Introducing Shanios – Immutable OS Now Available for Testing!

Garuda Community Showcase
42

Tried the install on my laptop which is only running via WiFi.
Downloading kernel. fails at this point due to I guess no internet and goes into a kernel panic so bad I had to pull the battery to reboot.
This is on Gnome and KDE.
Will try later on a VM

43

That is a very cool project. I’ll fire up a VM tomorrow and have a look!

44

:loudspeaker: ShaniOS ISO – August 2025 Release is Here!

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the support, feedback, and curiosity around ShaniOS. I’m excited to announce that the latest ShaniOS ISO (2025.08.10) is now available for download! :tada:

This release includes all recent Arch base updates plus improvements to the overall install experience, user interface polish, and performance tweaks for smoother operation.

:desktop_computer: Download the Latest ISO
GNOME Edition:
:link: DownloadGnome ISO (signed)

Plasma Edition:
:link: Download Plasma ISO (signed)

6 Likes
45

An immutable OS is out of the question for me.

Nevertheless, I appreciate and respect your work.
Both in the early Garuda and with Shani.

3 Likes
46

Today I installed the new August Shanios KDE on bare metal and I’m impressed. Everything runs smooth and I can even load other icons and themes in settings, which I could not do on some other immutable distros. I also have no problems with BoxBuddy and containerized versions of Arch and Debian. I tried other Fedora based immutables but did not really like how they are operated. Shanios hits the nail right on the head and it’s Arch. :star_struck:

I’m not a gamer, (72 years old), and use the desktop for little office-work, Internet surfing and keep in touch with my cloud service. Nowadays I just want the compu to do what I ask it to do and stop tinkering with config’s and so on.

I just wish I could find an easy way to automount an encrypted second data-hdd without confirming password upon booting. Something like gnome-disk-utility would be nice but I can’t get it to work, neither in BoxBuddy with Arch or Debian. KDE-Partition-Manager does not seem to do it for me.

I have a little rsync-script to backup my /home and /etc to another disk and with the immutable core system I’m all set. :smiling_face: No more worries about btrfs and snapper, although Garuda has some nice practical scripts for resolving issues and to chroot.

Thank’s a lot to the developers for the amazing work; ( couple of weeks ago I couldn’t get it installed ). :rofl:

4 Likes
47

Finally on distrowatch :smiley:

8 Likes
48

shanios release 2025.09.08

https://sourceforge.net/projects/shanios/files/plasma/20250908/signed_shanios-plasma-2025.09.08-x86_64.iso/download

and

https://sourceforge.net/projects/shanios/files/gnome/20250908/signed_shanios-gnome-2025.09.08-x86_64.iso/download

these include packages for guest vm

1 Like
49

I tried in VirtualBox, getting many red errors that end in [FAILED] Failed to start Greeter daemon. and after a while [DEPEND] Dependency failed for QEMU Guest agent.

Is only QEMU supported as far as virtualization?

50

It’s sway in live environment for installer

Try with qxl driver in virtualbox

51

Couldn’t figure out how to do that. Got it to work in Gnome Boxes!

I had to enroll some kind of key before being able to boot, which was not so intuitive, but apparently I did it correctly.

During the installer, the cursor was upside down :upside_down_face: and I had to click a bit bellow the buttons to get them to respond. Other than that the installer was quick and easy! Very nice job.

The Plasma edition is customized beautifully and with taste, and the applications chosen are interesting, it’s refreshing to see something a little more unique than the usual Firefox, LibreOffice, etc.

I was also happy to see distrobox ready to go. But what’s the strategy for installing regular commandline applications? I mean I’ll compile vim from source any day of the week, but you might want to consider including homebrew like uBlue editions have done. Or maybe just include Nix :wink:

52

Might be secureboot key enroll by shim :sweat_smile:

We use shim then chain boot systemd-boot

To enroll a shim key for a bootloader with Secure Boot, you first need a key, often a .der or .cer file, that you’ve generated or obtained. On your next system reboot, a blue screen of MOKManager will appear; you’ll select to “Enroll MOK”, “Enroll key from disk”, and then find your key file. After confirming your selection and entering the password you set during import, the key will be enrolled, and your bootloader will be signed and launched

53

That was pretty much the process, except I was not asked to create and reenter a password… Maybe that’s the way Boxes handles it. I hadn’t even realized secure boot was a thing on VMs.

54

How do you manage to install global themes and sddm themes in plasma variant ? Wont immutable os be an obstacle to customization ?

Also shani.dev is a cool name dev as it is short for both developer and devta ( god in sanskrit)

1 Like
Immutable Root?
55

There is no problem related to customisation you can always install themes in user dir

2 Likes
56

Hello everyone,

I am thrilled to announce the latest release of ShaniOS — version 2025.10.05 for both GNOME and Plasma editions. This release focuses on faster deployments, lower installation requirements, improved storage optimization, and expanded hardware compatibility.

:inbox_tray: Downloads

:small_blue_diamond: Key Improvements

Deployment & Updates

  • Faster Downloads: shani-deploy uses aria2c for accelerated multi-connection downloads.

  • Smart Storage: Integrated duperemove to automatically optimize disk space usage.

  • Reduced Storage Requirements: Installable on devices with only 28 GB storage.

  • Better Updates: Clear dialog notifications and terminal-based deployment.

  • Multiple Printer Drivers: Expanded compatibility for HP, Canon, Epson, Brother.

GNOME Edition Highlights

  • GNOME 49, Mutter 49, Nautilus 49

  • GNOME Console, GNOME Software 49

  • Evolution Data Server integration

Plasma Edition Highlights

  • KDE Plasma 6.4.5, KDE Frameworks 6.18.0

  • Qt 6.9.2, KWin compositor with HDR support

  • Dolphin 25.08.1, Konsole 25.08.1, Discover 6.4.5

:small_blue_diamond: Common System Updates

  • Linux Kernel: 6.16.10

  • Mesa: 25.2.4

  • NVIDIA Drivers: 580.82

  • systemd: 258

  • Pipewire: 1.4.8

  • GStreamer: 1.26.6

  • FFmpeg: 8.0

  • NetworkManager: 1.54.1

  • BlueZ: 5.84

  • Podman: 5.6.2

  • Distrobox: 1.8.1

  • Python: 3.13.7

  • Git: 2.51.0

  • GCC: 15.2.1

  • Zsh: 5.9

  • Starship: 1.23.0

8 Likes
57

Then download Bazaar if you hate the GNOME store :wink:

1 Like
58

Hello everyone,

I am thrilled to announce the latest release of ShaniOS — version 2025.11.01 for both GNOME and Plasma editions. This release brings major architectural improvements with enhanced blue/green deployment, optional full disk encryption, OEM-ready out-of-box experience, streamlined installation, expanded persistent storage, and comprehensive hardware compatibility.

Downloads

OEM-Ready Out-of-Box Experience

Both editions now feature professional OEM setup capabilities for system integrators, manufacturers, and advanced users:

GNOME Edition

  • GNOME Initial Setup launches automatically when no user accounts exist on the system, running in a special session that creates new user accounts with language, keyboard, and timezone configuration

  • Integration with GDM ensures the setup process triggers on first boot when no users are present, supporting OEM provisioning workflows

  • Perfect for pre-configured systems where end users complete their own setup

Plasma Edition

  • plasma-setup: Production-ready OEM setup functionality designed specifically for vendors and system builders shipping hardware with KDE Plasma pre-installed

  • Handles user account creation, language selection, keyboard layout, timezone setup, and network configuration on first boot when no user accounts exist

  • Complements Plasma Welcome Center (which runs after first login) by handling initial account setup

Both setup tools provide a seamless first-boot experience, allowing system builders to pre-install ShaniOS and let end users configure their accounts on first power-on.

Major Installation & Deployment Improvements

Simplified Installation with os-installer

  • Optional Full Disk Encryption: LUKS2 encryption support for complete data protection

  • Entire Disk Installation Only: Streamlined to use full disk installation, removing manual partitioning options that weren’t compatible with our blue/green immutable architecture

  • Faster Setup: Optimized installation process tailored specifically for ShaniOS’s Btrfs subvolume structure

  • Required: Full disk access for proper blue/green root snapshots and subvolume management

Enhanced shani-deploy System

  • Improved Deduplication: Enhanced duperemove integration now actively deduplicates data across blue/green roots, significantly reducing disk space usage

  • Automatic fstab Management: shani-deploy now automatically handles all fstab changes during system updates

  • Intelligent Subvolume Updates: Seamlessly manages new subvolumes and bind mounts without manual intervention

  • Faster Downloads: Multi-connection downloads via aria2c for accelerated deployment

  • Smart Storage Optimization: Automatic deduplication and compression for maximum space efficiency

  • Clear Progress Notifications: Dialog-based notifications and terminal output for transparency

Enhanced Blue/Green Deployment Architecture

New Subvolume Structure: Expanded Btrfs subvolumes for better separation and persistence

  • @blue / @green - Immutable root filesystems (read-only, deduplicated)

  • @home - User data (persistent)

  • @data - Overlay storage and service state (persistent)

  • @cache - Package manager cache (shared between roots)

  • @log - System logs (persistent)

  • @flatpak - Flatpak applications (persistent)

  • @containers - Podman/Docker containers (persistent)

  • @machines - systemd-nspawn containers (persistent)

  • @libvirt - QEMU/KVM virtual machines (persistent, nodatacow)

  • @swap - Swap space (nodatacow)

Persistent Service State: New bind mounts preserve critical system service data across blue/green switches:

  • Core services: D-Bus, systemd, NetworkManager

  • Authentication: fprint, AccountsService, boltd

  • Display managers: GDM (GNOME) / SDDM (Plasma)

  • Hardware: Bluetooth, colord, upower, CUPS, SANE

  • Network services: firewalld, geoclue, Samba, NFS

Benefits:

  • OverlayFS for /etc - Configuration changes persist across deployments

  • Network settings, WiFi passwords, and Bluetooth pairings survive updates

  • Printer configurations, scanner settings, and color profiles maintained

  • Flatpak apps and containers remain available after switching roots

  • Intelligent Deduplication: Blue and green roots share identical blocks, minimizing space usage

  • Reduced Storage Requirements: Installable on devices with only 28 GB storage

GNOME Edition Highlights

GNOME 49 “Brescia” brings significant updates including Showtime as the new default video player replacing Totem, Papers document viewer replacing Evince, and enhanced Calendar with improved interface flexibility and event export capabilities. The release features new HDR wallpapers engineered for high-dynamic-range displays with Display P3 color space support, enhanced remote desktop capabilities with multitouch input forwarding, and improved GNOME Software performance with optimized Flatpak repository parsing.

  • GNOME 49 “Brescia”, Mutter 49, Nautilus 49

  • GNOME Console, GNOME Software 49

  • Lock screen media controls and updated tray icon support

  • Evolution Data Server integration

  • Baobab, Tecla text editor, improved GNOME System Monitor

  • GDM with persistent state across deployments

  • GNOME Initial Setup for OEM workflows

Plasma Edition Highlights

KDE Plasma 6.5 introduces rounded bottom window corners for Breeze-themed windows, automatic light-to-dark theme switching based on time of day, and improved HDR display support with a tweaked tone mapping curve. Notable additions include pinned clipboard items in Klipper (a feature requested 22 years ago), printer ink level monitoring, and support for overlay planes to reduce CPU usage and power draw.

  • KDE Plasma 6.5.1, KDE Frameworks 6.19.0

  • Qt 6.10.0, KWin compositor with enhanced HDR support

  • Hibernate option from login screen and improved RDP server with clipboard sharing

  • Dolphin 25.08.2, Konsole 25.08.2, Discover 6.5.1

  • plasma-setup: Professional OEM setup tool for first-boot user creation

  • SDDM with persistent state across deployments

Common System Updates

  • Linux Kernel: 6.17.6

  • Mesa: 25.2.6

  • NVIDIA Drivers: 580.95.05

  • systemd: 258.1

  • Pipewire: 1.4.9

  • GStreamer: 1.26.7

  • FFmpeg: 8.0

  • NetworkManager: 1.54.1

  • BlueZ: 5.84

  • Podman: 5.6.2 with Distrobox 1.8.1 (persistent containers)

  • Python: 3.13.7

  • Git: 2.51.2

  • GCC: 15.2.1

  • Zsh: 5.9 with Starship 1.24.0

Printer & Scanner Support

Expanded compatibility with multiple printer drivers:

  • HP (hplip-minimal)

  • Canon (cnijfilter2)

  • Epson (escpr2)

  • Brother (brlaser)

  • Generic (foo2zjs, splix, gutenprint)

  • SANE scanner support with persistent configuration

Security & Storage

  • Optional Full Disk Encryption: Protect your data with LUKS2 encryption during installation

  • Intelligent Deduplication: Automatic space-saving through duperemove in shani-deploy

  • Btrfs Compression: Transparent zstd compression across all subvolumes

Installation & Support

Both editions are signed and ready for deployment. The new streamlined installer with optional encryption, OEM setup tools, and automatic fstab management in shani-deploy make installations and updates effortless. Your system state, network configurations, paired devices, and application data persist seamlessly across blue/green deployments.

Important: ShaniOS requires full disk installation for proper blue/green architecture. Manual partitioning is not supported.

Visit the website at shani.dev or the SourceForge page for downloads and documentation.

I hope you enjoy this release! As always, feedback and contributions are welcome.

7 Likes
59

Hi
I get this error message when trying to open Shanios.
I am not allowed to insert the image, as a new user. It starts,
GPT PMBR size mismatch (11440135 !=60604415) Then, much
much more, which ideally I would show you by inserting th full message

60

:loudspeaker: ShaniOS 2026.01.18 Released (GNOME & Plasma)

ShaniOS 2026.01.18 is now available with updated GNOME and KDE Plasma editions, continuing the focus on a reliable immutable blue/green architecture, OEM-ready first boot, and modern desktop workflows.

Editions

  • GNOME Edition – clean, Wayland-first desktop with GNOME Initial Setup for first-boot user creation

  • Plasma Edition (Gaming Edition) – KDE Plasma 6.5.5, tuned for desktop and gaming use

:brick: Immutable Blue/Green Design

  • Dual immutable roots with atomic updates and rollback

  • Persistent user data, Flatpak apps, containers, VMs, logs, and network state

  • OverlayFS-backed /etc so configuration survives updates

  • Efficient deduplication allows installs on systems with ~28 GB storage

:factory: OEM & First-Boot Experience

  • GNOME: GNOME Initial Setup runs automatically when no users exist

  • Plasma: plasma-setup provides professional OEM-style first-boot user creation

  • Suitable for preinstalled systems and system integrators

:video_game: Plasma Gaming Edition

The Plasma ISO now ships as a Gaming Edition, with popular gaming tools preinstalled as Flatpaks:

Steam · Bottles · Heroic · RetroArch
MangoHud · vkBasalt · Gamescope
GOverlay · Oversteer · AntiMicroX
Piper · OpenRGB

:mobile_phone: Waydroid Included

  • Waydroid enabled by default

  • Run Android applications seamlessly alongside the desktop

:gear: Core Stack

  • Kernel: 6.18.5

  • KDE Plasma: 6.5.5 (Qt 6.10)

  • GNOME: 49

  • Mesa: 25.3.3

  • systemd: 259

  • PipeWire: 1.4.9

  • NVIDIA Drivers: 590.48.01

  • Podman: 5.7.x (persistent containers)

:inbox_tray: Downloads & Info

Signed ISOs available at:
:link: https://shani.dev

join community : Telegram: View @shani8dev

Feedback and testing are welcome.

6 Likes
61

Wow, you’ve been busy @librewish, nicely done. :+1:

Nice addition. I use Waydroid and it and it can be a real pain to setup, so this is super handy.

I personally don’t feel the need for an immutable system, but I certainly can see myself installing Shani for a family member who constantly is getting infected by malware on Windows.

As always @librewish , you’re always coming up with fresh innovations. Keep it up buddy, and it’s always nice hearing from you. :smiling_face_with_sunglasses:

Cheers mate. :clinking_beer_mugs:

10 Likes