u/xaelion

Every time I wanted to build a small web tool, I ended up dealing with the same stuff: authentication, communication, WebSockets, ports, and infrastructure.

Even with Claude and Codex, I was still spending time on things that had nothing to do with the actual tool I wanted to build.

So I spent around 6 months building PhreshOS.

The idea was simple: build the infrastructure once, then use AI agents to build applications on top of it without having to deal with all that stuff again.

It's a self-hosted, open-source system with a web-based desktop where applications can run in windows, much like a regular OS. Authentication and two-way communication are already handled, so applications don't need to implement them separately.

Apps can also run in Node.js worker threads instead of each needing a separate Node.js process, which helps keep resource usage low. This makes it possible to run dozens of applications on a relatively small server.

Another thing I wanted was for AI agents to be able to use these applications directly. They can access application services and interact with the same state the desktop interface displays, without needing a separate interface built specifically for them.

The biggest benefit for me is that I can now sit down with an AI agent and build dozens of small applications in a single day, without setting up authentication, communication, or infrastructure for each one.

The whole project, including its packages, is open source under the MIT license.

GitHub: https://github.com/PhreshOS/system

Live demo: https://demo.phreshos.com/

I'd love to hear what you think, including criticism.

so for the past 6 months or so i've been trying to build a real operating system for web apps

the idea is pretty simple. it's a real, programmable system with a web desktop you can reach from anywhere, but the apps on it are built with normal web tools. what's new is that you build the app inside the system, and it takes care of auth and communication for you, so you only worry about the app's own logic

everything you see in there is an app built on top of the system (i call them programs), not part of it

the other thing is it's designed for agents first. any agent can use these apps directly, you don't have to build a separate interface for it

tested it on macOS and linux. windows, honestly no idea yet

it's fully open source (MIT)

https://github.com/PhreshOS/system

demo (it can handle about 5 sessions at the same time, so if it's full just try again in a bit)

https://demo.phreshos.com/

you can also run it on your machine or in a github codespace

https://phreshos.com/docs

would love to hear what you think, good or bad

I’ve started working on an open-world project with a low-poly style using Three.js, Rapier for physics, and React. It will be open source and designed to be usable with ready-made world components. It’s not ready for an initial release yet; I’m just sharing it to hear your thoughts.