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 The official Void logo | |
| Release Status | Maintained |
|---|---|
| Release Model | Rolling Release |
| Package Manager | XBPS |
| Default Desktops | Xfce (live image only) |
| Usage Type | Desktop, Server |
| Architectures | amd64, aarch64, armv6l, armv7l, i686 |
| Website | voidlinux.org |
Void Linux is an independent, rolling-release Linux distribution built from scratch. Created in 2008 by Juan Romero Pardines, a former NetBSD[1] developer. Void distinguishes itself through minimal design philosophy, use of the runit init system instead of the widely adopted systemd, home-grown XBPS package manager, and optional musl libc support.
Overview
Key Features
- Independent build system and package repositories
- Offers GNU Glibc and Musl variants
- Uses Runit for service management and it's init process
- Rolling release model with stable package testing
- Minimal base system
Architecture Support
Void Linux provides installation images for:
- x86_64 (amd64) - Both glibc and musl variants
- i686 (32-bit x86) - glibc only
- aarch64 (64-bit ARM)
- armv6l and armv7l (32-bit ARM)
System Management
Init System
Void uses runit as its init system, offering:
- Simple service management
- Clean daemon supervision
- Fast boot times
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| sv up service | Start a service |
| sv down service | Stop a service |
| sv status service | Check service status |
| ls /var/service | List enabled services |
System Variants
glibc vs musl
Void offers two libc implementations:
- glibc: Standard GNU C Library
- Better software compatibility
- Larger binary size
- More memory usage
- musl: Alternative C Library
- Smaller footprint
- Better security
- Static linking support
- Some compatibility challenges
Installation
The installation process follows these main steps:
- Downloading appropriate image
- Creating bootable media
- Partitioning and formatting
- Base system installation
- Configuration and bootloader setup
Detailed instructions are available in the official handbook.
Package Development
Building Packages
Void uses XBPS-src for package building:
- Template-based build system
- Cross-compilation support
- Reproducible builds
- Quality assurance tools
Community
Support Channels
- Official blog
- IRC channels on Libera.Chat
- Reddit community
- GitHub repositories