you implement $THING?">
  Maybe someday. Maybe never. If you want to see something happen, you can do it yourself!

  <Info>
    SerenityOS is built by volunteers who implement features they're interested in. The best way to get a feature added is to contribute it yourself or convince someone else it would be fun to work on.
  </Info>
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Where are the ISO images?">
  There are no ISO images. **This project does not cater to non-technical users.**

  SerenityOS is designed for developers and requires building from source. If you're looking for a ready-to-use operating system, this isn't it.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Well, how do I run this thing then?">
  Simple! Just refer to the [build instructions](/quickstart).

  Building SerenityOS is straightforward if you have the right development tools installed. The quick start guide walks you through the entire process.
</Accordion>

## Building & Development

<Accordion title="I did a git pull and now the build is broken! What do I do?">
  If it builds on CI, it should build for you too. Try these steps:

  <Steps>
    <Step title="Rebuild the Toolchain">
      The toolchain may need to be rebuilt:

      ```bash theme={null}
      Meta/serenity.sh rebuild-toolchain
      ```
    </Step>

    <Step title="Try a Clean Repository">
      If rebuilding the toolchain doesn't help, try with a clean repo:

      ```bash theme={null}
      git clean -xffd
      ```

      <Warning>
        This will delete all untracked files. Make sure you've committed or backed up any work.
      </Warning>
    </Step>

    <Step title="Ask for Help">
      If you still can't figure it out, ask in the `#build-problems` channel on [Discord](https://serenityos.org/discord).
    </Step>
  </Steps>
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Why don't you use $LIBRARY instead of implementing $FEATURE yourself?">
  The SerenityOS project tries to maximize **hackability**, **accountability**, and **fun** by implementing everything ourselves.

  This means:

  * You can understand the entire system from top to bottom
  * No hidden behaviors from third-party libraries
  * Complete control over the implementation
  * More learning opportunities for contributors
  * Maximum enjoyment for the developers

  <Note>
    While this approach requires more work, it makes the system more cohesive and ensures everything follows the same design philosophy.
  </Note>
</Accordion>

## Package Management

<Accordion title="Does SerenityOS have a package manager?">
  **In short:** No, SerenityOS does not have a "Linux-style" package manager with pre-built software.

  ### Why Not?

  SerenityOS uses a **monorepo approach**, meaning all software is built in the same style using the same tools. Additionally:

  * The SerenityOS **ABI has no stability guarantee**
  * Library symbols and syscall interfaces can change at any moment
  * Only the POSIX C library API remains relatively stable
  * Pre-built binaries would break frequently

  <Info>
    There's no reason to have a binary package manager because the entire system is built from source in a single repository.
  </Info>

  ### What About Third-Party Software?

  The supported method to use third-party software is by compiling **ports** found in the `Ports` directory.

  **What is a port?**

  * A piece of software that can optionally be installed
  * Might not have been built by the SerenityOS team
  * Supports running on SerenityOS
  * Always built from source
  * Has its own install script

  ### How to Install Ports

  ```bash theme={null}
  cd Ports/curl
  ./package.sh
  ```

  <Warning>
    Currently, when running in a VM, ports should be cross-compiled on the host and added to the filesystem image before booting. Compiling ports on SerenityOS itself is possible but requires manual work and is not actively supported.
  </Warning>

  ### Future Development

  In the future, port installation may be easier with the `pkg` tool. If you're interested in contributing, check out the `#package-manager` channel on Discord.

  ### Excluding Components

  It is possible to [exclude some SerenityOS components](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/blob/master/Documentation/AdvancedBuildInstructions.md#component-configuration) from the build at compile time.
</Accordion>

## Legal & Licensing

<Accordion title="Why is there an MP3 implementation if MP3 is protected by patents?">
  <Warning>
    This section is informational. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. Consult a qualified lawyer if you have legal questions regarding your use of SerenityOS software.
  </Warning>

  ### MP3 Patents Have Expired

  MP3 was indeed originally protected by patents. However, **all MP3 patents have expired** since at least 2017, depending on where a specific patent was registered.

  We believe it to be completely legal to implement MP3 as 2-clause BSD licensed software without acquiring patent licenses.

  ### Other Formats

  This does **NOT** apply to many other multimedia formats, such as:

  * **H.264 (AVC)** video codec
  * **H.265 (HEVC)** video codec
  * **JPEG 2000** image format

  <Info>
    As long as there is any reason to believe that a format is covered by patents, there will not be an implementation in the SerenityOS monorepo. We believe patents are incompatible with the BSD 2-clause license in general.
  </Info>

  ### Third-Party Ports

  Third-party ports with differing licenses can provide implementations for patented formats (such as ffmpeg). However:

  * Using this third-party software might not be legal depending on your situation and use case
  * See [ffmpeg's legal information](https://ffmpeg.org/legal.html) for details
  * Everything regarding SerenityOS code is handled by [our license](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/blob/master/LICENSE)
  * Everything regarding third-party code is handled by the license of that particular software
</Accordion>

## Getting Help

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Join Discord" icon="discord" href="https://serenityos.org/discord">
    Get real-time help from the community
  </Card>

  <Card title="Read the Docs" icon="book" href="https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/tree/master/Documentation">
    Browse technical documentation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Contributing Guide" icon="code-pull-request" href="https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md">
    Learn how to contribute
  </Card>

  <Card title="Issue Policy" icon="circle-exclamation" href="https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#issue-policy">
    Before opening an issue, read the policy
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## More Questions?

If your question isn't answered here:

1. Check the [documentation folder](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/tree/master/Documentation) in the repository
2. Search existing [GitHub issues](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/issues)
3. Ask in the appropriate Discord channel
4. Read the [contributing guide](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) before opening a new issue