In an ecosystem dominated by giants—the Debian family, the Red Hat family, and the Arch family—it’s rare for a truly independent distribution to rise to prominence. Solus is that exception.
Solus is an independent Linux distribution built entirely from scratch. It is not a fork of Ubuntu, Fedora, or anything else. It follows a unique “curated rolling release” model, designed to be a pragmatic and modern desktop OS that “just works” for the average user.
It is also famous for being the original creator and flagship home of the Budgie desktop environment, a sleek, modern desktop that has since become a popular project in its own right. After a period of infrastructure and leadership challenges, the project has re-emerged in 2025 with a new release, Solus 4.5 “Resilience”, proving its place as a key player in the desktop Linux world.
The Core Philosophy: “Curated Rolling Release”
This is the most important concept to understand about Solus. It is not a “bleeding-edge” roller like Arch, and it is not a “fixed” point-release like Debian. It sits in a perfect middle ground.
- Rolling Release: Like Arch, Solus is a “rolling” distro. You install it once and receive updates continuously. You never need to do a major “version upgrade” from 4.x to 5.x.
- “Curated”: This is the key difference. Instead of dumping new packages (like a new kernel or desktop version) on you the moment they are released, the Solus team “curates” them. They hold packages back, test them as a cohesive set, and then push them out in one large, stable “sync” (usually on Fridays).
This model gives you the best of both worlds: you get modern, up-to-date software, but you don’t have the daily maintenance burden or potential breakage of a true bleeding-edge system.
Built From Scratch: The Power of eopkg
Solus is not “based on” anything. This independence means the team controls 100% of the stack, from the kernel to the desktop. This allows for focused optimization and a system free from inherited “baggage.”
The heart of this independence is its custom-built package manager: eopkg.
- Package Format:
.eopkg - Command-Line Tool:
eopkg
It’s a fast, simple, and powerful tool. While apt uses sudo apt install, Solus users type:
Bash
# Example: Installing Firefox
sudo eopkg install firefox
# Example: Updating the entire system
sudo eopkg upgrade
Because the team builds all its own packages, the integration is tight, fast, and reliable. (Note: The Solus team is also developing its next-generation package manager, sol, but as of 2025, eopkg is the stable, primary tool for all users.)
The Flagship: The Budgie Desktop
Solus’s identity is inseparable from the Budgie desktop. Budgie was created by Solus, for Solus.
Budgie is built on modern GNOME technologies (like GTK) but follows a more traditional desktop paradigm, similar to Windows 7 or macOS, with a powerful, applet-driven panel and a unique slide-out “Raven” sidebar for notifications and settings.
An important development is that Budgie is now its own independent, open-source project, maintained by the “Buddies of Budgie” organization. This means Budgie is now available on other distros like Fedora and Arch. However, Solus remains the “flagship” distribution, offering the most polished, integrated, and definitive Buds-on-Budgie experience.
The Other Flavors: GNOME, Plasma, and MATE
While Budgie is the flagship, Solus is not a one-trick pony. The team provides and fully supports three other desktop editions, which are treated as first-class citizens:
- Solus GNOME: A clean, “vanilla-ish” implementation of the modern GNOME desktop (shipping GNOME 49 in Solus 4.5).
- Solus Plasma: A beautifully integrated version of the KDE Plasma desktop (shipping the latest Plasma 6).
- Solus MATE: A lightweight, classic desktop experience for those who prefer a traditional, no-frills UI.
Software Management: The Software Center and “Third-Party”
The Solus team takes a very pragmatic approach to software. They know you need more than just open-source apps.
The graphical Software Center is a simple, fast tool for finding and installing apps. It has one critical feature: a dedicated “Third Party” section.
This is the Solus equivalent of the AUR, but in a curated, safe way. Instead of making you compile from source, the Solus team provides one-click installers for essential proprietary apps, including:
- Google Chrome
- Spotify
- Discord
- Slack
- Steam
- And many more…
These apps are pre-packaged by the team to integrate perfectly with the system. This makes Solus one of the easiest “out-of-the-box” distros for getting a complete desktop set up for work and play.
The 2025 Status: “Resilience” and the Future
It’s important to be transparent: the Solus project went through a severe crisis in 2023-2024, facing a complete infrastructure outage and a change in leadership.
However, as of 2025, the project is back and stronger than ever. A new team, including some of the original founders, has rebuilt the infrastructure, modernized the backend, and released Solus 4.5 “Resilience” in July 2025. This release signals a powerful comeback, proving the project’s long-term commitment.
Who is Solus For in 2025?
- The Pragmatic Desktop User: This is the #1 audience. Someone who wants a rolling release but doesn’t want the hassle of Arch. They want modern apps that just work.
- Budgie Fans: If you love the Budgie desktop, Solus is the definitive, flagship experience.
- The “Hassle-Free” Gamer/User: With its “Third Party” store, getting Steam, NVIDIA drivers, and Discord is effortless.
- The Independent Enthusiast: If you’re tired of the “big three” (Debian, Fedora, Arch) and want to support an independent, from-scratch project, Solus is for you.
Solus is not for servers (it’s desktop-only) and not for tinkerers who want to build their system from the terminal up (that’s Arch). It is a highly optimized, beautifully integrated, and resilient operating system designed for the modern desktop user.
Official website: getsol.us
What are your thoughts on Solus? Are you excited to see the project back with its “Resilience” release? Is the Budgie desktop your daily driver, or do you prefer the curated Plasma or GNOME editions? Let us know in the comments!