Ymir GNU/Linux-libre Distribution

Welcome to your freedom!

$ uname -rm
5.8.16-gnu_1 x86_64

$ lsb_release -i
Distributor ID: VoidLinux

Ymir is a GNU/Linux-libre distro that aims to be lightweight, efficient, bleeding edge and most importantly, libre*. We aim to be free-as-in-freedom from kernel to packages to every bit on your system.

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Why

You may be wondering - why make this project?

Our upstream project Void Linux runs the vanilla Linux kernel, which has some closed source blobs that can't be read, studied, modified or learned from. It stops you from enjoying total software freedom.
Void Linux does not allow custom kernel builds on their project, so liberated kernels can't be allowed. (It's not their fault. They have limited resources.)
Many packages on Void Linux repos are not fully libre or have major issues that harm user freedom. e.g. Abiword has hard-coded nonfree fonts, p7zip has nonfree unrar. Full list here
Many packages suggest or forcefully push closed source, privacy disrespecting services, features or optional dependencies to you. e.g. Firefox, Chromium has telemetry enabled by default.

We can't directly contribute these fixes to Void Linux, so we chose to create this separate project. We also had to "blacklist" some packages that can never be "liberated", so having a separate project makes sense.

Decorative art of birds flying in the sky

Solution

This project brings Linux-libre kernel on Void Linux ecosystem. Linux-libre is a fork of the original Linux kernel that removes closed source proprietary blobs that are inherently present on a typical Linux kernel. So now you can enjoy freedom even on kernel level.

The project also provides a cleaner, "liberated" version of semi-free packages to ensure user freedom. (NOTE: All the packages are not "liberated" yet. We're working on it.) We also have a "your-freedom" package ported from Parabola GNU//Linux-libre to stop nonfree packages from being installed on your system by accident.

The goal is to make your system clean and free from proprietary or nonfree programs.

Check source code Install

Install

There are currently 3 ways to install Ymir GNU/Linux-libre on your system. Choose the path to your freedom!

Download

Easiest way to install. Also great for new installs. Just write the ISO on a flash drive or CD/DVD and install like you do other distros. And you'll be up and running in no time.

Download ISO

Migrate

If you already run Void Linux, try this:

$ wget https://github.com/ymir-linux/void-packages/raw/master/liberation || curl -LO https://github.com/ymir-linux/void-packages/raw/master/liberation
$ chmod +x liberation
$ sudo ./liberation

Please do not try this on a production install. Backup important files before proceeding.

Build

If you want to build from source, you can use our liberation-local script. Alternatively, you can follow the guide on our void-packages fork's README.