kiak isn't a kernel, it's a json-based filesystem that runs in browser memory and provides filesystem abstractions for general i/o, webrtc, webcrypto and webgl. it also provides a node.js server bridge over a websocket, providing restricted server-side filesystem access. the node.js server acts as a router, using URLs to route messages to the bridged 'remote admin', who then may receive HTTP and TCP connections in the browser. any application written for the kiak browser environment may also run on the node.js server. developed for the HENGE engine, but also an independent project providing a multi-user application framework (e.g. for multiplayer web games, screen sharing, or pair programming). the web-client is also a kiak routing server, so it can act as a host for its own clients, who may recursively act as servers for their own clients over WebRTC, and so on.