A lightweight, retro‑inspired Linux distribution designed for clarity, learning, and fun.
LiviOS recreates the charm of classic terminal‑first computing while remaining fully modern and maintainable. It boots directly into a themed Openbox session with a C64‑styled URxvt terminal. The project began as a way to give my daughter a clean, expressive first computer experience and has grown into a systems‑engineering effort focused on reproducibility, clarity, and thoughtful design.
- Retro C64‑inspired terminal experience
- Instant boot into Openbox
- Unique custom UX throughout (GRUB theme, splash screen, terminal theme, Openbox layout)
- Ultra‑lightweight, 32‑bit compatible — antiX Edition
- Distraction‑free environment for learning and exploration
- Multiple editions (antiX and openSUSE)
LiviOS is delivered differently per edition, based on the target hardware:
- antiX Edition (32‑bit): post‑install. Because the target hardware is constrained (older, low‑resource systems), LiviOS is not shipped as a live ISO. Instead, you install a minimal antiX‑core system and then run the LiviOS installer script, which copies all LiviOS files into place and configures the boot experience. See antiX Edition.
- openSUSE Edition (64‑bit): live ISO. Shipped as an initial KIWI‑NG‑based 64‑bit live image build. See openSUSE Edition.
- Install a minimal antiX‑core system (32‑bit).
- Copy
editions/antix/install.shto the installed system. - Run as root:
./install.sh
- Reboot — you land on the C64‑themed Openbox desktop.
The installer handles both runit and sysvinit init systems automatically.
The antiX Edition includes a complete file manifest documenting all custom LiviOS
files and their exact installed locations. See:
docs/file-manifest/README.md
- antiX Edition: Active development (post‑install installer)
- openSUSE Edition: Initial buildable live ISO (KIWI‑NG, Leap 15.6 base)
- File manifest: Complete for antiX
- Installer pipeline: Under review (not yet validated on real hardware)
See: docs/roadmap.md
Licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPLv3).