openKylin

Overview

openKylin (also known as "Open Kylin") is a free, open-source Linux distribution developed by the Open Kylin Open Source Community, supported by China's National Key R&D Program. It aims to provide desktop users with a secure, stable, and easy-to-use operating system. Based on the Ubuntu Community Edition, it utilizes a rolling release model and supports x86_64, arm64, and RISC-V architectures. It is suitable for desktops, laptops, servers, and embedded devices, and provides the UKUI (Ubuntu Kylin User Interface) desktop environment. openKylin uses the apt package manager and comes pre-installed with software such as Firefox, LibreOffice, and VLC. It supports Flatpak and Snap, and supports multiple languages (including Chinese and English). openKylin emphasizes localization support (such as compatibility with LoongArch and SW-64 processors) and security, making it suitable for education, government, and enterprise scenarios.

History and Development

• Origin:
  • July 2022: The openKylin project was launched, led by the China Open Atom Open Source Foundation and Tongxin Software. As China's first open source desktop operating system community, its goal is to build a domestic open source ecosystem.
  • Inspired by Ubuntu Kylin (the Chinese version of Ubuntu), as an independent community edition, it places greater emphasis on open source collaboration and support for domestic processors.
• Development History:
  • July 2022: openKylin 1.0 was released, based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, introducing the UKUI desktop and supporting x86_64 and arm64.
  • 2023: openKylin 1.5 optimized the UKUI interface and supported more domestic hardware (such as LoongArch).
  • July 4, 2024: openKylin 2.0 is released. It's based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, kernel 6.6, and UKUI 4.10. It supports RISC-V and SW-64 processors and introduces more security features (such as AppArmor enhancements).
  • 2025: The project remains active on GitHub, with the community expanding documentation and functionality, but no major new releases are expected.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by the Open Kylin community, hosted on openkylin.top, GitHub, and Gitee.
  • Supports Chinese and English, with documentation including installation guides and development manuals.
  • A Reddit user called openKylin "the representative of open source Linux in China."
• Open Source Licenses:
  • GPL v3 (core scripts), MIT (some tools).

Key Features

openKylin is designed with localization, security, and user-friendliness at its core, making it ideal for desktop users. Here are its key features:

1. UKUI Desktop Environment
   • UKUI 4.10 is a Qt-based desktop environment that provides a beautiful, modern interface and supports multiple layouts and extensions.
2. Domestic Processor Support
   • Supports LoongArch, SW-64, RISC-V, and x86_64, and is optimized for domestic hardware (such as Loongson and Sunway).
3. Ubuntu Stability
   • Based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, offering 5 years of support.
   • Uses apt package management and supports Flatpak.
4. Pre-installed Software
   • Pre-installed with WPS Office, WeChat, QQ, and Kylin Browser, and supports domestic applications.
5. Hardware Compatibility
   • Supports x86_64, arm64, and RISC-V. Kernel 6.6 is compatible with Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and Chinese processors.
   • Minimum requirements: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk (4 GB RAM, 50 GB disk recommended).
6. Security and Privacy
   • Supports the ufw firewall and ZFS.
7. Development Support
   • Pre-installed Python 3 and Git, and supports Flatpak and Snap.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Domestic Support:
  • Supports LoongArch and SW-64 processors, surpassing Ubuntu's universal support.
  • X's post said, "openKylin 2.0's UKUI 6 interface is incredibly intelligent."
• User-Friendliness:
  • The UKUI interface is beautiful and suitable for beginners. - Ubuntu Compatibility:
  • Based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, with 5 years of support.
• Community-Oriented:
  • Supported by the Open Atom Foundation, providing ecosystem tools.
• Multi-Language:
  • Native Chinese support.

Limitations

• Community Size:
  • Smaller than Ubuntu, with limited English documentation.
• Domestic Dependencies:
  • Some features are tied to domestic software, making them less versatile than openSUSE.
• Rolling Model Risks:
  • Potentially unstable.

Summary

openKylin is a free, open-source Chinese desktop Linux distribution. The latest version 2.0 (July 4, 2024) is based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, runs Linux kernel 6.6, and UKUI 4.10, and supports x86_64, arm64, and RISC-V. It focuses on localization, security, and user-friendliness, provides apt package management, and features prominent localization support for openKylin and the UKUI interface. However, the community is small and ARM support is in beta.