Arch-Based blendOS Features Cool Trick
If you're looking for a Linux distribution that blends Linux, Android, and web apps together, blendOS might be what you're looking for.
Imagine being able to install apps from Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu, Android, and even the web onto a single distribution. That's what blendOS does.
Created by the same maintainer as Ubuntu Unity, blendOS allows you to use the native Arch package manager (pacman), as well as dnf (from Fedora) and apt (from Ubuntu). Both dnf and apt are made available as containers by way of the Podman container runtime engine (with a bit of help from Distrobox for init and NVIDIA driver support).
Even though blendOS is based on Arch Linux, the developers have made it such that you can use any app from a supported distro. On top of that, you can choose between either the Gnome or KDE Plasma desktop.
When you install applications using the containerized versions of dnf or apt, those applications will be available from the base OS (so you don't have to run them from the command line as typical Podman containers).
blendOS is also a rolling and immutable operating system, that allows you to install system packages as you normally would, while still being able to roll back to an existing snapshot.
You can also use the blendOS build scripts to create and submit your own blendOS remix with the desktop environment of your choice.
You can read more about the new release of blendOS here.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Kernel Project Releases Project Continuity Document
What happens to Linux when there's no Linus? It's a question many of us have asked over the years, and it seems it's also on the minds of the Linux kernel project.
-
Mecha Systems Introduces Linux Handheld
Mecha Systems has revealed its Mecha Comet, a new handheld computer powered by – you guessed it – Linux.
-
MX Linux 25.1 Features Dual Init System ISO
The latest release of MX Linux caters to lovers of two different init systems and even offers instructions on how to transition.
-
Photoshop on Linux?
A developer has patched Wine so that it'll run specific versions of Photoshop that depend on Adobe Creative Cloud.
-
Linux Mint 22.3 Now Available with New Tools
Linux Mint 22.3 has been released with a pair of new tools for system admins and some pretty cool new features.
-
New Linux Malware Targets Cloud-Based Linux Installations
VoidLink, a new Linux malware, should be of real concern because of its stealth and customization.
-
Say Goodbye to Middle-Mouse Paste
Both Gnome and Firefox have proposed getting rid of a long-time favorite Linux feature.
-
Manjaro 26.0 Primary Desktop Environments Default to Wayland
If you want to stick with X.Org, you'll be limited to the desktop environments you can choose.
-
Mozilla Plans to AI-ify Firefox
With a new CEO in control, Mozilla is doubling down on a strategy of trust, all the while leaning into AI.
-
Gnome Says No to AI-Generated Extensions
If you're a developer wanting to create a new Gnome extension, you'd best set aside that AI code generator, because the extension team will have none of that.