- Orbit OS Architecture — Platform Overview
Orbit OS is a secure distributed operating system for embedded Linux devices. It transforms hardware into managed compute nodes where applications and services execute within a unified, high-performance runtime.
![[Image: diagram.jpeg]](https://www.orbit-os.org/diagram.jpeg)
### Gravity RT (The Execution Engine)
At the heart of Orbit OS is **Gravity RT**, the secure execution core.
**Isolation:** Enforces strict process isolation and resource limits.
**Unified API:** All system interactions go through Gravity RT regardless of origin.
**Security:** Validates cryptographic signatures for every process before execution.
### The .orb Package Model
All software is distributed as **.orb** packages. These are atomic, signed units containing:
* Executable code & manifests.
* Explicit resource and permission declarations.
* Mandatory cryptographic signatures.
### Trust Model & Security
Orbit OS uses a certificate-chain trust model:
**Store-Signed (Production):** Fully trusted, eligible for auto-updates and fleet-wide deployment.
**Development-Signed (SDK):** Verified for local testing and rapid iteration, but isolated from production fleet policies.
### Real-Time Developer Workflow
One of Orbit OS’s unique features is **Developer Mode**.
**Direct Execution:** Developers can execute logic directly on live devices via the SDK without packaging `.orb` files first.
**Unified API Surface:** The exact same API used by production `.orb` packages (via UDS) is exposed to remote development tools (via TCP), ensuring "it works on my machine" translates perfectly to the device.
### Key Design Principles
1. **Everything is a signed .orb.**
2. **Gravity RT is the single source of truth** for execution.
3. **Store as Control Plane:** Centralized management for updates and fleet status.
4. **Real-time first:** Development against real hardware is a first-class citizen.
**View the full documentation at https://www.orbit-os.org/docs.html
Orbit OS is a secure distributed operating system for embedded Linux devices. It transforms hardware into managed compute nodes where applications and services execute within a unified, high-performance runtime.
### Gravity RT (The Execution Engine)
At the heart of Orbit OS is **Gravity RT**, the secure execution core.
**Isolation:** Enforces strict process isolation and resource limits.
**Unified API:** All system interactions go through Gravity RT regardless of origin.
**Security:** Validates cryptographic signatures for every process before execution.
### The .orb Package Model
All software is distributed as **.orb** packages. These are atomic, signed units containing:
* Executable code & manifests.
* Explicit resource and permission declarations.
* Mandatory cryptographic signatures.
### Trust Model & Security
Orbit OS uses a certificate-chain trust model:
**Store-Signed (Production):** Fully trusted, eligible for auto-updates and fleet-wide deployment.
**Development-Signed (SDK):** Verified for local testing and rapid iteration, but isolated from production fleet policies.
### Real-Time Developer Workflow
One of Orbit OS’s unique features is **Developer Mode**.
**Direct Execution:** Developers can execute logic directly on live devices via the SDK without packaging `.orb` files first.
**Unified API Surface:** The exact same API used by production `.orb` packages (via UDS) is exposed to remote development tools (via TCP), ensuring "it works on my machine" translates perfectly to the device.
### Key Design Principles
1. **Everything is a signed .orb.**
2. **Gravity RT is the single source of truth** for execution.
3. **Store as Control Plane:** Centralized management for updates and fleet status.
4. **Real-time first:** Development against real hardware is a first-class citizen.
**View the full documentation at https://www.orbit-os.org/docs.html
Orbit OS Team 2026