PalmOS can now run on a $4 Raspberry Pi Pico thanks to Dmitry Grinberg’s rePalm project

In an attempt to bring retro software to modern hardware, developer, and tinkerer Dmitry Grinberg has skillfully ported the once-beloved Palm OS 5 to a Raspberry Pi Pico, though with a few compromises.

To any hardware enthusiast, the Raspberry Pi is known for its versatility, reliability, and ability to run different operating systems. However, did you know that a $4 Raspberry Pi Pico can run an OS? Yes, this was made possible by Dmitry Grinberg, in an early demo he shared his rePalm project which was running PalmOS on a Raspberry Pi Pico. Kudos to Adafruit for highlighting this innovative endeavor.

Grinberg writes in a project update:

How little RAM/CPU does PalmOS 5 really require? Since rePalm had support (at least in theory) for Cortex-M0, I wanted to try on real hardware, as previously the support was tested on CortexEmu only.

In his blog post, Grinberg goes on and how he created a custom kernel that could run on a Cortex-M processor. With all mods, his system can stop task switching, and pause threads, and has timers, event groups, and other tools for smooth operation. Yet, he acknowledges that the project still needs additions like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, and more debugging.

The demo Grinberg showcased features a 2.8-inch touchscreen with a Raspberry Pi Pico attached to its back. It connects to the Pico using SPI and displays at a resolution of 320 x 240px. No extra hardware is needed for rePalm.

Grinberg shared in-depth details and the project’s source code. If you’re curious about the code or want to try it, it’s available on Grinberg’s official website.

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