https://linuxiac.com/vitruvianos-0-3-debuts-as-haiku-inspired-linux-os/
VitruvianOS 0.3 has been released as the project’s first publicly available version, described by its developers as a pilot build. It is based on the Linux kernel and adopts a design inspired by Haiku OS and BeOS.
For reference, VitruvianOS’s development began in 2019, and now, in 2026, this version serves more as a functional foundation rather than a complete system. But before we go further, a few words about the project itself, since the name is probably unfamiliar to the general public.
VitruvianOS is not a Linux distribution in the usual sense. It uses the Linux kernel only for hardware support, while replacing the standard Linux userland and desktop stack with its own components. Its goal is to combine Linux compatibility with a BeOS-style architecture.
Let me explain. In a typical Linux desktop system, applications run on top of libraries and a display server such as X11 or Wayland. However, VitruvianOS removes this entire layer. It does not use X11 nor Wayland. Instead, it implements its own graphics system, input handling, and application runtime.
A key feature is Nexus, an internal communication layer that manages messaging between system components.
The system features native desktop elements modeled after BeOS, including a Deskbar and a Tracker-style file manager. It also offers a compatibility layer to support applications built for Haiku and BeOS APIs.
Moreover, the system uses a Linux kernel with real-time patches. Regarding filesystems, VitruvianOS 0.3 supports XFS and SquashFS, as well as extended attributes.
In the announcement, the developers have also outlined a short-term roadmap. Version 0.3.1 will add missing components and bug fixes based on initial testing. Version 0.3.2 aims to move the system toward self-hosting, enabling VitruvianOS to build itself.
Next, the upcoming 0.4 release will focus on stability and broader hardware support, including ongoing ARM port development. Planned improvements also include enhanced input handling, a complete keymap system, and further user interface refinements.
For more details, see the announcement.
Finally, once again: keep in mind that VitruvianOS 0.3 is an experimental release intended mainly for testing and development.
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(Score: 3, Insightful) by Rich on Sunday April 05, @11:37AM
Perfectly sound reasoning to build a Be-like API on top of the Linux kernel. Now that graphics drivers have to be (and stay!) standalone for the different Wayland implementations is also the right time to do so technically. If GNOME continue to piss off users on their appliance-only destination, and KDE continue breaking things because it's fun to break things, the stars might align. I won't complain then, but I am more than slightly biased with the original BeBox I still own.
Not sure if I'd like the C++ ABI at the core of a system, or even a general reliance on C++, but hey, whatever floats their boat. I'll be watching.
(TFA is slop, by the way, intermediate headline: "Why Desktop Operating Systems Still Matter"...)
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Deep Blue on Sunday April 05, @03:00PM (1 child)
We'll see. I think it won't be 1.0 ready for atleast another 5 years.
Can't i just have an OS to use for running programs? No spying, no stupid ass AI features, no online leash, no package repositories with outdated packages and at the same time no "basically another OS included"-packages, no power craps by assholes with their BS systems. I just want it to run programs as easily as possible. Tinkering with the OS is not very high on my list.
I mean the first 20 years i'll give for practice, but the last 20, eh, what exactly has happened except feature creep and removing control of the users and lately creating security nightmares?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 05, @05:07PM
Think in terms of "routers vs. switches". An OS should be a switch, not a router.
Obviously our computers are junk when any program (especially a window manager) can lock up the operating system. And how come our graphic displays still use bitmaps instead of vector graphics?