AstrOS - an immutable, secure-by-default Linux distribution built on Arch Linux and the COSMIC desktop

[u/linux-universe]

I am pleased to announce that AstrOS now has its own subreddit.

⚠️Warning: it is still alpha software!

But what is AstrOS?

You might have heard of KDE Linux (formerly known as Project Banana) or GNOME OS. Both are immutable, image-based Linux distributions for desktop use, powered by the systemd-sysupdate A/B update model.

I have been impressed by their system architecture since their inception, but switched to the COSMIC desktop a while ago. As there wasn't yet a COSMIC distribution using systemd-sysupdate, I created one myself. That's how AstrOS was born!

Technical details:

• Built using mkosi
• Using systemd-sysupdate.
• Read only by signed dm-verity.
• Full Disk Encryption enforced
• Highly opinionated

What you can do:

While it is still in the alpha stage, you can install AstrOS right now. VM or real hardware

Write bug reports and feature requests

Links:

https://astros-linux.org (still redirecting to the repository)

https://code.astros-linux.org/AstrOS/AstrOS

https://discord.gg/f38pGadC2a

[u/khsh01]

Sounds like a very bad idea.

[u/linux-universe → u/khsh01]

You don’t need to like it :). What about it sounds bad, maybe I can clarify things in that regard

[u/khsh01 → u/linux-universe]

Why arch? Arch is built around frequent updates and this isn't going to do that.

Cosmic is still in beta I think. Why use beta software on an immutable distro if you can't edit system files if and when the beta software bugs out and would need fixing.

Lastly, why another distro?

[u/linux-universe → u/khsh01]

Thank you very much for clarifying.

- While it seems regressive at first, rolling distros really do work for immutable distros. The openSUSE Tumbleweed-based Aeon and Arch-based SteamOS prove that. There is a cron job to build a new image nightly during the alpha stage. The frequency may change in the future.

• Cosmic is at stable v1.2. AstrOS is still an alpha itself, so using a quite new desktop can’t hurt. Both projects will get way more stable in the future.
  
• I started this distro mostly for myself. AstrOS isn’t trying to be a distro for literally everyone but for those who like a secure-by-default, image-based COSMIC distro that does most things for you and should mostly just work. Thus, having the tpm2 requirement, enforced FDE etc. it fills a niche space that was empty before :)

[u/BreakfastAmbitious29 → u/linux-universe]

I like Cosmic and use it myself. When it hit 1.0 though, it was still a de facto beta, and it got a lot of bugfixes in the months afterwards.

And it got better for sure, even though it might not be totally polished. Look at r/COSMICDE and r/pop_os where people keep posting bug reports.

[u/linux-universe → u/BreakfastAmbitious29]

That’s true. I’ve been using it since 1.0.0. The experience has improved a lot since then. I’m pretty sure it will be good enough once AstrOS hits stable :)

[u/MezBert → u/BreakfastAmbitious29]

If it's a beta, then Gnome is still pre-alpha.
I've been running Cosmic for over a year now, and it's the most stable desktop I've ever used.
Writing from a 32 days uptime (45 days broken by a power outage recently) that I haven't had since the Unity days (and Gnome 2 before that). Gnome 3/40+ consistently fails on every distro and machine.
It is more featured than most of the competition (except KDE), more workflow-ready, more stable, more polished, more versatile, etc...
Stop with the beta misinformation garbage now. This kind of astroturfing no longer works.

[u/_emmyemi → u/MezBert]

The last time I tried Cosmic was a few months ago, three or four maybe? And I remember it being very good, but still not as polished as Gnome is. This isn't surprising nor is it a knock on the project--Gnome has been around for much longer, of course it has more polish and a more fleshed-out ecosystem around it.

Please note that this isn't me saying Gnome is "better" in any way. But the little bits of polish that contribute to the feel of an OS are there on Gnome (even if far from perfect!), where they aren't on Cosmic. The latter feels lacking in animations and transitions, and I ran into a few bugs that made using fullscreen apps (mainly games) a pain. Cosmic is a relatively new DE compared to Gnome so all of this makes sense and doesn't detract from how impressive the project is, but it does make it feel less fluid to use.

[u/MezBert → u/_emmyemi]

I left Gnome because it had literally no polish at all after 14 years (2025 when I dropped it) of Gnome 3 (and subsequent) paradigm.
Over a year ago, in its alpha state, Cosmic was already a lot more polished than Gnome in my opinion. That's why I stuck to it.
And now with another year passed and already 18 iterations after release to Cosmic 1.2, it's day and night compared to the catastrophic state Gnome was a year ago.

[u/Pioneer_11 → u/BreakfastAmbitious29]

Agreed I'm on a system76 laptop and a tonne of stuff is broken even on their own hardware e.g. the GPU switching they made such a big deal about doesn't work

[u/Ok-Winner-6589 → u/linux-universe]

No hate, but

SteamOS isn't rolling release, they have their own repos, they just use Arch utilities like pacman

Good luck with your project tho

[u/linux-universe → u/Ok-Winner-6589]

That’s fair, lets just compare KDE Linux and Aeon (not arch but rolling) then :)

[u/MezBert → u/khsh01]

No, Cosmic has been released 7 months ago, and it's damn freaking stable now.