About MassOS
MassOS is an independent GNU/Linux operating system for laptops and desktops which is designed to be minimal and lightweight, without compromising on features.
MassOS, by default, uses a themed Xfce desktop environment, which allows it to be light on system resources while still being visually appealing and fully functional.
Unlike the vast majority of GNU/Linux distributions out there, MassOS is completely independent and built from scratch. This means it is free from being tied down to the workings and practises of existing distributions, and doesn't have to rely on other distributions to be able to provide and support newer versions of the most widely-used software on GNU/Linux systems. MassOS aims to provide the latest and greatest versions of software directly from upstream.
MassOS is also designed to be as easy and intuitive as possible to use and get familiar with, while still also providing flexibility and hackability for more experienced users of GNU/Linux operating systems. The MassOS project is also highly community-driven, and very open and welcoming to contributions.
MassOS is easy to get started with. As should be familiar to users who have tried other distributions in the past, MassOS is primarily distributed and installed from live ISO images. These images can be written to removable media devices, such as USB flash drives, and booted on any computer. This allows MassOS to be tested out in a safe environment, before the decision is made to install it or not. If a full installation is desired, a graphical installation program is included on the live ISO image, which guides the user through the installation process, including choosing the disk to install to, as well as customising the installation as desired. The installation process is incredibly fast due to the efficiency and low footprint of the installation program.
See Installing MassOS for detailed information and instructions on how to try out MassOS and install it onto your computer. You can view the release notes for, and download the latest release of MassOS from the Releases Page.
NOTE: MassOS development was ceased as of 2023-01-01, and was picked up and moved into an experimental development stage as of 2025-01-01. The last stable release of MassOS before discontinuation was 2022.10, however this version is now extremely outdated, and is likely filled with security holes (it may also not support newer hardware, particularly GPUs). However, some newer builds based on the recently resumed experimental development, are now made available on this web server. We recommend using these if possible. You should also read the notes in the changelog.md document in the main MassOS repository, which describes all the differences to be aware of compared to the older versions.
