Community-driven FOSS distributions
I’ve compiled a list of community-driven, non-corporate FOSS operating systems. What I mean by “community-driven” is distributions that are self-governed, where decisions regarding the direction of the distribution are ultimately made by the community itself and its leadership. This is in contrast to distributions where corporations like IBM/Red Hat, Canonical, and Novell have decision-making power over the direction of the distribution.
AlmaLinux
- Website: https://almalinux.org
- Description: Production-grade enterprise distribution that is binary-compatible with RHEL.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: systemd
Alpine Linux
- Website: https://alpinelinux.org/
- Description: Small, simple, and secure.
- Userland: Musl, BusyBox
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: OpenRC
antiX Linux
- Website: https://antixlinux.com/
- Description: Fast, lightweight, systemd-free and elogind-free Debian-based Linux distro.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: runit, SysV
Arch Linux
- Website: https://archlinux.org/
- Description: Rolling release, cutting edge. Flexible, minimal, Keep It Simple.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: systemd
Artix Linux
- Website: https://artixlinux.org/
- Description: Rolling release based on Arch Linux. Fast, simple, and systemd-free.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: OpenRC, runit, s6, or Dinit
CalyxOS
- Website: https://calyxos.org/
- Description: Privacy and security-focused Android-based OS for smartphones, foldables, and tablets. Produced by the Calyx Institute.
- Userland: Android
- Kernel: Android
- Init: Android
Chimera Linux
- Website: https://chimera-linux.org/
- Description: Simple, transparent.
- Userland: Musl, BSD, LLVM compiler and runtime stack
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: Dinit
Debian GNU/Linux
- Website: https://www.debian.org/
- Description: General-purpose OS.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: systemd
Devuan GNU+Linux
- Website: https://www.devuan.org/
- Description: General-purpose OS. Fork of Debian without systemd. Promotes Init Freedom.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: SysV, OpenRC
DragonFly BSD
- Website: https://dragonflybsd.org/
- Description: Forked from FreeBSD 4.8. Features the HAMMER2 filesystem, virtual kernels, SMP scalability, and swapcache.
- Userland: DragonFly BSD
- Kernel: DragonFly BSD
- Init: BSD RC
FreeBSD
- Website: https://freebsd.org/
- Description: Native ZFS support. LLVM compiler and runtime. Jails, Bhyve, ports tree contains a wide variety of packages. Firm monolithic coupling between kernel and userland.
- Userland: FreeBSD
- Kernel: FreeBSD
- Init: BSD RC
GNU Guix System
- Website: https://guix.gnu.org/en
- Description: Features Guix functional package manager, a Guile Scheme implementation of the Nix package manager. Uses Guile Scheme for declarative system configuration. 100% libre.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux-libre
- Init: GNU Shepherd
Gentoo Linux
- Website: https://gentoo.org/
- Description: Built from the ground up using the Portage package manager. Packages are traditionally compiled locally from source, but the project now offers binary packages.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: systemd or OpenRC
GrapheneOS
- Website: https://grapheneos.org/
- Description: Privacy and security-focused Android OS for Google Pixel devices.
- Userland: Android
- Kernel: Android
- Init: Android
HardenedBSD
- Website: https://hardenedbsd.org/
- Description: Security-enhanced fork of FreeBSD
- Userland: FreeBSD
- Kernel: HardenedBSD
- Init: BSD RC
Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre
- Website: https://hyperbola.info/
- Description: 100% libre. Arch Linux package manager with LTS patchsets from Debian.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux-libre
- Init: systemd
Linux Mint
- Website: https://linuxmint.com/
- Description: Based on Ubuntu LTS. Beginner-friendly. Once described as “Ubuntu sans Canonical.”
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: systemd
MX Linux
- Website: https://mxlinux.org/
- Description: Based on Debian stable and using core antiX components with additional software created by the MX community. Beginner-friendly.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: SysV, systemd, OpenRC, runit
NetBSD
- Website: https://netbsd.org/
- Description: Focuses on code clarity, careful design, and portability.
- Userland: NetBSD
- Kernel: NetBSD
- Init: BSD RC
OpenBSD
- Website: https://openbsdfoundation.org/
- Description: Emphasizes portability, standardization, correctness, proactive security, and integrated cryptography. Minimal base system.
- Userland: OpenBSD
- Kernel: OpenBSD
- Init: BSD RC
Parabola GNU/Linux-libre
- Website: https://parabola.nu/
- Description: 100% libre version of Arch Linux.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux-libre
- Init: systemd
Qubes OS
- Website: https://qubes-os.org/
- Description: Security-focused desktop OS. Aims to provide security through isolation via the virtualization technology of the Xen hypervisor.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: systemd
Rocky Linux
- Website: https://rockylinux.org/
- Description: Production-grade enterprise distribution, bug-for-bug compatible with RHEL. Describes itself as “self-imposed not for-profit.”
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: systemd
Slackware
- Website: https://slackware.com/
- Description: Oldest Linux distribution still maintained since 1993. Aims for design stability and simplicity. Makes few as possible modifications to upstream packages. No automatic dependency resolution of packages.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: SysV
Tails
- Website: https://tails.net/
- Description: Debian-based, anonymity and privacy focused distribution. Connects to the internet exclusively through Tor. Designed to be booted as a live DVD or USB and never writes to the hard drive. Leaves no digital footprint by default.
- Userland: GNU
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: systemd
Void Linux
- Website: https://voidlinux.org/
- Description: Uses X Binary Package System (XBPS) for package management. Offers choice of musl or glibc.
- Userland: Musl or GNU libc
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: runit
postmarketOS
- Website: https://postmarketos.org/
- Description: Alpine Linux-based distribution for phones. Aims to extend the life of consumer electronics by supporting older devices that are victims of planned obsolescence.
- Userland: Musl
- Kernel: Linux
- Init: OpenRC, but plans to include systemd