| Chimera Linux | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Screenshot of Chimera Linux with default GNOME 44.2 desktop environment | |
| Developer | Chimera Linux developers |
| OS family | Linux with aBSD-flavored userland (Unix-like) |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Latest release | Rolling release / 20 December 2025; 54 days ago (2025-12-20)[1] |
| Repository | https://github.com/chimera-linux/ |
| Marketing target | General purpose |
| Update method | Rolling release |
| Package manager | apk-tools, cports,flatpak |
| Supported platforms | x86-64,aarch64,loongarch64,ppc64le,ppc64,PowerPC,RISC-V |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux) |
| Userland | BSD |
| Default user interface | GNOME Shell, FreeBSD'sAlmquist shell[2] |
| Official website | chimera-linux |
Chimera Linux is an independent (i.e. has noupstream), general-purpose,rolling-releaseLinux distribution built from scratch.
It distinguishes itself from traditional Linux systems through a coherentsystem design approach based on careful component selection, prioritizing correctness of implementation and reduced complexity over the incremental evolution of existing GNU/Linux conventions. It aims also for reproducible system configuration.[3][4]
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The defining feature of Chimera Linux is a set of pragmatic choices that deviate from traditional Linux distribution assumptions about which components are used. The aim is to make Linux, as a complete operating system, leaner without limiting its functionality—or, as its original developer q66 (Nina Kolesová[5]) puts it, to achieve 90 percent of the outcome with just 10 percent of the complexity. In selecting components, particular attention is paid to code quality and the correctness of their implementation.
A core aspect of this approach is that the individual system components and their integration into a complete operating system are intentionally rethought simultaneously rather than in isolation. By doing so, Chimera Linux avoids the classicchicken or the egg problem common in core system development: whether a new component shall be adapted to an existing system, or an existing system shall be reshaped to accommodate a new component.
This design philosophy results in the following technical choices:[6][7]
These decisions are not eternally binding. If a better solution for a component becomes available, replacement is an option.
A strict default security model, employing the in-development Dinitinit system and theFreeBSD userland are some of the more radical approaches. Such changes would have been very hard for a distribution with an existing user base.[6][9][10][11]
By combining the Linux kernel with a BSD-derived userland and non-GNU core components, Chimera Linux provides an alternative leaner and cleaner implementation of the Linux OS architecture while remaining compatible with existing Linux software.[6] Together with theLLVM toolchain this distribution provides an alternative to the commonGNU-based systems, without explicitly excluding GNU tools orGPL licensed software in general.
Chimera Linux follows a rolling release model.
| chimerautils | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Chimera Linux |
| Stable release | 15.0.3[12] / 4th January 2026 |
| Written in | C,roff,shell script,Meson,Yacc,C++[13] |
| Operating system | Unix-like |
| Type | Miscellaneous utilities |
| License | mostlyBSD-2-Clause |
| Website | github |
chimerautils is Chimera Linux' userland utility suite that replaces the GNU coreutils and several other userland utilies used on most other distributions. Its upstream is FreeBSD and its version number corresponds to the versioning of FreeBSD releases. The tools from FreeBSD are complemented with utilities added by Chimera. The chimerautils can also be regarded as an alternative toBusyBox and other solutions like uutils. chimeratutils has been packaged also for theAlpine Linux testing branch.[14]
Native software for Chimera Linux is distributed exclusively using APKv3 (Alpine Package Keeper 3 a.k.a. apk-tools) fromAlpine Linux.[7] Nonetheless, Chimera does not re-use Alpine packages. It rather uses its own novel Python-based package build system cports inspired by xbps-src and initially to a lesser extent by abuild.[6]
As of March 2025[update], Chimera Linux was already using APKv3, at a time when this version was not yet adopted by Alpine Linux itself.[9]
Because Chimera Linux uses musl instead of glibc, some proprietary and closed-source applications that assume glibc compatibility cannot run without additional measures. To address this limitation,Flatpak is included in the distribution.
Flatpak allows applications to bundle their required runtime libraries and run in a sandboxed environment, making proprietary software such asSteam available on Chimera Linux.
As of January 2026, the Chimera Linux repositories provide the following desktop environments:
Chimera Linux was started in 2021 by formerVoid Linux maintainer “q66”.[9][7]
The project entered its alpha stage on 11 June 2023, marking the point at which it considered itself suitable for early adopters, with a more stable infrastructure and expanding repositories.[15]
The beta phase began on 27 December 2024, when the package management tools were tagged as release candidates, indicating the transition from alpha to beta quality.[16]
Live image version 20251220 introduced a text-based installer.[17]
