Q4OS

Overview

Q4OS is a free, open source Linux distribution based on the Debian stable branch (currently Debian Bookworm 12.2). It is lightweight, stable and user-friendly, designed for desktop users, especially for users with old hardware or seeking Windows alternatives. Q4OS provides two desktop environments: KDE Plasma (modern, high-performance) and Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE) (lightweight, Windows XP-like classic interface), and achieves efficient system customization and optimization through exclusive tools such as Desktop Profiler and Software Centre. It supports x86_64, x86_32 and ARM architectures (including Raspberry Pi and Chromebook), and provides a Windows installer that allows Q4OS to be installed directly in the Windows system without a virtual machine. Q4OS emphasizes long-term support (LTS, at least 5 years), based on Debian's security updates and stability, and is suitable for production environments.

History and Development

• Origin:
  • Q4OS started in 2014 and was developed by a German team with the goal of providing a lightweight, stable and user-friendly operating system based on Debian, especially attractive to Windows users.
  • Early versions were based on Debian Jessie, provided TDE and KDE Plasma, and emphasized support for older hardware.
• Development History:
  • 2015-2019:
    • Q4OS 1.x Orion (2015) supports ARM architecture (such as Raspberry Pi) and is based on Debian Jessie.
    • Q4OS 2.x Centaurus (2017) is based on Debian Stretch and introduces the Windows installer.
    • In 2018, the Desktop Profiler was optimized to support one-click installation of third-party applications (such as Chrome, VLC).
  • 2020-2023:
    • Q4OS 4.x Gemini (2020) is based on Debian Bullseye 11.4, upgrades TDE to 14.0.12, and improves automatic updates.
    • In 2022, Q4OS was rated as a "lightweight Linux distribution" by TecMint, suitable for old computers.
  • 2024-2025:
    • Q4OS 5.x Aquarius (2024) is based on Debian Bookworm 12.2, upgrades TDE to 14.1.1, kernel to 6.1.0-32, and adds Flatpak plugin support.
    • Q4OS 5.8 Aquarius (2025-03) introduces multi-language support for the Calamares installer and multi-threaded Desktop Profiler.
    • Q4OS 6.x Alpha-r9 (2025-07-18) beta version released, optimized Plasma and TDE, plans to launch a more stable beta version.
    • X post said "Q4OS 5.4 Aquarius reproduces the Windows 95 experience on old PCs and runs perfectly."
• Community and support:
  • Maintained by the Q4OS team, hosted on q4os.org, SourceForge and forums (forum.q4os.org).
  • Support the X community.
  • User feedback said Q4OS is "the best choice for switching from Windows to Linux."
• Open source license:
  • The core code is GPL v3, and some tools are MIT.

Main Features

Q4OS is known for its light weight, stability and ease of use, suitable for desktop development and old hardware. Here are its main features:

KDE Plasma and Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE)

1. Features:
   • KDE Plasma: modern desktop, similar to Windows 10, supports rich special effects.
   • TDE: lightweight desktop, similar to Windows XP, low resource usage (<500MB RAM), suitable for old hardware.
2. Desktop Profiler and Software Centre
   • Desktop Profiler: one-click system configuration (such as office, development, games), support Flatpak (after Deepin 25).
   • Software Centre: install third-party applications (such as Chrome, VLC).
3. Windows Installer
   • Run the installation wizard in Windows and install Q4OS directly, with better hardware control than virtual machines.
4. Lightweight and optimized
   • Minimize software suites to avoid bloat and low memory usage.
   • Supports old hardware (minimum 512MB RAM, 1GHz CPU).
5. Multi-architecture support
   • Supports x86_64, x86_32 and ARM (Raspberry Pi, Chromebook).

Advantages and limitations

Advantages

• Lightweight and efficient:
  • TDE takes up <500MB RAM, better than Deepin (2GB+) and Garuda Linux.
  • X post says "Q4OS 5.4 runs smoothly on old PCs".
• Windows friendly:
  • TDE is similar to Windows XP, and the Windows installer reduces the learning curve.
• Long-term support:
  • Based on Debian Bookworm, 5 years of LTS are provided.
• Ease of use:
  • Desktop Profiler and Software Centre simplify configuration.
• Multi-architecture support:
  • Supports x86_32 and ARM, suitable for old and embedded devices.

Limitations

• Non-rolling updates:
  • Based on the Debian stable branch, non-rolling updates, lack of the latest features.
• Small community size:
  • The community is smaller than Deepin (3 million users), and Chinese documents are limited.
  • Solution: Refer to the Debian community or forum (forum.q4os.org).
• TDE is outdated:
  • The TDE interface is classic but has fewer features than KDE Plasma.
  • Solution: Switch to Plasma or install Xfce.
• Hardware compatibility:
  • Some touchpads require manual configuration of libinput or synaptics.

Summary

Q4OS is a free, open source Linux distribution based on Debian Bookworm. It is known for its lightweight, stable and user-friendly nature. It provides KDE Plasma and TDE desktop environments and supports x86_64, x86_32 and ARM architectures. It simplifies configuration through Desktop Profiler, Software Centre and Windows Installer, suitable for old hardware and Windows users transition. Q4OS is suitable for lightweight desktops and old hardware.