Common Questions We Get

Wendy represents a critical step in the vision of creating a unified framework and platform for edge development. Our mission is to become the "iOS for all edge projects" — defining the standard for edge computing just as iOS revolutionized mobile development.

The Problem We're Solving: Companies today are largely indifferent about which Linux distribution to use, with choices ranging from Ubuntu to NixOS to PopOS. This lack of a dominant opinion creates fragmentation and complexity. WendyOS simplifies this decision-making by providing a tightly integrated, optimized system purpose-built for edge development.

Why a Dedicated OS Matters:

• Out-of-the-box readiness: WendyOS includes essential libraries and tools for edge use cases, such as lldb-server for remote debugging, DNS-SD for service discovery, SQLite3 for local database management, and Swiftly for managing Swift toolchains
• Opinionated environment: Reduces compatibility issues and ensures superior support for our software stack
• Unparalleled performance: By controlling the OS, we deliver performance, security, and reliability optimizations impossible with generic Linux distributions
• Perfect timing: With the majority of robotics, IoT, and edge projects being greenfield, the market is positioned for a purpose-built OS

Flexible but Opinionated: While WendyOS is the ideal foundation for our stack, the Wendy framework — including the debugger, deployer, developer tools, and frameworks — works seamlessly on other major Linux distributions. This respects existing investments while strongly encouraging adoption of WendyOS for optimal performance and integration.

More Than Just an OS: Wendy is an entire ecosystem. By providing a unified platform, we enable an explosion of innovation in robotics, IoT, and edge AI, offering developers a clear path to easy development and production deployment while greatly reducing fragmentation.

Yes. Wendy uses containers for app builds and deployment, and the Wendy CLI handles the local Docker setup when it is needed.

After installing WendyOS on your device:

1. Ensure your device is connected to your development machine
2. Use the Wendy Developer Tools to build and deploy your app
3. Check the Quick Start Guide for detailed instructions

Try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Ensure your device is powered on
2. Check that the USB cable is properly connected
3. Verify the USB cable supports data transfer (not just charging)
4. On macOS, grant permission when prompted to use the USB device
5. Try a different USB port on your computer

• NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano: More powerful GPU, better for AI/ML workloads, Vision AI, and compute-intensive tasks. Higher cost.
• Raspberry Pi 5: More affordable, good general-purpose computing, suitable for lighter workloads. Lower power consumption.