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Ekong Ikpe
Ekong Ikpe

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Gnokemux challenge

#devchallenge #muxchallenge #showandtell #video

DEV's Worldwide Show and Tell Challenge Submission 🎥

This is a submission for the DEV's Worldwide Show and Tell Challenge Presented by Mux

What I Built

GnokeStation is a sub-1MB browser-based operating system designed to turn low-spec hardware, like a $15 Raspberry Pi or aging laptops, into secure industrial terminals. It provides a desktop-like experience while enabling direct hardware communication (Modbus, Web Serial, Web USB) without heavy drivers or traditional OS bloat.

My Pitch Video

stream.mux.com

Demo

The Story Behind It

I built GnokeStation strictly on a mobile phone. I needed a functional desktop environment for basic tasks but didn't have access to a full PC at the time. This constraint forced me to build something hyper-efficient. It evolved into an industrial tool to solve a common problem: "e-waste." Many facilities buy high-spec PCs just to run simple HMI screens, which eventually become obsolete due to bloated OS updates. GnokeStation proves you can have native-level hardware control on "e-waste" hardware through nothing but a browser.

Technical Highlights

  • Pure Vanilla JS: Zero frameworks. This keeps the execution path short and the performance lightning-fast.
  • Native Power, Web Footprint: Uses Web Serial, Web USB, and Web Bluetooth to talk to PLCs and sensors without needing local driver installations.
  • Sub-1MB Footprint: The entire environment is under 700KB, allowing it to run smoothly on systems with as little as 512MB of RAM.
  • Built on a Phone: Developed entirely under mobile constraints, resulting in a hyper-optimized codebase.

OS Comparison

Feature Traditional OS (Win/Linux) Cloud Web-OS (Puter/OS.js) GnokeStation
Size / Footprint Gigabytes Varies < 700KB
Boot Speed Minutes / Seconds Seconds Instant
Hardware Access Native Drivers Restricted Direct Web APIs
Dev Environment High-end PC High-end PC Mobile Phone

Use of Mux

I used Mux to host the pitch video for this challenge. I found the platform straightforward to get a high-quality stream running quickly. It fits the GnokeStation philosophy of getting a job done efficiently without needing a complex local setup.

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