Developer tools · operating system
Oberon System 3
Hacker Approved
Recommended as a tiny, fast, self-hosting system and simple language that runs on Raspberry Pi. Critics call the language dated and not well suited to systems programming.
Summarized from 60 comments.
Recommended as a tiny, fast, self-hosting system and simple language that runs on Raspberry Pi. Critics call the language dated and not well suited to systems programming.
- recommend
- 25
- criticize
- 6
- months recommended
- 11 of 13
Why people love it
Runs on Raspberry Pi and small boards · 5
Very cool, and I know what I'm going to do w/ my son's old rPi3
Jun 2026 · commentIt's refreshing to see Oberon getting some love on the Pi.
Apr 2026 · commentOberon System 3 works on Raspberry Pi
Jun 2026 · commentTiny, fast, self-hosting system · 4
The system is up extremenly fast (compared to Linux), but then it takes pretty long to find the USB hub and the keyboard/mouse.
Apr 2026 · commentOberon is both smaller and more capable than both of its predecessors.
Aug 2026 · commentIt is almost unbelievably tiny, it is fast, and it is self-hosting.
Apr 2026 · commentSimple, pleasant programming environment · 3
Oberon is a very nice, fun and cozy system and environment for programming.
Apr 2026 · commentOberon is a very nice, fun and cozy system and environment for programming
Apr 2026 · commentis beautiful for the power it hides behind its simplicity
Aug 2026 · commentGood for study and experiments · 2
The Project Oberon System is very well suited for these kinds of experiments.
Aug 2026 · commentBoth are very valuable for studying and experimenting.
Dec 2025 · comment
What people warn about
Language design seen as dated · 3
Oberon is absolutely a horrible language. It's an example of how you can screw up a good language by insisting on things that were important in 1960-s.
Apr 2026 · commentI see the several revisions of Oberon-07 as an entertaining exercise in minimalism, which fails to understand the industry.
Nov 2025 · commentOberon is absolutely a horrible language.
Apr 2026 · commentWeak fit for systems programming · 2
the original Oberon syntax and semantics is likely not on the sweet spot of systems programming
Apr 2026 · commentwere not properly integrated in the language concepts
Dec 2025 · commentSeen as a failure or academic trinket · 2
I still only remember Oberon as that even bigger failure than Modula
Apr 2026 · commentOberon was an academic trinket.
May 2026 · comment
What hackers pick instead
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- Ironclad OSPeople like that it is an open source, formally verified Unix-like kernel written in Ada, and that many UNIX programs reportedly run on it. Critics say it is not yet proven for real-time production use and that its verification claims are unclear.12recommend
- PebbleOSPeople recommend it as an open-source smartwatch OS released under Apache-2.0, with rapid iteration on watch faces and apps possible. Critics say the browser build is slow and unstable, and it still includes some proprietary blobs.8recommend
Every quote
The 40 most detailed of 60 comments. Each links to the original.
The system is up extremenly fast (compared to Linux), but then it takes pretty long to find the USB hub and the keyboard/mouse.
Mixed · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
the original Oberon syntax and semantics is likely not on the sweet spot of systems programming
Mixed · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
For me the right path is Oberon => Oberon-2 and Component Pascal => Zonnon and Active Oberon.
Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “The Origins of Scala (2009)”
The Project Oberon System is very well suited for these kinds of experiments.
Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: A Project Oberon System version running on RISC-V instead of RISC-5”
Oberon is a very nice, fun and cozy system and environment for programming.
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
Oberon is a very nice, fun and cozy system and environment for programming
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
Oberon would be a great fit for this board, your efforts are appreciated.
Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Sylphide OS: a general-purpose OS for microcontroller-based computers”
Oberon is both smaller and more capable than both of its predecessors.
Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Delphi 13 Community Edition Is Now Available”
particularly suited for today's MCUs because they don't assume an MMU
Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Sylphide OS: a general-purpose OS for microcontroller-based computers”
It is almost unbelievably tiny, it is fast, and it is self-hosting.
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
there was always a working compiler and system, not a mere theory
Mixed · Nov 2025 · in “The Origins of Scala (2009)”
Very cool, and I know what I'm going to do w/ my son's old rPi3
Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “FreeOberon – Open-Source, Cross-Platform, Free Pascal/Turbo Pascal-Like Language”
It's refreshing to see Oberon getting some love on the Pi.
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
is beautiful for the power it hides behind its simplicity
Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Show HN: A Project Oberon System version running on RISC-V instead of RISC-5”
Both are very valuable for studying and experimenting.
Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Oberon et al., vs. Rust”
Oberon System 3 works on Raspberry Pi
Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “FreeOberon – Open-Source, Cross-Platform, Free Pascal/Turbo Pascal-Like Language”
Oberon is absolutely a horrible language. It's an example of how you can screw up a good language by insisting on things that were important in 1960-s.
Criticizes · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
I see the several revisions of Oberon-07 as an entertaining exercise in minimalism, which fails to understand the industry.
Criticizes · Nov 2025 · in “The Origins of Scala (2009)”
I still only remember Oberon as that even bigger failure than Modula
Criticizes · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
were not properly integrated in the language concepts
Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “Oberon et al., vs. Rust”
Oberon is absolutely a horrible language.
Criticizes · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
Oberon was an academic trinket.
Criticizes · May 2026 · in “Bun's experimental Rust rewrite hits 99.8% test compatibility on Linux x64 glibc”
This is great, especially being System 3, given the nice user experience Oberon eventually morphed into.
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
Niklaus Wirth showed us a way out of the teletype world with the Oberon text/command interface
Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Programmers and software developers lost the plot on naming their tools”
One I liked it if you clicked on the scrollbar then it would scroll position to the top.
Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Ask HN: In your experience, what are sound conventions for e-ink UI development?”
Wirth's work that eventually resulted in the Pascal→Modula→Oberon progression is better
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “A Compiler Writing Journey”
The language design makes sense in the context of Oberon (1987), and Limbo (1995).
Mixed · May 2026 · in “Migrating from Go to Rust”
This is great! I remember running System 3 on a 386 back when MS-DOS was king.
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
you should take a look at Wirth's Oberon language and operating system
Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “OOP: The worst thing that happened to programming”
Technically yes, but since Apple locked down their OS completely
Mixed · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
Oh, this is something I'm going to have to try. Excellent work!
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
the documentation is sixteen pages --- seems like a perfect fit
Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “Modern Object Pascal Introduction for Programmers”
they are always in the service of making code easier to read
Mixed · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
A more in-depth look for folks with some comp-sci knowledge
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
Surprised no one has mentioned Oberon in this discussion
Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “Wirth's Revenge”
If you are looking for something more modern, go to
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
So good to see Oberon this accessible! Mad props!
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
Go fits well close to Oberon released in 1987
Mixed · May 2026 · in “Reverting the incremental GC in Python 3.14 and 3.15”
Thanks to your work, that's about to change.
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
It really is a pretty exciting project
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Show HN: Oberon System 3 runs natively on Raspberry Pi 3 (with ready SD card)”
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