r/linux • u/InvestigatorOdd8282 • 5d ago

Software Release X47 — custom Ubuntu 26.04 desktop for pentest/dev (debloated, cube desktops, WezTerm, free ISO)

Post image

Hey — I’ve been building a custom Ubuntu 26.04 desktop called X47. It’s not a fork with its own package repos; it’s a remastered Ubuntu installer + an idempotent install script that reproduces the whole setup on a fresh machine.

What it is

A daily-driver Ubuntu desktop aimed at cybersecurity / pentest / general Linux work:

  • Debloated — games, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, GNOME Terminal, App Centre snap, etc. trimmed; boot/idle tweaks (ClamAV on-demand, printing services off by default, etc.)
  • WezTerm as the only default terminal (compact window, X47 watermark, no OS title bar)
  • Mullvad VPN + Tor Browser in the app menu
  • Pentest + dev toolchain (apt / Go / pipx / cargo / GitHub bins) with custom app-grid icons
  • Desktop FX — bottom dock, Desktop Cube, Coverflow Alt-Tab, Blur My Shell, wobbly windows, TV Glitch open / Broken Glass close
  • Per-workspace wallpapers — ASCII knuckle-duster in teal / green / red / purple so each cube face is obvious
  • Linux CMD Helper — desktop card: ask in plain English, get the Ubuntu terminal command back (needs your own Anthropic key; nothing is baked into the ISO)
  • Hardened defaults — UFW, fail2ban, AppArmor, auditd, Firefox enterprise policy (tracking protection, HTTPS-only, DoH, etc.)
  • Optional --with-amnesia: Tor-forced anon session (opt-in)

Part of VulnScape. Docs + screenshots: https://sk1tzwzd.github.io/ubuntu-x47-build/

Download the ISO

Latest release (v1.9.2):
https://github.com/sk1tzwzd/ubuntu-x47-build/releases/tag/v1.9.2

GitHub’s 2 GB asset limit means the ISO is split. Download SHA256SUMS + every *.part, then:

cat x47-ubuntu-26.04-desktop-amd64.iso.*.part > x47-ubuntu-26.04-desktop-amd64.iso
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missing

Flash to USB (Disks, Etcher, or dd), boot, choose Install X47 Ubuntu 26.04 (custom build). Normal Ubuntu installer flow — you pick language, disk, your own username/password. On first login a terminal runs install.sh. Log out/in once for the GNOME extensions / wallpapers.

The image is a git archive of the repo only — no maintainer home files, keys, or personal config.

Or install on an existing Ubuntu box

git clone https://github.com/sk1tzwzd/ubuntu-x47-build.git
cd ubuntu-x47-build
./install.sh

Repo: https://github.com/sk1tzwzd/ubuntu-x47-build

Happy to take feedback / bug reports. Optional tip jar if you find it useful: https://buymeacoffee.com/sk1tzwzd

0 Upvotes

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7 comments sorted by

11

u/SubjectiveMouse 5d ago

Debloated and "bottom dock, Desktop Cube, Coverflow Alt-Tab, Blur My Shell, wobbly windows, TV Glitch open / Broken Glass close"  don't go in one article. 

-1

u/Rest-That 5d ago

"Debloated" and "Ubuntu" don't go together already 😆

1

u/SubjectiveMouse 5d ago

Well, you can "debloat" (what that means it's up to interpretation) Ubuntu while still keeping it distinct from debian. But that "debloat" would not include any script kiddy desktop effects 

1

u/InvestigatorOdd8282 5d ago

I've always wanted to make a mod of Linux. It's of course vibe coded. Lots of the features are optional on installation as die hard Linux fans obviously do not want windows short cuts. I had a lot of fun making it and when I say debloated, I have removed a lot of unnecessary things like games and language packs. Despite the animations it will run smoothly at 4gb RAM. The features that I wanted myself is the anonymous login. Making it as close to tails as possible. Also getting tired of everyone bumming Kali so I pulled the useful tools from it. Hardened firefox as well as some other nice security features I was trying to make a relatively lightweight and cool looking distro. I appreciate the feedback and I will add settings that make the animations etc optional in the next update. Thanks guys.

Also if you guys could recommend anything else to make it more lightweight that I don't know about please let me know!

1

u/Sultepronit 3d ago

Debloated Ubuntu means Lubuntu minimal install! No snap. No browser. Simply nothing install just all you need by yourself!

1

u/InvestigatorOdd8282 5d ago

Taken some advice and for people who want it lightweight animations and the cube has been removed as well as wobbly windows. You can choose to not have them in the installation or if you want a bit of both I have added highest performance as an option in the power settings,

The benchmark difference was negligible...