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StartOS RSS Feed DistroWatch.com: StartOS

StartOS


Last Update: 2025-11-07 18:25 UTC

StartOS is a Debian-based Linux distribution optimised for personal servers. It facilitates the discovery, installation, network configuration, service configuration, data backup, dependency management and health monitoring of self-hosted software services. After installation, the distribution boots into a Firefox browser with several services pre-installed and others, including various Bitcoin, communication, data and artificial intelligence services available from the project's online marketplace. The server can be accessed locally or from anywhere in the world via Tor network's Onion service. The distribution is developed by Start9 Labs, Inc.

Popularity (hits per day): 12 months: 309 (30), 6 months: 217 (60), 3 months: 140 (121), 4 weeks: 117 (166), 1 week: 35 (517)

Average visitor rating: 8.0/10 from 1 review(s).

StartOS Summary
Distribution StartOS
Home Page https://github.com/Start9Labs/start-os
Mailing Lists --
User Forums https://community.start9.com/
Alternative User Forums
Documentation https://docs.start9.com/
Screenshots https://github.com/Start9Labs/start-os • DistroWatch Gallery
Screencasts
Download Mirrors https://github.com/Start9Labs/start-os/releases
Bug Tracker --
Related Websites  
Reviews 0.4.x: DistroWatch
0.3.x: LinuxConfig
Where To Donate, Buy or Try Start9 Donations •

Table Notes and Explanations

(Please refer to the table below.)
  • Select view:
  • To compare the software in this project to the software available in other distributions, please see our Compare Packages page.
  • Notes: In case where multiple versions of a package are shipped with a distribution, only the default version appears in the table. For indication about the GNOME version, please check the "nautilus" and "gnome-shell" packages. The Apache web server is listed as "httpd" and the Linux kernel is listed as "linux". The KDE desktop is represented by the "plasma-desktop" package and the Xfce desktop by the "xfdesktop" package.
  • Colour scheme: green text = latest stable version, red text = development or beta version. The function determining beta versions is not 100% reliable due to a wide variety of versioning schemes.
TUXEDO
TUXEDO Computers

TUXEDO Computers - Linux Hardware in a tailor made suite
Choose from a wide range of laptops and PCs in various sizes and shapes at TUXEDOComputers.com. Every machine comes pre-installed and ready-to-run with Linux. Full 24 months of warranty and lifetime support included!

Learn more about our full service package and all benefits from buying at TUXEDO.

Star Labs

Star Labs Systems | Laptops designed for Linux

Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.


Feature 0.4.0-alpha12 0.3.9.1
Release Date 2025-11-07 2023-11-21
End Of Life    
Price (US$) Free Free
Image Size (MB) 1300-1400 1300-1400
Free Download ISO ISO
Installation Graphical Graphical
Default Desktop Firefox Firefox
Package Management DEB DEB
Release Model Fixed Fixed
Office Suite -- --
Processor Architecture aarch64, armhf, x86_64 aarch64, armhf, x86_64
Init Software systemd systemd
Journaled File Systems Btrfs, ext4 Btrfs, ext4
Multilingual en en
Asian Language Support    
Full Package List 0.4.0-alpha12 0.3.9.1
Package 0.4.0-alpha12 0.3.9.1
alsa-lib (1.2.14) 1.2.14 1.2.8
amdgpu (25.0.0) 23.0.0 --
apparmor (4.1.2) 4.1.0 3.0.8
apt (3.1.12) 3.0.3 2.6.1
bash (5.3) 5.2.37 5.2.15
bind (9.20.15) -- --
chromium (142.0.7444.162) -- --
cinnamon (6.4.13) -- --
cups (2.4.14) -- --
e2fsprogs (1.47.3) 1.47.2 1.47.0
ffmpeg (8.0) -- --
firefox (145.0) 140.4.0 115.4.0
flatpak (1.16.1) -- --
freetype (2.14.1) 2.13.3 2.12.1
gcc (15.2.0) -- 12.2.0
gimp (3.0.6) -- --
git (2.51.2) -- --
glibc (2.42) 2.41 2.36
gnome-shell (49.1) -- --
grub (2.12) 2.12 2.06
gtk (4.20.2) 3.24.49 3.24.38
httpd (2.4.65) -- --
inkscape (1.4.2) -- --
kmod (34.2) 34.2 30
krita (5.2.13) -- --
LibreOffice (25.8.2) -- --
Package 0.4.0-alpha12 0.3.9.1
libselinux (3.9) 3.8.1 3.4
linux (6.17.7) 6.12.48 6.1.55
mariadb (12.0.2) -- --
mate-desktop (1.28.2) -- --
mesa (25.2.6) 25.0.7 22.3.6
mysql (9.5.0) -- --
nautilus (49.1) -- --
NVIDIA (580.105.08) -- --
openjdk (25) -- --
openssh (10.2p1) 10.0p1 9.2p1
openssl (3.6.0) 3.5.1 3.0.11
perl (5.42.0) 5.40.1 5.36.0
php (8.4.14) -- --
plasma-desktop (6.5.2) -- --
postfix (3.10.5) -- --
postgresql (18.0) 15.14 15.5
Python (3.14.0) 3.13.5 3.11.2
qt (6.10.0) -- --
samba (4.23.3) -- --
systemd (258.2) 257.8 252.17
thunderbird (144.0.1) -- --
vim (9.1) 9.1 9.0
vlc (3.0.21) -- --
wayland (1.24.0) 1.23.1 1.21.0
xfdesktop (4.20.1) -- --
xorg-server (21.1.20) 21.1.16 21.1.6

Reader Ratings
Reader supplied reviews for StartOS

Average rating
8.0
from 1 review(s)


What are your thoughts on StartOS?
Please include a few pros and a few cons, along with your overall impression of the operating system.
Our FAQ page has tips on writing a good mini-review.

Version:

Rating:    out of 10

Your review (minimum 250 words):



Past reviews - sort by:

Version: 0.3.9.1
Rating: 8
Date: 2025-09-13
Votes: 3


 I've been running StartOS for four years give or take and have found the OS quite useful and the community very helpful.

StartOS targets the growing number of users seeking to reclaim their digital sovereignty in whole or in part.

StartOS does a very decent job of this by substantially lowering the barrier to entry for self-hosting with local hardware. Originally launched as EmbassyOS running on Raspberry PI SBC's, it became clear soon after that beefier hardware would be needed for many services. Accordingly, StartOS now sells and officially supports their own preconfigured mini PC but also provides a growing list of 3rd party PCs on which users are successfully running StartOS.

My favorite and most frequently used service is a private instance of Vaultwarden which allows me secure access to my many passwords from any computer on my local LAN as well as from the internet at large via a TOR hidden service.

Backups and updates of StartOS are both easy to perform from the admin console

There is a bit of work in configuring StartOS networking, but once done users can thereafter choose to install, customize and run a wide variety of services that can both secure and simplify their digital lives.


Was this review helpful? Yes No



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