I'm going to spend weeks stripping every piece of Windows telemetry and bloatware to build my own custom OS (NewialIcore), and I'm exhausted

Ferny — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:49:38 +0000

Hey everyone,
I just wanted to vent a bit and hear from others who have gone down this rabbit hole. Right now, I'm deep in NTLite and system configuration, building my own custom Windows-based OS called NewialIcore.
I haven't finished everything yet, and there is still a massive amount of work ahead. The goal is simple: get rid of every single trace of Windows bloat, forced telemetry, and annoying default markers, and turn it into something clean, fast, and truly mine.
But honestly? It is an absolute nightmare. Going through component by component, pruning services without breaking the installer, and testing build after build in a virtual machine takes hours and hours of pure patience.
Even setting up the custom installation screens—so it greets you with friendly, relaxing messages instead of standard sterile text—takes way more trial and error than I expected.
As the creator, I feel like I'm obligated to actually daily-drive NewialIcore as my main OS once it's done to hunt down every remaining bug. Development is probably going to stretch well into September or even longer because trimming all the Windows DNA out of an operating system is way harder than it looks.
Has anyone else here ever built their own custom ISO? How do you keep from losing your mind when there's still so much to do and a build fails for the fifth time in a row? How are you doing?
Would love to hear your thoughts, advice, or support!

l built an AI and a full ecosystem named Ferny – here's how and why

Ferny — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:59:23 +0000

When I started building Ferny, I didn't just want to make another chatbot. I wanted to build an ecosystem.

Ferny started as a small project. Today, it's the core of a growing ecosystem built from scratch. Here's what I've built so far:

Ferny AI – The core assistant

Ferny AI is the central part of the ecosystem. It's a conversational assistant that can:

Answer questions on various topics

Generate images from text descriptions

Write and explain code

Some of its features include:

Multiple personas (Standard, Bold, Creative, Brief)

Child mode for younger users

Voice input and text-to-speech

Search the web (via API)

Ferny AI is built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It uses external AI APIs under the hood, with a built-in fallback system to switch between models if one is unavailable.

FernyDrive – Cloud storage for your files

FernyDrive is a fully functional cloud storage app built with IndexedDB. It stores all files locally in the browser.

Features include:

Upload, rename, and delete files

Mark files as favorites

Move files to trash and restore them

Search through files by name

Grid and list views

Dark mode interface

FernyDrive is built as a single HTML file (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript inside) and requires no external dependencies.

FernyApp – Messenger (in development)

FernyApp is a messenger that I'm currently building. It will allow users to chat, find each other by username, and communicate in real time.

The goal is to create a simple, fast, and private communication tool that fits into the Ferny ecosystem.

FernyOffice (in development and 21-22 August, soon)
FernyGondel (Add a new section to my Dev.to article about FernyGondel.

FernyGondel is the Linux-based foundation of FernyOS. It is not just another Ferny service — it is the system-level foundation that FernyOS is built on.

Explain clearly:

What FernyGondel is
Why Linux was chosen as its foundation
How FernyGondel differs from FernyOS
How FernyGondel fits into the overall Ferny ecosystem
What system-level components it is responsible for
How Ferny AI, FernyDrive, FernyApp and FernyOffice can eventually integrate with FernyOS
What is already implemented and what is still in development (do not invent features; only mention things that are actually confirmed)
The long-term vision for FernyGondel and FernyOS

Make the section sound like it was written by an independent developer building the project himself, not by a large corporation.

Keep the tone technical but easy to understand. Avoid exaggerated marketing language and do not claim that FernyGondel is a completely new operating system kernel if it is based on Linux.

Also include a simple ASCII architecture diagram showing:

Linux
↓
FernyGondel
↓
FernyOS
↓
Ferny AI / FernyDrive / FernyApp / FernyOffice

Give the section a suitable title and make it fit naturally into the existing Dev.to article.)

How I built this:

I started by learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I didn't have a team or funding. I just had an idea and a lot of curiosity.

I used Claude AI to help with the code, and I handled the architecture, design, and product direction myself.

All projects are hosted on Netlify and are accessible to anyone.

What's next:

I'm planning to expand the ecosystem further. My long-term vision is to build a full operating system called FernyOS, where all Ferny services are integrated at the system level.

For now, I'm working on FernyApp (messenger) and improving FernyDrive.

Where to find me:

Telegram: @ferny_official

Telegram Channel: https://t.me/ferny9113

Thank you for reading. This is just the beginning!

DEV Community: Ferny

I'm going to spend weeks stripping every piece of Windows telemetry and bloatware to build my own custom OS (NewialIcore), and I'm exhausted

l built an AI and a full ecosystem named Ferny – here's how and why