OmegaLinux switches from Ubuntu to Arch in 2026.02.21 release

Based on Lubuntu until now, OmegaLinux is taking a huge step forward with yesterday's release, which marks the first step into the Arch Linux world. Due to some unpopular decisions that Canonical has pushed forward in the last years, this project is now switching to a base that's more community-friendly, flexible, and open. Thus, the rebuild of the project aims to provide better performance even on old hardware (sadly, the hardware support doesn't go as far back to reach 32-bit platforms) while also delivering flexibility and access to cutting-edge software.

According to the official GitHub project page, OmegaLinux 2026.02.21 is the biggest release so far. These are the highlights of the official changelog:

• Rebased from scratch to Arch Linux, no longer Ubuntu base. This means OmegaLinux 2.X (and maybe 3.X) would get instantly EOL.
• Design & branding overhaul - a liiitle bit skeumorphic (specially in icons).
• Now since its rolling release it will always get the newest updates of packages.

Although the Arch Linux base requires higher expertise than Lubuntu, the rolling-release updates allow for up-to-date code without having to do full system reinstalls. Additionally, the Arch User Repository comes with a wider range of community-maintained apps. The LXDE desktop environment remains unchanged, delivering a smooth user experience on weaker hardware.

The single ISO file available for this distro is 1.65 GB in size. However, the source code is also available in both ZIP and TAR.GZ formats. All project files can be accessed via the GitHub page linked below.