AbstractOS
Our ethos

Put the user first. Protect their right to choose.

“The devices you own should be able to run the software you choose. The software you choose can be open or closed source — the choice is yours. It is not our job to decide or cast judgement; it's our job to protect your right to choose.”

— The AbstractOS mission statement
Principles

Six ideas that shape AbstractOS

Our ethos is simple to say and hard to live up to. These are the principles we hold ourselves to.

  1. 01
    User first — not user always right

    Every decision starts with the person using the device. That means sometimes saying no to a feature so the whole experience stays clear, fast and dependable.

  2. 02
    Approachable for everyone

    We design for the average, non-technical person first. If your parents can set it up and love it, we have done our job.

  3. 03
    Never at the expense of experts

    Catering to newcomers does not mean limiting power users. A real Linux system, real terminal and real freedom are always one step away.

  4. 04
    A first-class alternative

    We aim to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Google, Apple and Microsoft — polished, consistent and ready for daily life on any device.

  5. 05
    Freedom grows with us

    As AbstractOS grows, we will invest in user freedom — including open-source firmware for devices, alongside closed options if you want them.

  6. 06
    Built in the open

    Our designs, roadmap and code live publicly on GitLab. Anyone can follow along, give feedback and contribute.

Roadmap

Where we are headed

Ethos only matters if it ships. Here is what we are building next, straight from our public roadmap.

  • A desktop environment built on Wingpanel, LightDM, Gala and Dock
  • x64 and 32-bit images you can run in a virtual machine
  • A GTK 3 / GTK 4 theme for a consistent look
  • Marker (markdown notes), Register (text editor) and Review (quick file previews)
  • Vala Welder MVP and a documented Vala development process
  • CI/CD pipelines for AppImages and Alpine APKs, plus an Alpine repository

Help shape the future of personal computing

AbstractOS is in alpha. Try it in a VM, flash it to a USB drive, and tell us what you think.

Download the alphaJoin the community