Few days ago Adrian Vovk, creator of the carbonOS distribution and contributor to systemd projects, I present an initiative in which he proposes transform GNOME OS, Initially conceived as a tool for GNOME developers and testers, in a distribution suitable for daily use by end users.
Based on his experience (with carbonOS and GNOME OS), Adrian mentions in their publication the Essential properties that an operating system must have designed for common users and above all a clear vision on how an operating system focused on end users should be structured.
- Unmodified GNOME environment:
We prioritize delivering the GNOME desktop environment as intended by its developers, without alterations or customizations. This ensures consistency and alignment with the original design decisions of the GNOME team, accompanied by a standard set of ecosystem applications. - Installing applications in Flatpak format:
It is emphasized that Flatpak should be the basis for application distribution due to its multiple advantages, as it allows applications to run seamlessly across different distributions, integrates applications from various communities such as GNOME and KDE, and protects the user and their data from threats. - Failure resistance and recovery capacity:
A system that is resistant to errors caused by the user or failed updates is proposed, with the possibility of restoring the previous state of the system quickly and easily. - Base Environment Immutability:
The core operating system environment is immutable, ensuring consistency across devices and reliability in diagnosing problems. Updates are performed atomically, replacing the entire system image to simplify maintenance. - advanced security:
The operating system is designed with a strong foundation of security, implementing features such as user data encryption, verified boot, and advanced technologies such as systemd-homed, which improves the management and portability of user profiles. - Modern Software Stack:
Advanced technology components such as Wayland, PipeWire and XDG portals are included, optimizing the multimedia experience, window management and interoperability between applications. - Multi-device adaptability:
The platform is designed to be flexible and adaptable, supporting different form factors such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones. This allows for the creation of variants optimized for specific hardware. - Simplifying decisions for the user:
The goal is to free users from unnecessary decisions, such as selecting the package format for applications, prioritizing an experience free of technical complexity.
Adrian too confirmed the cessation of development of carbonOS as an independent project with its own package base. However, the project will not disappear, but will be integrated into the GNOME ecosystem.
Ultimately, different distributions address different audiences and market needs. I believe that a GNOME operating system like the one I've described here can open up new fronts to new users that are currently not covered by the Linux desktop. And since this would be a GNOME project, investment in this area (such as the Sovereign Tech Fund's investment in encrypted home directories and secure boot paths) creates technologies that are available for all vendors to use and develop, thanks to the power of free software and our broad ecosystem.
Onwards, carbonOS will be developed as part of GNOME OS or as a branch of it, redirecting resources and efforts to advancing GNOME OS. Both projects share similar concepts on how to structure an operating system and employ related technologies. The main difference is that carbonOS aimed to be an operating system for common users, while GNOME OS focused on being a platform for testing and development.
As a reminder, these are all my opinions. I am not speaking on behalf of anyone else in the community or the Foundation. My goal is to start a conversation with everyone.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that Adrian concludes that although the transition and construction of the new system will not be easy, he sees significant potential in making GNOME OS an operating system that attracts more users to the Linux ecosystem.
If you are interested in knowing more about it, You can check the details in the following link.