💿 XeroLinux Distro 💿
🐧Info Build Status(Not ISOs)🐧
Info
In a nutshell, the XeroLinux ISO bundles all my scripts, toolkit, and custom rice into a seamless, easy-to-install package, skipping the hassle of running the ArchInstall script entirely. No more, no less. Source Code.
Thank you¶
Before we begin, I would like to tell everyone of you who has supported the XeroLinux project by either getting the ISO or some merch, how much your simple act of kindness means to me. I cannot put it into words. So all am gonna say is God bless you all. I hope your kindness is reciprocated. 🙏❤️
Free Demos¶
These Demo ISOs available now, free of charge are for testing purposes only, since they come without an installer and cow-space is pretty limited (100MiB), so you won’t be able to update or install big packages. They’re just for testing, so don’t try updating, it won’t work because of the space limit.
Finally, since Live Environment is not persistent, installing anything that requires a reboot, like Drivers is therefore impossible, keep that in mind before attempting to do so.
All this is great for checking out what the distro can do and experimenting with the setup before making a donation. A solid way to tinker, see the tweaks in action, and dive into the details without any commitment.
Satisfied ? You can take the plunge and donate for a copy » Here.
.// The Wiki \\.
⚠️ nVidia "Nouveau" Blacklisted. ⚠️
Always update & Reboot post-install before using the Distro.
Warning
The "nouveau" Open Source Kernel Driver, used to boot the ISO(s), currently does not have support for the new 50 Series nVidia cards. This only affects the Gnome Spin. On the KDE Flagship we have blacklisted it so it might still work. For a non-exhaustive list of currently supported nVidia GPUs, please click Here or Here.
Installation¶
Before we dive in, it's important to note that XeroLinux features KDE Plasma & GNOME, two powerful and distinct desktop environments. While they were designed to run on a variety of systems, for the best experience, we recommend mid-range or higher hardware. That said, they can work on low-end hardware, but performance may be less than optimal.
Legacy Systems¶
This distro won’t work on old-school computers that use legacy BIOS/MBR. It only runs on newer setups with EFI/UEFI — that’s the modern way computers start up.
If you’re not sure what that means, just read This Article and check if your PC supports UEFI. If it doesn’t, don’t sweat it, just pick a distro made for older hardware instead. Easy as that!
Bootable Tool¶
To boot into the Distro's Live Environment, all you have to do is use the tried and true Ventoy to put ISO on & boot, that way you have Grub as fallback in case SystemD-Boot fails. If you burn using Etcher or similar tools there will be nothing to fall back to. Just an FYI.
Nouveau Wayland¶
Due to an ongoing issue with nouveau+wayland on nVidia GPUs causing CPU to be pegged at 100% we’ve temporarily disabled the "nouveau" driver by default on the KDE Flagship, so if you’re using multiple monitors, only one will work and performance may be limited.
To get the best experience, please make sure to 1) update your system, 2) install the GPU drivers using the included toolkit, and then 3) reboot your computer, in that exact order. Following these steps will ensure you can fully benefit from your setup.
This might have also fixed support for the 50 Series nVidia GPUs, I do not know. Test it and report back. This does not apply to the Gnome Spin which still uses "nouveau" to boot. So if you want to use it, it might not boot on the aforementioned GPUs. Again report.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
X11 is no more¶
We have moved completely to Wayland on the flagship, as we have on the Gnome Dev Spin. If you still rely on X11, please use the toolkit to re-enable it. That is a major shift by the Plasma Team, they split X11 & Wayland packages.
Calamares Installer¶
The Calamares installer will auto start.
Anyway, the installer is and will always function in offline mode, meaning that while no actual Internet connection is required during install, it's highly recommended you do have one in order to be able to update later on.
XeroLinux Toolkit¶
I highly recommend using the toolkit (the first icon on the dock) to streamline your initial setup experience. It was designed to make the process much smoother and more pleasant. Keep in mind, however, that it's not meant to handle everything for you, just the essentials.
For more info about it check the Wiki
Supported Filesystems¶
Also, the currently supported Filesystems are, ext4 and xfs. As of June 2025 we have removed BTRFS from the choice of filesystems due to unforeseen issues with it failing to create volumes. Might bring it back later on down the line.
If you are planning on using the Manual Partitioning option however, BTRFS will still show up as an option, can't disable it from there. PLEASE IGNORE IT !!
GUI Package Managers¶
Additionally, I'd like to point out that no GUI package managers are included by default, as I believe in giving you the freedom to choose the one that suits your workflow best. Through the provided toolkit, you can select from Octopi, or Bauh. That said, I strongly advise against installing KDE's Discover if you're aiming for stability; it's notoriously troublesome. But, as always, the final decision is yours.
Hybrid/Dual GPUs¶
Although XeroLinux now supports Hybrid laptops with both integrated (iGPU) and dedicated graphic cards (dGPU), they can be a bit tricky, as there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The idea behind this setup is to save battery life and keep things cool, so the dGPU isn’t meant to do all the heavy lifting all the time.
Just in case you do encounter the dreaded Black Screen of Doom after an update, remember we ship downgrade package, so take full advantage of it and revert back to last known working version of your GPU driver, be it nVidia or mesa (AMD/Intel).
We’re keeping it simple by providing the essential drivers to help everything run smoothly, without any extra tools. But if you love tinkering and want to explore other options, go for it! The beauty of open-source software is that you have the freedom to customize your experience. So dive in, have fun, and make your laptop uniquely yours!
Accessibility¶
Starting with the September builds, we’re including Orca, an open-source screen reader for GNOME and other AT-SPI-compliant Linux desktops. This helps users with visual impairments interact more easily with apps like GTK, LibreOffice, and web browsers.
Orca uses speech synthesis engines such as eSpeak-NG and supports refreshable braille devices via BRLTTY. It offers features like screen magnification, focus tracking, customizable verbosity, and flexible keybindings. Users can also personalize Orca through scripting and profiles.
Adding Orca improves accessibility and ensures a better experience.
Issues/Fixes¶
If at any moment while using it, you get the unkown key "%INSTALL_DB%" in local database issue during update, please run the following command in terminal :
That's it. Hopefully nothing else exists.
FAQ & Answers¶
Q : Theming broke after update how do I get it back ?
A : That happens from time to time due to system changes. Just launch toolkit from the dock, option 7 for service then s to reset. This will reset to out of box settings, so only do it after fresh install/update. If it happens after you changed things just re-apply theme/icon pack and you should be good to go.
Q : Why not include nVidia GPU Drivers on the ISO ?
A : Simply because we can only include one, limits device support, post-install covers a wider range of configs.
Q : Why not add a Window Manager like Hyprland ?
A : We did ! However not as an ISO but in post-install script form ==> Here
Q : Why not include a well-known browser like Firefox or LibreWolf ?
A : This was covered on a separate post ==> Here
Q : What if I cannot afford to donate, how can I get XeroLinux ?
A : You can convert Vanilla Arch with either Gnome or KDE Plasma to mimic the distro ==> Here
Q : I dislike the way ArchInstall installs some DEs is there a better way to install them ?
A : Yep, we have written a script that installs any of Gnome, KDE Plasma, XFCE, Hyprland or even Cosmic Alpha ==> Here
Q : Why doesn't the Distro include more tools for Gaming, Production and so on out the box ?
A : Because while some of you might like our choices, others might not. That's why we prefer to leave the choice up to you. Plus it would keep the ISO size more manageable.
Q : Can I request a feature or package to be added ?
A : Of course you can ! But keep in mind that it will require us to weigh the pros & cons of every feature or package before we agree to include them. It also depends on how useful they are. We reserve the right to accept or not. The decision is up to us. We want the Distro to remain stable and bloat free. The more we add the more variables we introduce that might break it for some. You can do so either Here or on Discord.
Q : Why isn't the Distro free of charge like the majority out there ?
A : We would love for it to be, but alas, it's currently the only way for it to survive the harsh reality we live in, especially that it's made in Lebanon, a war zone of sorts. Plus we need to pay for hosting, bandwidth, Internet and so on. But who knows what the future holds ? Maybe if things get better it will be free for everyone.
Q : How can I/we contribute to the project ?
A : Glad you asked that. Very easy, you can do that in may ways. You can either donate n grab the ISO to test and report bugs directly to us on Discord, or on Github. The more of you who do the better the distro will be. Without you, bugs might remain unseen & unfixed.
Support/Issues¶
If you encounter any other issues or have questions directly related to the installation, feel free to reach out to me on Fosstodon or Discord. Please do not ask ok Ko-Fi. All relevant links are provided in the footer, and I'll do my best to assist you.
However, if your questions are related to your specific hardware, I may not have the answers you're looking for, as my knowledge is limited to what works on my own systems. For hardware-specific queries, your best resources are the ArchWiki, or our custom ChatGPT A.I. available on Discord. As for release changelog, you can find this Here.
That's it, there ain't much to it. The rest is in your hands now. Dive into the toolkit, poke around, and see if there’s anything that catches your fancy. Just don’t blame me if you get lost in the endless sea of tweaks and options 🎉