For founders, innovators, and thinkers.
Flash a USB. Boot. In fifteen minutes you're running local LLMs and Claude Code — one keystroke away. Runs on any x86_64 machine: the laptop you own, the workstation your OEM shipped preloaded, or the server in your closet. Local models do the heavy lifting. Frontier models fill the gap. Nothing leaves your hardware unless you send it.
80%
of agent workloads runnable on local models — Ollama, on your metal.
100%
of your data stays on your hardware — by default, not opt-in.
15min
from a flashed USB to a working AI machine you own end-to-end.
The 80/20 stack.
Most agent work is grunt work — summarizing, refactoring, extracting, drafting, testing. A local model on your own hardware handles it for free, offline, in private. The hard 20% — deep reasoning, big context, final polish — goes to a frontier model over the API.
vinOS wires this split in from first boot: Ollama serving
local models on your metal, Claude Code ready for the calls
that matter. You decide what stays home. Your API bill covers
judgment, not busywork.
Runs on the hardware you choose.
vinOS is one ISO for any x86_64 machine. Boot it on a fresh workstation your OEM shipped preloaded. Boot it on the laptop you already own. Boot it on the box in your basement. Same ISO. Same experience. Same fifteen-minute install.
16 GB of RAM and a decade-old CPU run a 7B model comfortably. A GPU or a fat server runs 30B. The base install is a curated Arch layer — every driver detected, every service tuned, agent stack one command away.
Also runs on Intel MacBooks Apple abandoned. vinOS ships the
linux-t2 kernel in the ISO itself — keyboard, trackpad,
Wi-Fi, and Touch Bar work from the moment the live USB boots. No
dongles. No firmware scavenger hunts. It's the fastest way to
turn a 2018–2020 T2 Mac into an AI workstation.
Known T2 limits: suspend is unreliable upstream (we document the workarounds), and Touch ID doesn't work under Linux. Everything else does.
A thin, readable layer on stock Arch.
vinOS is not a fork. It's a thin, readable layer — leave any time and nothing follows.
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ your desktop │ │ hyprland · waybar · walker · foot · mako · greetd │ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ vinos overlay # 279 pkgs · 88 vinos-* bins │ │ install/ themes/ bin/vinos-* configs/*.conf │ │ ai · dev · media · office · gaming · comms · +2 bundles │ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ stock arch linux # rolling · pacman · systemd │ │ linux 6.x · linux-t2 (Apple T2) · glibc · wayland │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Three steps.
Nothing tricky. If you have flashed a USB before, you can install this.
- 01
Download the ISO.
Grab
vinos-1.1.0-x86_64.isofrom the archive.org page. About 4.3 GB. Thesha256sums.txtis published alongside — verify before you flash. - 02
Flash to USB.
Etcher, Rufus, or
dd. Any 8 GB+ stick works. Five minutes. - 03
Boot and install.
Boot from the USB. When the desktop loads, open a terminal and run:
sudo vinos-install-disk
The spec sheet.
Everything below ships in the base ISO. No downloads, no wizards, no optional-feature toggles.
Base · 279 packages
- kernel
- linux · linux-t2
- init
- systemd
- display
- wayland · hyprland 0.55+
- login
- greetd · tuigreet
- wifi
- iwd · impala
- audio
- pipewire · wireplumber
- shell
- bash · fish (opt)
- updates
- rolling · pacman + AUR
Desktop · 10 components
- bar
- waybar
- launcher
- walker
- terminal
- foot
- notifications
- mako
- idle
- hypridle
- lock
- hyprlock
- picker
- hyprpicker
- screenshots
- satty · grim · slurp
- osd
- swayosd
- night-light
- hyprsunset
Tooling · 88 vinos-* bins
- vinos-doctor
- hardware + config check
- vinos-menu
- gum hub · Super+Ctrl+O
- vinos-install-disk
- installer TUI
- vinos-install <bundle>
- opt-in package sets
- vinos-theme
- live theme switch
- vinos-launch-wifi
- impala in floating foot
- vinos-welcome
- first-boot walkthrough
- vinos-update
- pacman + AUR + firmware
Install profiles · 3
- generic
- any x86_64 UEFI laptop
- nvidia
- nvidia-open-dkms · KMS drop-ins
- t2mac
- linux-t2 · apple-bcm-firmware · tiny-dfr
Live themes · 5
- tokyo-night
- default · dark blue
- catppuccin-mocha
- warm mauve
- rose-pine
- soft pastel
- everforest
- green forest
- gruvbox-dark
- retro amber
ISO · 4.3 GB
- builder
- archiso
- boot
- UEFI · limine
- live user
- vin (no password)
- offline install
- yes — no network required
- persistence
- optional overlay partition
- splash
- plymouth
How it stacks up.
Same kernel. Same repos. The difference is what is already done when you log in.
| vinOS | Arch (stock) | DIY Hyprland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live installer ISO | yes | yes | no |
| Hyprland pre-configured | yes | no | bring your own |
| T2 / NVIDIA / ThinkPad drivers | baked in | manual | manual |
| AI stack (Ollama + Claude Code) | one command | no | no |
| First-boot user creation | TUI installer | archinstall | manual |
| Live theme switcher | 5 themes · Super+Ctrl+T | no | no |
| Opt-in app bundles | 8 bundles | no | no |
| Wi-Fi TUI (iwd + impala) | wired in | iwd only | DIY |
| Sudo / security defaults | hardened | defaults | defaults |
| Rolling updates | pacman + AUR | pacman | pacman |
| Time to a working desktop | ~15 min | ~45 min | ~1 weekend |
Add only what you use.
The base stays small. When you want a thing, one command installs it. Each bundle is a plain list of packages — no magic.
| bundle | command | what's inside |
|---|---|---|
| ai | vinos-install ai | ollama · claude-code · open-webui · llm |
| dev | vinos-install dev | neovim · lazygit · docker · gh · nodejs · rustup · uv · direnv |
| media | vinos-install media | mpv · imv · yt-dlp · ffmpeg · spotify · pinta |
| office | vinos-install office | libreoffice-fresh · zathura · obsidian · localsend |
| gaming | vinos-install gaming | steam · lutris · gamemode · mangohud · protontricks |
| productivity | vinos-install productivity | obsidian · dbeaver · postman · flameshot · syncthing |
| comms | vinos-install comms | signal-desktop · slack · zoom · discord |
| browser | vinos-install browser | chromium · firefox · brave-bin |
The whole cheat sheet.
Every binding is real, wired in the default Hyprland config, and works on first boot. Press Super+K to see it inside the OS.
| chord | action | runs |
|---|---|---|
| agents | ||
| Super+A | Local AI chat | vinos-ai chat |
| Super+Shift+A | Claude Code in project | claude |
| launch | ||
| Super+Space | App / file / calc launcher | walker |
| Super+Return | Terminal | foot |
| Super+B | Browser | chromium |
| Super+E | File manager | nautilus |
| Super+N | Editor | foot -e nvim |
| Super+T | System monitor | foot -e btop |
| vinos | ||
| Super+Ctrl+O | vinOS menu (hub) | vinos-menu |
| Super+Ctrl+W | Wi-Fi picker | vinos-launch-wifi |
| Super+Ctrl+B | Bluetooth picker | vinos-launch-bluetooth |
| Super+Ctrl+U | Audio picker | vinos-launch-audio |
| Super+Ctrl+T | Live theme switch | vinos-theme --pick |
| Super+Ctrl+S | System doctor | vinos-doctor |
| Super+L | Lock screen | hyprlock |
| screen | ||
| Super+P | Screenshot region & annotate | grim | slurp | satty |
| Super+Shift+P | Screenshot region → clipboard | grim | slurp | wl-copy |
| PrintScreen | Screenshot region → clipboard | grim | slurp | wl-copy |
| Super+Shift+C | Color picker | hyprpicker -a |
| windows | ||
| Super+Q | Close window | hyprland |
| Super+Shift+F | Fullscreen | hyprland |
| Super+V | Toggle float / tile | hyprland |
| Super+1…9 | Switch workspace | hyprland |
| Super+Shift+1…9 | Move window to workspace | hyprland |
| Super+Shift+E | Exit Hyprland | hyprland |
| Super+K | Show cheat sheet | vinos-cheatsheet |
Is this for you?
Founders, innovators, thinkers
- You're building — code, product, research, writing — and want agents doing the busywork.
- You want a machine that boots into your workflow, not a setup weekend.
- You'd rather run a 7B model for free than pay API rates for grunt work.
- You care where your prompts, files, and keys live.
Not for you if
- You want a cloud that thinks for you.
- You enjoy losing weekends to dotfiles.
Boot into your agents.
v1.1.0 is out. Flash it to a USB, boot any x86_64 machine, and in fifteen minutes you're running local LLMs plus Claude Code. Tell us what worked and what didn't — every hardware report makes the next boot better.
