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DistroWatch.com: Nemesis Linux

Nemesis Linux


Last Update: 2026-02-08 01:17 UTC

Nemesis Linux is a set of lightweight, minimalist live Linux distributions inspired by the Slackware-based Porteus project, but based on Artix Linux instead. It uses the Pacman package manager and the OpenRC init system. Nemesis Linux offers four desktop variants featuring the Cinnamon, LXDE, LXQt and Xfce desktop environments.

Popularity (hits per day): 12 months: 405 (22), 6 months: 329 (45), 3 months: 353 (39), 4 weeks: 327 (39), 1 week: 265 (41)

Average visitor rating: 9.0/10 from 1 review(s).

Nemesis Summary
Distribution Nemesis Linux
Home Page https://nemesis-linux.sourceforge.io/
Mailing Lists --
User Forums https://forum.porteus.org/viewforum.php?f=137
Alternative User Forums
Documentation --
Screenshots DistroWatch Gallery
Screencasts
Download Mirrors https://sourceforge.net/projects/nemesis-linux/files/ • DistroWatch Torrent Archive
Bug Tracker --
Related Websites  
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.
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Feature 25.10 25.04
Release Date 2025-10-13 2025-04-01
End Of Life    
Price (US$) Free Free
Image Size (MB) 500-600 500-600
Free Download ISO ISO
Installation -- --
Default Desktop Cinnamon, LXDE, LXQt, Xfce Cinnamon, LXDE, LXQt, Xfce
Default Browser    
Package Format pkg pkg
Package Management    
Release Model Fixed Fixed
Office Suite -- --
Processor Architecture x86_64 x86_64
Init Software OpenRC OpenRC
Journaled File Systems Btrfs, ext4, XFS Btrfs, ext4, XFS
Multilingual en en
Full Package List 25.10 25.04
Package 25.10 25.04
alsa-lib (1.2.15.3) 1.2.14 1.2.13
amdgpu (25.0.0) 23.0.0 23.0.0
apparmor (4.1.7) -- --
apt (3.1.16) -- --
bash (5.3) 5.3 5.2
bind (9.20.20) -- --
chromium (146.0.7680.164) -- --
cinnamon (6.6.7) 6.4.13 6.4.9
cups (2.4.16) -- --
e2fsprogs (1.47.4) 1.47.3 1.47.2
ffmpeg (8.1) 8.0 7.1
firefox (149.0) -- --
flatpak (1.16.3) -- --
freetype (2.14.3) 2.14.1 2.13.3
gcc (15.2.0) -- --
gimp (3.2.0) -- --
git (2.53.0) -- --
glibc (2.43) 2.42 2.41
gnome-shell (50.0) -- --
grub (2.14) -- --
gtk (4.22.1) 3.24.51 3.24.49
httpd (2.4.66) -- --
inkscape (1.4.3) -- --
kmod (34.2) 34.2 34.2
krita (6.0.0) -- --
LibreOffice (26.2.1) -- --
Package 25.10 25.04
libselinux (3.10) -- --
linux (6.19.9) 6.17.2 6.13.9
mariadb (12.2.2) -- --
mate-desktop (1.28.2) 1.28.2 1.28.2
mesa (26.0.3) 25.2.4 25.0.2
mysql (9.6.0) -- --
nautilus (50.0) -- --
NVIDIA (595.58.03) -- --
openjdk (26) -- --
openssh (10.2p1) 10.0p1 9.9p1
openssl (3.6.1) 3.6.0 3.4.1
perl (5.42.1) 5.42.0 5.40.1
php (8.5.4) -- --
plasma-desktop (6.6.3) -- --
postfix (3.11.1) -- --
postgresql (18.3) -- --
Python (3.14.3) 3.13.7 3.13.2
qt (6.11.0) 6.10.0 6.8.3
samba (4.24.0) -- --
systemd (260.1) -- --
thunderbird (149.0) -- --
vim (9.2) -- --
vlc (3.0.23) -- --
wayland (1.25.0) 1.24.0 1.23.1
xfdesktop (4.20.1) 4.20.1 4.20.1
xorg-server (21.1.21) -- 21.1.16

Reader Ratings
Reader supplied reviews for Nemesis Linux

Average rating
9.0
from 1 review(s)


Version: 25.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2026-01-14
Votes: 1


 Really underrated distro.
It can be simple and functional, very light but at the same time complete.
The basic environment is quite minimal, just the indispensable to have a working system, however you can install packages from the artix repository that are converted into the porteus format (.xzm) that are disk images.
The whole distro is immutable, it is a live installed every time at startup (sco images are mounted) and you can save the changes in different ways.
This makes the system virtually indestructible and not subject to deterioration.

The negative sides are few, mainly the fact that the distro needs a modified kernel loses the rolling release feature, this means that you generally have to wait for a new version to be able to install more updated packages (it is not necessarily true, but you have to use more efforts otherwise).

If you like minimal distros that allow use without a real installation, nemesis (and porteus) maybe represent the best compromise out there, practicality of use but still a good adaptability.



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