An old-style distro doing new things
Distro Walk – Void Linux

© Lead Image © Stephen Rees, 123rf.com
Void Linux offers a unique distribution with a lower barrier to participation that is easy to manage.
DistroWatch lists 278 active distributions, but these numbers are misleading. Many distributions are minor variations of a half dozen major distributions, distinguished by their default software selection or oriented to a particular task. A notable exception is Void Linux [1], a small project organized more like the distributions of two decades ago, with every part of its structure carefully considered. The result is one of the more original distributions available today. To learn more, I contacted Michael Aldridge, who answered my questions after consulting with other core members of the development team.
Originally released in 2008 by Juan Romero Pardines, Void Linux served as a testbed for the XBPS Package Manager. Since then, Void has changed direction several times. Currently, Void Linux is a rolling release distribution with an emphasis on making system management and contribution easy.
Aldridge describes Void as "a barely controlled anarchy" with "quasi-appointed leads spread across infrastructure, platform support, the package manager itself, and the creature comforts such as docs and debugging tools …. Because we have so few members, and all of them are volunteering their time, we simply cannot spare the clock cycles to have a stricter organization." Developers tend to control what interests them, while every core maintainer has the right to vote on decisions about the project as a whole, such as accepting new members.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.