FAQ
Short answers to common questions about Zainium OS.
Is Zainium OS based on another distribution?
No. The base is built from source by Zainium's own recipes and CI. zex can install packages from Void, Alpine and Chimera Linux, but the operating system itself is independent.
Why is there no /usr?
The operating system lives under /overlayer in layers, so the base and the software you install never mix. Programs that look for /usr, /etc or /bin still work through path resolution. The layout is the Dualayer Hierarchy Standard.
Can I run software built for glibc?
Yes. Install glibc with elevate zex install glibc; prebuilt glibc programs then run next to the musl base. See musl and glibc.
Is it immutable?
The base is protected: it changes only through verified base upgrades applied at boot, elevate refuses to modify it even as root, and on an installed system every base file is sealed with fs-verity, so the kernel refuses to rewrite it — for root too. Your own software, your home and the system configuration remain yours to change.
How do I update?
elevate zex update. Zainium OS is a rolling release; there are no version upgrades to wait for.
Does it use systemd?
Yes: systemd is the init system, with greetd and cosmic-greeter for login and the COSMIC desktop.
Where are Flatpak apps?
Install Flatpak with elevate zex install flatpak, or use the COSMIC Store. The system-wide Flatpak installation lives with the rest of the userland, in /overlayer/zexlib/union/var/lib/flatpak.
What does not work yet?
Not every package from Void, Alpine or Chimera works after adaptation, and statically linked or setuid programs that hard-code /usr paths are not covered by path resolution. Zainium OS is in active development — please report problems.