OPEN SOURCE · DEBIAN · x86_64

BLINK OS

A Linux distro built on Debian. Lightweight, familiar to anyone coming from Windows, and doesn't ship with stuff you'll never use.

Download Source
WHAT IT IS

Debian base

Stable, well-supported, huge package library. If a package exists for Linux, it's probably in apt.

Custom desktop

Built from scratch in C and GTK4. No GNOME, no KDE bloat — just what's needed.

Familiar layout

Taskbar at the bottom, start menu, file manager that works like Windows Explorer. No relearning.

Actually lightweight

Boots in under 512MB RAM. Runs fine on hardware from 2010 onwards.

MINIMUM SPECS
512MBRAM
8GBStorage
x86_64CPU

UEFI firmware required. 1GB RAM and 20GB storage recommended for comfortable use.

INSTALL GUIDE
01

Download the ISO

Grab the latest ISO from the releases page. Verify the checksum if you want to be sure nothing got corrupted in transit.

# verify download (optional) sha256sum -c blink-os-*.iso.sha256
02

Flash to USB

Use Balena Etcher on Windows or Mac — select the ISO, select your USB drive, flash. On Linux you can use dd:

# replace /dev/sdX with your USB drive sudo dd if=blink-os-*.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress sudo sync
Warning: double-check the drive path with lsblk before running dd. It will wipe whatever drive you point it at.
03

Boot from USB

Restart your machine and press the boot menu key — usually F12, F10, or Esc depending on your motherboard. Select the USB drive.

If it doesn't appear, go into BIOS/UEFI settings and make sure Secure Boot is off and UEFI boot is enabled.

04

Try or install

Blink OS boots into a live environment first. You can try it without touching your disk. When you're ready, open the installer from the desktop and follow the steps.

The installer handles partitioning, bootloader setup, and user creation.

05

After install

Update the system and install what you need:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Firefox is included. For other apps, use apt or the software centre.

VIRTUALBOX
01

Import the OVA

Download the .ova file from the releases page. In VirtualBox go to File → Import Appliance, select the OVA and hit Finish.

02

Attach the ISO

The OVA sets up the VM config but doesn't include the OS pre-installed. Go to Settings → Storage, click the empty DVD drive under Controller: IDE, then attach the ISO you downloaded.

03

Start the VM

Hit Start. It'll boot into the live environment. You can install from there or just try it out.

Note: if the VM feels slow, increase RAM to 2GB+ and enable 3D acceleration in Display settings.
FAQ
Can I dual boot with Windows?
Yes. The installer will detect Windows and add it to the bootloader. Make sure to back up your data first, and shrink your Windows partition to make space before running the installer.
Will my hardware work?
Blink OS ships firmware for Intel, AMD, Realtek, and Intel WiFi adapters out of the box. Most hardware from the last 15 years works fine. If something doesn't, check the GitHub issues page.
Can I install Windows apps?
.exe files don't run natively on Linux. For a lot of Windows software there are Linux alternatives — LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office, GIMP instead of Photoshop. For games, Steam with Proton works surprisingly well for most titles.
How do I install software?
Use sudo apt install package-name in the terminal, or use the graphical software centre. Debian's repos have tens of thousands of packages. For anything not in apt, you can install .deb files directly or use Flatpak.
Is it stable enough for daily use?
Blink OS is still in early development. The base system (Debian Bookworm) is very stable, but the custom desktop components are new and may have rough edges. Good for testing and daily driving if you're comfortable with that.