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LainOS RSS Feed DistroWatch.com: LainOS

LainOS


Last Update: 2026-03-22 17:32 UTC

LainOS is a lightweight, Arch Linux-based desktop distribution aimed at developers, tinkerers and hackers. As a choice of graphical environments, it offers Sway (with the Openbox window manager available in the live environment). The distribution also features the Calamares system installer, personalised yet functional visual aesthetics, and a selection of useful software. LainOS is intended for users who share the admiration of Serial Experiments Lain, a Japanese anime television series.

Popularity (hits per day): 12 months: 181 (71), 6 months: 112 (141), 3 months: 103 (163), 4 weeks: 114 (163), 1 week: 174 (63)

Average visitor rating: 9.5/10 from 2 review(s).

LainOS Summary
Distribution LainOS (also lainOS)
Home Page https://lainos.net/
Mailing Lists --
User Forums --
Alternative User Forums Reddit • Discord • Matrix •
Documentation https://github.com/The-LainOS-Project/LainOS/wiki
Screenshots DistroWatch Gallery
Screencasts
Download Mirrors https://gitlab.com/lainos/lainOS/-/releases
Bug Tracker https://gitlab.com/lainos/lainOS/-/issues
Related Websites GitLab
Reviews  
Where To Donate, Buy or Try

Table Notes and Explanations

(Please refer to the table below.)
  • To compare the software in this project to the software available in other distributions, please see our Compare Packages page.
  • Notes: In case where multiple versions of a package are shipped with a distribution, only the default version appears in the table. For indication about the GNOME version, please check the "nautilus" and "gnome-shell" packages. The Apache web server is listed as "httpd" and the Linux kernel is listed as "linux". The KDE desktop is represented by the "plasma-desktop" package and the Xfce desktop by the "xfdesktop" package.
  • Colour scheme: green text = latest stable version, red text = development or beta version. The function determining beta versions is not 100% reliable due to a wide variety of versioning schemes.
TUXEDO
TUXEDO Computers

TUXEDO Computers - Linux Hardware in a tailor made suite
Choose from a wide range of laptops and PCs in various sizes and shapes at TUXEDOComputers.com. Every machine comes pre-installed and ready-to-run with Linux. Full 24 months of warranty and lifetime support included!

Learn more about our full service package and all benefits from buying at TUXEDO.

Star Labs

Star Labs Systems | Laptops designed for Linux

Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.


Feature 2026.03.01 2025.12.31
Release Date 2026-03-02 2025-12-31
End Of Life    
Price (US$) Free Free
Image Size (MB) 3600-3700 3600-3700
Free Download ISO ISO
Installation Calamares Calamares
Default Desktop Openbox, Sway Hyprland, Openbox
Default Browser LibreWolf LibreWolf
Package Format pkg pkg
Package Management pacman pacman
Release Model Rolling Rolling
Office Suite LibreOffice LibreOffice
Processor Architecture x86_64 x86_64
Init Software systemd systemd
Journaled File Systems Btrfs, ext4, JFS, XFS Btrfs, ext4, JFS, XFS
Multilingual en en
Full Package List 2026.03.01 2025.12.31
Package 2026.03.01 2025.12.31
alsa-lib (1.2.15.3) 1.2.15.3 1.2.15.1
amdgpu (25.0.0) -- --
apparmor (4.1.7) -- --
apt (3.1.16) -- --
bash (5.3) 5.3 5.3
bind (9.20.20) 9.20.20 9.20.17
chromium (146.0.7680.164) -- --
cinnamon (6.6.7) -- --
cups (2.4.16) 2.4.16 2.4.16
e2fsprogs (1.47.4) 1.47.3 1.47.3
ffmpeg (8.1) 8.0.1 8.0.1
firefox (149.0) -- --
flatpak (1.16.3) -- --
freetype (2.14.3) 2.14.1 2.14.1
gcc (15.2.0) 15.2.1 15.2.1
gimp (3.2.0) 3.0.8 3.0.6
git (2.53.0) 2.53.0 2.52.0
glibc (2.43) 2.43 2.42
gnome-shell (50.0) -- --
grub (2.14) 2.14 2.14rc1
gtk (4.22.1) 4.20.3 4.20.3
httpd (2.4.66) -- --
inkscape (1.4.3) 1.4.3 1.4.3
kmod (34.2) 34.2 34.2
krita (6.0.0) -- --
LibreOffice (26.2.1) 26.2.1 25.8.4
Package 2026.03.01 2025.12.31
libselinux (3.10) -- --
linux (6.19.9) 6.18.13 6.18.2
mariadb (12.2.2) -- --
mate-desktop (1.28.2) -- --
mesa (26.0.3) 26.0.1 25.3.2
mysql (9.6.0) -- --
nautilus (50.0) -- --
NVIDIA (595.58.03) -- --
openjdk (26) -- --
openssh (10.2p1) 10.2p1 10.2p1
openssl (3.6.1) 3.6.1 3.6.0
perl (5.42.1) 5.42.0 5.42.0
php (8.5.4) -- --
plasma-desktop (6.6.3) -- --
postfix (3.11.1) -- --
postgresql (18.3) -- --
Python (3.14.3) 3.14.3 3.13.11
qt (6.11.0) 6.10.2 6.10.1
samba (4.24.0) 4.23.6 4.23.4
systemd (260.1) 259.2 259
thunderbird (149.0) -- --
vim (9.2) 9.2 9.1
vlc (3.0.23) 3.0.21 3.0.21
wayland (1.25.0) 1.24.0 1.24.0
xfdesktop (4.20.1) -- --
xorg-server (21.1.21) 21.1.21 21.1.21

Reader Ratings
Reader supplied reviews for LainOS

Average rating
9.5
from 2 review(s)


Version: 2026.01.11
Rating: 9
Date: 2026-01-12
Votes: 3


 Honestly, a very great Linux distro. It's arch-based, which is great. Very simple installation if you're installing from the iso file.
The fresh install already looks amazing, good animations, good terminal, all of the things preinstalled like LibreWolf, Python, and Tor. It also has good networking/operational security tools, which I really like. The only downside is that it's a niche Linux distribution, not a huge community to look forward to for help, but overall, especially for being one of my first Linux distributions that I've stuck with, and currently my main one, it's pretty damn good!
Version: 2025.11.19
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-11-22
Votes: 11


 As someone who has only recently started learning Linux and has been scared of learning Arch, this OS has been super fun to play with. It is a great addition to any Lain fan's list of OSes and comes packed with a bunch of the essentials already for anyone who just wants to use it to watch youtube and getting it set up for playing games is easy as well. Very very impressed with how well this was made and highly recommend even if you are new to the Linux scene. Also the creator seems pretty chill and the discord seems helpful so that's nice. Let's all love Lain!



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