BorealOS

This repository builds a minimalistic Universal Blue image based on Aurora Developer edition, intended for power users and developers.

This repository does not build any Bluefin/GNOME-based images.

Currently available images

The images currently generated by this repository are:

• borealos: Standard BorealOS build for most hardware.
• borealos-nvidia: BorealOS build with nVidia drivers included.

Currently, only the stable tag is available for BorealOS. Images are built weekly on Mondays (the day after the upstream Aurora builds).

Installation

You can locate ISO installer files for BorealOS in the Actions tab. Just click on the most recent passed build, and select the appropriate artifact from the page. A landing page with direct installer links may be added in the future.

Rebasing from another Universal Blue image

Run the following steps, then reboot:

# Fetch the BorealOS public signing key
sudo mkdir -p /etc/pki/containers
sudo curl -Lo /etc/pki/containers/borealos.pub https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hal7df/borealos/refs/heads/main/cosign.pub

# Add a signature policy for BorealOS (you only need to run the command for the image you plan to rebase to)
sudo podman image trust -t sigstoreSigned -f /etc/pki/containers/borealos.pub ghcr.io/hal7df/borealos
sudo podman image trust -t sigstoreSigned -f /etc/pki/containers/borealos.pub ghcr.io/hal7df/borealos-nvidia

# for most hardware
sudo bootc switch ghcr.io/hal7df/borealos:stable --enforce-container-sigpolicy

# for nvidia drivers
sudo bootc switch ghcr.io/hal7df/borealos-nvidia:stable --enforce-container-sigpolicy

Changes from the base image

This build mostly removes packages from the base image to slim it down, although a small number of useful packages have been added.

Added

• v4l-utils: Commandline utilities for managing webcams and video capture devices.
• solaar-udev: udev rules to make the Solaar Flatpak work
• cronie: cron implementation

Removed

Note that, unlike standard ublue-os images, BorealOS (by design) does not automatically modify your system flatpak installation after the initial OS install. If you would like to install BorealOS' standard flatpaks, run ujust install-system-flatpaks from a terminal.

Most of these packages can be added after installing or rebasing to BorealOS via flatpak, brew, or manually installing them to ~/.local/bin/.

• Docker: podman is also provided in the base image and is more heavily used by other utilities. Removed in the interest of focusing on a single container runtime and keeping space down.
• Incus/LXC: See Docker.
• Visual Studio Code: This is more of a personal preference, I prefer vim/nvim for code editing.
• Ptyxis: Also more of a personal preference, I prefer working via Konsole and using container tooling directly.
• DevPod: space concerns
• Solaar: The udev rules have been left intact, so this can be reinstalled via Flatpak if needed.
• Thunderbird: space concerns
• Podman Desktop: space concerns
• Tailscale/KTailctl: I currently have no use for tailscale.
• Flatseal: KDE has its own Flatpak permissions manager, available in System Settings under Security & Privacy > Application Permissions > Flatpak Permissions.
• Mission Center: Removed in favor of KDE's System Monitor application.
• PikaBackup and DejaDup: two GNOME-based backup tools; I currently use borg (which remains in the image).
• Warehouse: Most of Warehouse's functions are provided via Discover.
• Some KDE apps (Haruna, KClock, Kontact, KWeather): removed for a more minimal base install.
• InputLeap: removed for a more minimal base install
• Font managing software: removed for a more minimal base install
• OpenRazer: removed for a more minimal base install
• monaspace fonts: space concerns
• RamaLama: LLM development is not an objective for this image

Credits

• Universal Blue image template
• Aurora build process
• m2os