Announcing TermOS - A Linux Distribution Built Around term39

[alejandroqh]

I'm excited to announce TermOS, a Linux distribution that makes term39 the default desktop environment.

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What is TermOS?

TermOS is a lightweight Linux distribution built on Alpine Linux that boots directly into term39, providing a modern Terminal Focus computing experience with both Wayland compositor support, native framebuffer modes or direct TTY.

Key Stats:

• Based on Alpine Linux Edge
• Linux Kernel 6.17.11
• term39 v0.18.0 as the primary desktop environment
• Multiple session types (Wayland, Framebuffer, Retro CRT-style, TTY)
• Full disk encryption support (LUKS2)
• Support for x86_64 and aarch64 architectures

Screenshots

term39 in Action:

Retro CRT Terminal (Default Session):

Native Framebuffer Mode:

Highlights

• Multiple Sessions - Choose at login between:

  • Wayland Retro (cool-retro-term with authentic CRT effects)
  • Framebuffer mode (80x50 text mode tu change letter)
  • Standard Wayland with term39
  • GPU-accelerated options (Alacritty)
  • And more!

• Security - Optional LUKS2 full disk encryption with a custom term39 unlock screen

• Modern Filesystems - Choose between ext4 or btrfs (with zstd compression)

• Fast & Minimal - Boots in seconds, minimal resource usage

• Pre-configured - Includes greetd + tuigreet login manager, NetworkManager, PipeWire audio, Bluetooth support, and all essential tools

Installation

1. Download the ISO for your architecture (x86_64 or aarch64)
2. Boot from the ISO
3. Login as root (no password)
4. Run termos-setup and follow the guided installer
5. Reboot and enjoy!

Installation takes approximately 5-10 minutes.

Resources

• Documentation: Full README
• Repository: https://github.com/alejandroqh/termos
• term39: https://github.com/alejandroqh/term39
• Alpine Linux: https://alpinelinux.org

Try It Out!

Whether you want a minimal development environment, a retro computing experience, or just want to see term39 shine as a full desktop environment, TermOS provides a unique and efficient computing experience.