Why DevelOS

Arch Linux is great. However, it is a headache to install and configure. Even with archinstall. The issue is not necessarily that it is difficult to install but that it takes too much time to get a usable environment up and running. As a result, I find myself using Arch-based distributions, such as Manjaro, but other distributions come out of the box with too much. I find myself spending as much time uninstalling software and reconfiguring the default configurations as it would take to install and configure Arch on its own. DevelOS aims to offer a minimal, sane starting point for an effective developer workflow. Everything included should be there for a clear reason and chosen carefully. The distribution respects the user while not asking too much out of them.

DevelOS ships by default only what is necessary to be productive and start working. There is no bloat and nothing in the way of the user. The only thing the user will need to change is highly personalized keybindings and configurations for specific software.

No animations or visual effects other than color. There are no animations for opening, closing, or minimizing windows, switching tags, etc. There is no reason to deliberately slow down the user's input by making them wait for an animation to finish.

DevelOS is keyboard driven. The user is encouraged to navigate the operating system using the keyboard, reducing the need to constantly use the mouse to navigate graphical user interfaces.

DevelOS provides an easy install process while other distributions with a similar philosophy often require the user to essentially build the distribution from a terminal to a functional desktop. DevelOS provides a starting point that is immediately effective and easy to build on.

The distribution is certainly not for everyone. It is a distribution for developers and advanced users that want a specific environment but not the hassle of building a system from the ground up. Everything included out of the box should be actively used by the user. The user should be able to open htop and know what every process is doing.