Calculate Linux

Overview

Calculate Linux is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Gentoo Linux. Developed by Russian developer Dmitry Bulatov and the Calculate Ltd. team, it aims to provide a user-friendly, high-performance, and flexible operating system. Calculate Linux inherits Gentoo's Portage package management system but simplifies installation and usage with pre-configured packages and a graphical installer, making it suitable for desktop, server, and container environments (reference). It uses a rolling release model, combining stable and testing branches to provide the latest applications and stable libraries (reference). Calculate Linux supports x86_64 and some ARM architectures and is available in multiple editions, including Calculate Linux Desktop (CLD), Calculate Directory Server (CDS), Calculate Linux Scratch (CLS), Calculate Scratch Server (CSS), and Calculate Linux Container (CLC).

Versions:

• Calculate Linux Desktop (CLD): Offers KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce, and LXQt desktops, making it ideal for workstations.
• Calculate Directory Server (CDS): Supports Samba, Mail, XMPP, and Proxy services, suitable for domain controllers.
• Calculate Linux Scratch (CLS): Minimal system for user customization.
• Calculate Scratch Server (CSS): Lightweight server, consisting only of the kernel and the Calculate Utilities.
• Calculate Linux Container (CLC): Optimized for LXC/LXD containers.

History and Development

• Origin:
  • June 6, 2007: Dmitry Bulatov released Calculate Linux, aiming to simplify the complex configuration of Gentoo and provide preconfigured desktop and server environments.
  • Based on Gentoo, maintaining binary compatibility and supporting Portage package management.
• Development History:
  • 2009: Releases 9.5 to 9.9, optimizing the installation process and introducing a graphical installer.
  • 2010: Version 10.0, supporting Linux kernel 2.6.31.6, adding KDE and Xfce options.
  • 2014: Release 14, based on Linux kernel 3.14.17, adding MATE and Cinnamon.
  • 2017: Migrated to the OpenRC init system, rejecting systemd, maintaining the Gentoo tradition.
  • December 29, 2022: Release of Calculate Linux 23, based on Linux kernel 5.15.6, with arm64 support.
  • July 2025: Latest version Calculate Linux 24, based on Linux kernel 6.9, with optimized container support, and updated KDE Plasma 6, MATE 1.28, and Portage 3.0.65.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by Calculate Ltd. and the community, the GitHub repository (github.com/calculate) and forum (forum.calculate-linux.org) are active.
  • Supports multiple languages (English, Russian, French, etc.), with documentation (wiki.calculate-linux.org) and social media (Telegram, Mastodon).
  • A Reddit user said, "Calculate Linux strikes a balance between the flexibility and user-friendliness of Gentoo."
• Open Source License:
  • Primarily licensed under the GNU General Public License, with some tools (such as the Calculate Utilities) licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

Key Features

Calculate Linux focuses on performance, flexibility, and user-friendliness, making it suitable for desktop, server, and embedded environments. Its key features are as follows:

1. Gentoo-based Flexibility
   • Utilizes the Portage package management system, supporting both source and binary packages and allowing for high customization.
2. Rolling Updates and Stability
   • A rolling update model, combining stable and testing branches, provides the latest applications and stable libraries.
3. Multiple Desktop Environments
   • Supports KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce, and LXQt, with a familiar default interface and easy-to-use experience.
4. Calculate Utilities
   • Self-developed Calculate Utilities (based on Qt5) provide graphical configuration tools (such as cl-install and cl-update).
5. Client/Server Support
   • CDS supports Samba, LDAP, Mail, and XMPP, integrating mixed Windows/Linux networking.
6. Low Hardware Requirements
   • Minimum requirements: 512 MB RAM, 4 GB storage (2 GB RAM, 20 GB storage recommended). Support for older devices and VPSs is also available.
   • Supports ARM (Raspberry Pi).

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• High Performance and Flexibility:
  • Inherits Gentoo's optimization capabilities and supports source code compilation, offering better performance than Rocky Linux's fixed configuration.
  • X's post states, "Calculate Linux's Portage allows for highly customizable systems."
• User-Friendliness:
  • The graphical installer and Calculate Utilities reduce Gentoo's complexity and outperform Slackware's command-line installation.
• Rolling Updates:
  • Provides the latest software.
• Multi-Purpose Versions:
  • CLD, CDS, CLS, CSS, and CLC cover desktops, servers, and containers.
• Low Hardware Requirements:
  • Suitable for older devices or VPSs.

Limitations

• Learning Curve:
  • The Portage system is complex, and newcomers need to learn USE flags and source code compilation.
  • Solution: Use binary packages or cl-update.
• Community Size:
  • The community is smaller than Ubuntu or Rocky Linux, and the documentation is primarily in Russian.
• Compile Time:
  • Source code compilation takes time.
• Limited ARM Support:
  • ARM support is not as complete as Raspberry Pi OS.

Summary

Calculate Linux is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Gentoo. Its latest version 24 (July 2025) features Linux kernel 6.9, KDE Plasma 6, and MATE 1.28. It offers CLD, CDS, CLS, CSS, and CLC versions, and supports x86_64 and some ARM architectures. It balances Gentoo's flexibility with user-friendliness through rolling updates, Portage package management, and the Calculate Utilities, making it suitable for desktop, server, and container environments. Calculate Linux offers outstanding performance and versatility, but it has a high learning curve and a small community.