The immutable Linux distribution Vanilla OS has been released in version 3, “Reunion” – a good two years after Vanilla OS 2 “Orchid.” The major update brings GNOME 50, ARM64 support, fully reproducible images and a reworked base.
A pure GNOME 50 desktop
Vanilla OS 3 runs a Wayland-only GNOME 50 desktop with a fresh set of default apps: Ptyxis as the terminal, Papers as the document viewer and Resources as the system monitor. The kernel is Linux 7.1.3.
New under the hood
- Support for ARM64 (AArch64) devices for the first time.
- Fully reproducible images produce bit-for-bit identical builds from the same sources – a plus for security and verifiability.
- New Apx and VSO (Vanilla System Operator) subsystems, plus a new update mode in the first-setup wizard.
Who it is for
Immutable distributions like Vanilla OS are considered especially robust and low-maintenance, because the system is read-only and updated atomically – appealing to newcomers and security-conscious users alike.
