Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre

An FSF-endorsed, security- and simplicity-focused distribution that broke from Arch's rolling-release model in favor of a more conservative, long-term-support-style base while keeping Arch package compatibility.

Specialty & Nichefree-softwareFSF-endorsedsecuritylong-term-supportDownload ↗Official site ↗Docs / Wiki ↗

Based on

Arch Linux (originally; now an independent long-term-support base)

First released

2013

Package manager

pacman

Desktop environments

None by default (minimal, user-chosen; favors simpler window managers)

Hyperbola started from the same free-software-focused fork lineage as Parabola but diverged on a key technical decision: rather than staying rolling-release like Arch, it moved to a more conservative, long-term-support release model, reasoning that a constantly-updated rolling base introduces more opportunities for regressions and security issues than a slower-moving, more thoroughly vetted one. It maintains the Free Software Foundation's endorsement alongside Trisquel, PureOS, and Parabola, and additionally emphasizes simplicity in its default software choices, favoring leaner window managers and utilities over more complex alternatives where a choice exists. It represents a genuinely different tradeoff within the small FSF-endorsed distribution family: stability and simplicity prioritized over Arch-style freshness.

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