AnduinOS

Overview

AnduinOS is an open source, free Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, developed by Microsoft engineer Anduin Xue, aiming to provide developers migrating from Windows to Linux with familiar operating habits and interfaces, imitating the appearance of Windows 11. It is based on Debian and Ubuntu (the latest version is AnduinOS 1.3.4, based on Ubuntu 25.04 "Plucky Puffin"), uses the GNOME 48 desktop environment, and implements a Windows 11-like interface (centered taskbar, rounded windows, weather widgets, etc.) through 18 GNOME extensions and custom themes. AnduinOS uses APT to manage core system packages and Flatpak to manage graphical applications, removing Canonical's Snap package to keep it lightweight (about 2 GB ISO). It supports Secure Boot, Wayland, and X.org, and is suitable for virtualization (such as VMware, VirtualBox) and old hardware (minimum 3 GB RAM).

History and Development

• Origin:
  • September 2023: AnduinOS first released (1.0), based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS "Jammy Jellyfish", developed by Anduin Xue as a personal project, with the goal of providing a Linux transition solution for Windows users.
  • Funded by user donations, hosted on anduinos.com, GitHub and docs.anduinos.com.
• Development History:
  • AnduinOS 1.0 (2023): Based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, customized GNOME 42.9, imitating Windows 11.
  • AnduinOS 1.1 (2024): Based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS "Noble Numbat", supports long-term updates to 2029.
  • AnduinOS 1.3 (May 2025): Based on Ubuntu 25.04, upgraded to GNOME 48, added Flatpak and GNOME Software, supported HDR display and multiple languages.
  • AnduinOS 1.3.4 (June 2025): Fixed screen reader issues, added librime-plugin-lua (support Chinese input method) and policykit-desktop-privileges (password-free mount/update), optimized virtualization (VMware, Proxmox, VirtualBox, Hyper-V).
  • Future plans:
    • AnduinOS 1.4 (October 2025): Based on Ubuntu 25.10.
    • AnduinOS 1.5 (April 2026): Based on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, supports apt upgrade updates.
  • Post X said "AnduinOS 1.3.4 performs well in virtualized environments, has no update issues, and supports Japanese."
• Community and support:
  • Maintained solely by Anduin Xue, community support is provided through GitHub Discussions (github.com/Anduin2017/AnduinOS) and Reddit (r/linux).
  • User feedback said "AnduinOS is lighter than Zorin OS and has no bloatware."
• Open source license:
  • The core code is GPL v3.

Main features

AnduinOS is based on a Windows 11-like interface, lightweight and developer-friendly, suitable for Windows users to transition to Linux. Here are its main features:

1. Windows 11 style GNOME desktop
   • Use GNOME 48, mimic Windows 11 with 18 GNOME extensions (such as Fluent theme) and custom wallpapers.
   • Support Super + V clipboard history, Wayland/X.org and HDR display.
2. Lightweight design
   • ISO size is about 2 GB, occupies 6.9 GB after installation (including 2 GB swap partition), and idle RAM is 1.3 GB.
   • Minimum hardware requirements: 3 GB RAM, 2 CPU cores.
3. Software management
   • Use APT to manage core packages.
   • Remove Snap to reduce bloat.
   • Pre-installed applications: Firefox, Nautilus (file manager), GNOME System Monitor, BitTorrent client.
4. Virtualization support
   • Support VMware, VirtualBox, Proxmox, Hyper-V, pre-installed VMware Tools.
5. Security and Privacy
   • Support Secure Boot, no telemetry data collection.
   • Flatpak sandboxes graphical applications for enhanced security.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Windows 11-like interface:
  • GNOME 48 imitates Windows 11, reduces the learning curve, and is better than Deepin's unique interface.
  • X post said "AnduinOS's interface is like Windows 11, but smoother."
• Lightweight:
  • 2 GB ISO, 1.3 GB of free RAM, suitable for old hardware and virtual machines.
• Developer-friendly:
  • Support Docker, Flatpak, Wine.
• Privacy protection:
  • No telemetry, Flatpak sandboxing, better than Windows 11.

Limitations

• Imperfect software management:
  • No pre-installed software store, only command line installation guide is provided.
• GNOME extension risks:
  • 18 extensions may become invalid due to GNOME updates.
• Single developer maintenance:
  • Only Anduin Xue maintains, which may affect long-term stability.
• Hardware compatibility:
  • Some hardware (such as Brother network printers) require manual configuration.

Summary

AnduinOS is an open source, free Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, with a Windows 11-like GNOME 48 interface, lightweight design (2 GB ISO) and developer-friendly (APT, Flatpak, Docker) as its core, suitable for developers transitioning from Windows. It supports Secure Boot, Wayland and virtualization, suitable for old hardware and virtual machines. AnduinOS is suitable for Windows users and developers.