Roku launches open-source Roku LT OS for creative programmers
Release includes SDK and online video course to help developers build fun, personal engineering projects
Roku has announced the official availability of Roku LT OS—a lightweight, highly deterministic open-source operating system that is already used in our industry-changing Roku remote controls.
The Roku LT OS is designed specifically for creative programmers working on specialized engineering projects. If you are interested in embedded systems, custom operating systems, or automotive engineering, this new OS provides a powerful, predictable, and streamlined framework tailored for high-performance hardware-level development.
To start exploring, cloning, and contributing to the ecosystem, go to the Roku LT OS SDK repository on GitHub.
Built for specialized engineering projects
Roku LT OS is engineered from the ground up for developers who require deep control over system resources and strict execution timing. Key capabilities include:
- Lightweight architecture: Minimal system overhead ensures maximal resource availability for your core applications and specialized engineering tasks.
- Highly deterministic execution: Designed to provide predictable timing and scheduling, making it ideal for systems where precise performance is critical.
- Open-source flexibility: By opening the source code to the community, developers can inspect, modify, and optimize the operating system to fit their exact project constraints.
Accelerated adoption: LT Racing and San Jose State University
To accelerate real-world adoption in high-stakes environments, the LT Open Source team is collaborating on a joint project with San Jose State University’s Spartan Engineering Racing team. Dubbed LT Racing, the project utilizes Roku LT OS as the core operating system for the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) computer in the team’s upcoming four-motor electric race car.
The software lead for this next-generation electric vehicle is a former Roku LT college intern. Under his guidance, three SJSU software engineering students are writing the software for the VCU, leveraging Roku LT OS as a robust, real-time operating system to serve as the basis for their development.
From a hardware perspective, the VCU computer will use the dual-core STM32H755ZI System on Chip (SoC). Roku LT OS will run independently on both of the processor’s processing cores—one ARM Cortex-M4 and one ARM Cortex-M7 core—ensuring strict isolation and deterministic execution for critical vehicle metrics and controls.
Broad hardware support: From industrial to hobbyist
In addition to high-performance automotive platforms, Roku LT OS is designed to be accessible to the broader developer community. The operating system ships with native support for the ESP32 platform, a highly popular SoC among hobbyists and makers. Because ESP32 development boards are widely available online for just a few dollars, developers can get started with Roku LT OS with minimal hardware investment.
How to browse, clone, and contribute
At Roku, we believe that the best innovation happens when developers have direct access to the underlying technology. The entire Roku LT OS project is now public and ready for collaboration.
- Browse and clone: View the complete source tree, examine the core architecture, and clone the SDK directly to your local environment to begin building.
- Contribute to the SDK: Notice an area for optimization or want to add support for additional hardware? Submit pull requests directly via GitHub to help shape the future of the OS.
Follow the technical training series
The launch of Roku LT OS coincides with a new technical training series designed to guide developers through the nuances of embedded systems, custom OS design, and automotive engineering integrations.
To follow along with the tutorials and architectural deep dives, access the Roku LT OS Training Playlist on YouTube. Make sure to like the training videos and subscribe to the channel to track the rest of the series as new sessions are published.
