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wtf is kotlin-native?

jetbrains/kotlin-native — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

★ 6,988KotlinAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5Setup · hard

TL;DR

Archived original repository for Kotlin/Native, JetBrains' technology that compiles Kotlin to run directly on operating systems without a virtual machine. Development has moved to the main Kotlin repo, this repo is read-only.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((kotlin-native))
    What it was
      Kotlin to native
      No JVM needed
      JetBrains project
    Current Status
      Archived repo
      Read only
      No new issues
    Where to go now
      Main Kotlin repo
      JetBrains GitHub
      Existing issue thread

Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Browse the historical Kotlin/Native source code as it existed before development moved to the main Kotlin repository.

REASON 2

Read archived issues and discussions from early Kotlin/Native development for historical research.

What's in the stack?

Kotlin

How it stacks up

jetbrains/kotlin-nativedetekt/detektreactivex/rxkotlin
Stars6,9886,9397,041
LanguageKotlinKotlinKotlin
Setup difficultyhardmoderateeasy
Complexity1/53/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

This repo is archived and read-only, use the main JetBrains/kotlin repository for active Kotlin/Native development.

No license information was provided in the explanation.

Wtf does this do

This repository was the original home of Kotlin/Native, a technology from JetBrains that compiles Kotlin code to run directly on operating systems without needing a virtual machine. Development has since moved to the main Kotlin repository at github.com/JetBrains/kotlin, and this repository has been archived. The source code as it existed before archiving is still browsable here under the archive branch, but no new issues or contributions are accepted here. JetBrains directed users to a specific issue thread for ongoing discussion rather than opening new issues in this archived repo.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Where did Kotlin/Native development move after this repository was archived, and how do I file a new issue for Kotlin/Native today?
Prompt 2
I want to understand how early Kotlin/Native handled memory management. Which files in the archive branch of this repo should I look at?

Frequently asked questions

wtf is kotlin-native?

Archived original repository for Kotlin/Native, JetBrains' technology that compiles Kotlin to run directly on operating systems without a virtual machine. Development has moved to the main Kotlin repo, this repo is read-only.

What language is kotlin-native written in?

Mainly Kotlin. The stack also includes Kotlin.

What license does kotlin-native use?

No license information was provided in the explanation.

How hard is kotlin-native to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1day+ to a first successful run.

Who is kotlin-native for?

Mainly developer.

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