CachyOS [1] recently hit number one on DistroWatch [2]. While some may have been surprised, CachyOS's popularity is not unexpected. First publicly released in 2021, CachyOS is an Arch Linux-based distro (see the "Arch Linux Integration" box). It offers Linux kernel performance optimizations utilizing the highly responsive Burst-Oriented Response Enhancer (BORE) scheduler [3] by default, performance-optimized software packages compiled for different x86 microarchitectures (e.g., x86-64-v3, x86-64-v4, and Zen 4), and a hardware detection tool that improves your experience with installation and configuration.

CachyOS allows for customization. Users can choose from several desktop environments via the CachyOS installer including KDE Plasma, Gnome, Xfce, bspwm, Budgie, Cinnamon, COSMIC (first stable release scheduled for December 2025), i3, Hyprland, LXDE, LXQt, MATE Desktop, Openbox, Qtile, Sway, UKUI, and Wayfire.

If you are a gamer, CachyOS simplifies Linux gaming by including Proton, which is designed for Steam integration, plus the necessary libraries as dependencies in meta-packages, which makes the gaming setup process very easy. CachyOS also has a Handheld Edition that supports gaming consoles such as the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go.

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