[![Nightly CI status master][master-ci-badge]][master-ci-link]
[![GitHub release][release-badge]][release-link]
[![License][license-badge]][license-link]
[![API docs][api-badge]][api-link]
[![Wiki][wiki-badge]][wiki-link]
[![Stack Overflow questions][stackoverflow-badge]][stackoverflow-link]
[![Twitter][twitter-badge]][twitter-link]
[![Matrix][matrix-badge]][matrix-link]
The friendly Operating System for IoT!
RIOT is a real-time multi-threading operating system that supports a range of
devices that are typically found in the Internet of Things (IoT):
8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers.
RIOT is based on the following design principles: energy-efficiency, real-time
capabilities, small memory footprint, modularity, and uniform API access,
independent of the underlying hardware (this API offers partial POSIX
compliance).
RIOT is developed by an international open source community which is
independent of specific vendors (e.g. similarly to the Linux community).
RIOT is licensed with LGPLv2.1, a copyleft license which fosters
indirect business models around the free open-source software platform
provided by RIOT, e.g. it is possible to link closed-source code with the
LGPL code.
## FEATURES
RIOT provides features including, but not limited to:
* a preemptive, tickless scheduler with priorities
* flexible memory management
* high resolution, long-term timers
* MTD abstraction layer
* File System integration
* support 200+ boards based on AVR, MSP430, ESP8266, ESP32, RISC-V,
ARM7 and ARM Cortex-M
* the native port allows to run RIOT as-is on Linux and BSD.
Multiple instances of RIOT running on a single machine can also be
interconnected via a simple virtual Ethernet bridge or via a simulated
IEEE 802.15.4 network (ZEP)
* IPv6
* 6LoWPAN (RFC4944, RFC6282, and RFC6775)
* UDP
* RPL (storing mode, P2P mode)
* CoAP
* OTA updates via SUIT
* MQTT
* USB (device mode)
* Display / Touchscreen support
* CCN-Lite
* LoRaWAN
* UWB
* Bluetooth (BLE) via [NimBLE](https://github.com/apache/mynewt-nimble)
## GETTING RIOT
The most convenient way to get RIOT is to clone it via Git
```console
$ git clone https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT
```
this will ensure that you get all the newest features and bug fixes with the
caveat of an ever changing work environment.
If you prefer things more stable, you can download the source code of one of our
quarter annual releases [via Github][releases] as ZIP file or tarball. You can
also checkout a release in a cloned Git repository using
```console
$ git pull --tags
$ git checkout
```
For more details on our release cycle, check our [documentation][release cycle].
[releases]: https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT/releases
[release cycle]: https://doc.riot-os.org/release-cycle.html
## GETTING STARTED
* You want to start the RIOT? Just follow our
[quickstart guide](https://doc.riot-os.org/index.html#the-quickest-start) or
try this
[tutorial](https://github.com/RIOT-OS/Tutorials/blob/master/README.md).
For specific toolchain installation, follow instructions in the
[getting started](https://doc.riot-os.org/getting-started.html) page.
* The RIOT API itself can be built from the code using doxygen. The latest
version of the documentation is uploaded daily to
[doc.riot-os.org](https://doc.riot-os.org).
## FORUM
Do you have a question, want to discuss a new feature, or just want to present
your latest project using RIOT? Come over to our [forum] and post to your hearts
content.
[forum]: https://forum.riot-os.org
## CONTRIBUTE
To contribute something to RIOT, please refer to our
[contributing document](CONTRIBUTING.md).
## MAILING LISTS
* RIOT commits: [commits@riot-os.org](https://lists.riot-os.org/mailman/listinfo/commits)
* Github notifications: [notifications@riot-os.org](https://lists.riot-os.org/mailman/listinfo/notifications)
## LICENSE
* Most of the code developed by the RIOT community is licensed under the GNU
Lesser General Public License (LGPL) version 2.1 as published by the Free
Software Foundation.
* Some external sources, especially files developed by SICS are published under
a separate license.
All code files contain licensing information.
For more information, see the RIOT website:
https://www.riot-os.org
[api-badge]: https://img.shields.io/badge/docs-API-informational.svg
[api-link]: https://doc.riot-os.org/
[license-badge]: https://img.shields.io/github/license/RIOT-OS/RIOT
[license-link]: https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT/blob/master/LICENSE
[master-ci-badge]: https://ci.riot-os.org/job/branch/master/badge
[master-ci-link]: https://ci.riot-os.org/details/branch/master
[matrix-badge]: https://img.shields.io/badge/chat-Matrix-brightgreen.svg
[matrix-link]: https://matrix.to/#/#riot-os:matrix.org
[merge-chance-link]: https://merge-chance.info/target?repo=RIOT-OS/RIOT
[release-badge]: https://img.shields.io/github/release/RIOT-OS/RIOT.svg
[release-link]: https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT/releases/latest
[stackoverflow-badge]: https://img.shields.io/badge/stackoverflow-%5Briot--os%5D-yellow
[stackoverflow-link]: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/riot-os
[twitter-badge]: https://img.shields.io/badge/social-Twitter-informational.svg
[twitter-link]: https://twitter.com/RIOT_OS
[wiki-badge]: https://img.shields.io/badge/docs-Wiki-informational.svg
[wiki-link]: https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT/wiki