New Xenite Linux 10.2 Genesis Alpha is out for testing. Read the announcement →
Version 10.2 · Genesis Alpha

The stable EL10 base,
with a declarative soul.

Xenite Linux pairs AlmaLinux OS 10's binary-compatible enterprise core with Fedora-speed package tiers and NixOS-style reproducible generations — all described in one readable file, XeConfig.md.

Download Xenite 10.2 See how it works
  • x86_64 v3 · UEFI & BIOS
  • KDE Plasma 6 Workstation
  • EL10 lifecycle
0faster planning than the Python tool
0dnf transaction for every stable tier
0third-party crates in xe
0tracks the EL10 support window
Built on proven open source
  • AlmaLinux OS 10 packages
  • EPEL 10
  • Flathub
  • KDE Plasma 6
  • PipeWire
  • Rust
Why Xenite

Enterprise stability. Desktop speed.
One file to rule the machine.

Everything installed on a Xenite machine is declared, probed, planned and verified. No drift, no mystery packages, no ABI surprises.

Declarative XeConfig.md

Packages, services, containers, desktop components and agents live in one Markdown file you can read, diff and review like code.

Reproducible generations

Each applied state is hashed into a closure and committed as a generation. Compare, audit or roll back to any previous one.

The fast xe tool

Written in Rust with only the standard library. Parse, plan and hash in about a millisecond, then do only the work that is missing.

ABI firewall

Pull newer software from Fedora or COPR without risk: glibc, systemd and kernel are fenced off, or it runs in rootless containers.

Polished Plasma desktop

KDE Plasma 6 on Wayland with a tuned glass theme, PipeWire audio, Flatpak apps and sensible shortcuts out of the box.

Audited, clean images

xe iso-audit fails a build if any upstream branding, artwork fingerprint or non-redistributable package slips into the image.

How it works

Declare it. Plan it.
Apply only what's missing.

  1. 1

    Probe first

    rpm -q, flatpak list and systemctl is-enabled run concurrently. Things already true produce no command at all.

  2. 2

    One transaction

    Every stable tier goes into a single dnf depsolve with 20 parallel downloads: one metadata load instead of one per tier.

  3. 3

    Two lanes in parallel

    The root lane runs dnf and systemd while the user lane installs Flatpaks and containers at the same time.

# --- System identity ---
distro Xenite-Linux version=10.2 codename=genesis-alpha
       base=almalinux:10.2 arch=x86_64

# --- Tier 1: stable enterprise core ---
pkg @alma10 pipewire wireplumber plasma-desktop
pkg @epel10 fastfetch btop

# --- Tier 3: Fedora bridge behind the ABI firewall ---
pkg @fedora fedora-bleeding-cli mode=distrobox state=optional

# --- Tier 4: sandboxed desktop apps ---
pkg @flathub org.onlyoffice.desktopeditors scope=user

service pipewire.socket scope=user state=enabled
$ xe apply
probe  107 records · rpm · flatpak · systemctl   4 ms
skip   98 already converged
plan   root lane: dnf install 3 pkgs (1 transaction)
       user lane: flatpak install 1 app
       systemd:   enable 1 unit

dry-run only. re-run with --yes to apply.

$ xe apply --yes
✓ root lane   done in 41.2 s  (max_parallel_downloads=20)
✓ user lane   done in 18.7 s  (ran in parallel)
✓ converged · 0 pending
$ xe gen --state-dir ~/.local/state/xenite/generations
✓ generation #42 committed
  closure   sha256:9f3c1a7e…be21a
  records   107  (pkg 71 · flatpak 9 · service 14 · other 13)
  previous  #41  (+3 pkgs, +1 unit)

$ xe check
✓ parse      107 records in 64 µs
✓ closure    matches generation #42
✓ invariants os-release · repos · branding
Package tiers

Pick the right speed for every package.

Stable where it matters, fresh where you want it. Each tier has its own rules, and xe enforces them.

@alma10

Enterprise core

Binary-compatible EL10 packages from upstream AlmaLinux mirrors. Ten-year ABI stability.

Most stable
@epel10

Extra packages

Community packages built for EL10. Installed in the same single dnf transaction.

Stable
@fedora

Fedora bridge

Newer tools via isolated dnf, COPR or a rootless distrobox — always behind the ABI firewall.

Fresh
@flathub

Sandboxed apps

Desktop apps with their own runtimes, installed per user and updated independently.

Latest
Download

Get Xenite Linux 10.2

Genesis Alpha is a preview release for testing. Verify every image with its SHA-256 checksum before you install.

Preview · mirrors not live yet

Cloud, container & virtual machine images

Verify your download

Download the CHECKSUM file from the same mirror, then check the image before writing it to a USB stick.

sha256sum -c CHECKSUM --ignore-missing
sudo dd if=Xenite-10.2-x86_64-Workstation.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

Already on AlmaLinux OS 10?

Switch in place: the Xenite branding and tools replace the upstream ones, your repositories and data stay as they are.

sudo dnf install ./xenite-release-10.2-1.el10.noarch.rpm ./xenite-repos-10.2-1.el10.noarch.rpm --allowerasing
xe check && xe apply

System requirements

  • CPUx86_64-v3 (Haswell or newer)
  • Memory4 GB (8 GB for Workstation)
  • Disk20 GB, 40 GB recommended
  • FirmwareUEFI or legacy BIOS
Roadmap

Where Xenite is heading

Xenite version numbers follow the EL point release they are built on. No calendar versions, no surprises.

  1. Nov 2026

    10.2 Genesis Alpha

    Live system switch, Rust xe tool, debranding packages, generations and ISO audit.

  2. Next

    10.2 Beta

    First real ISO built with lorax, validated kickstart, renamed kernel and package names, public mirror network.

  3. After beta

    10.2 General Availability

    Signed repositories, aarch64 images, graphical installer branding and a one-click converter from AlmaLinux OS 10.

  4. Ongoing

    10.3 and later

    Released shortly after each upstream EL10 point release and supported for the EL10 lifecycle.

News

Latest from the project

5 Nov 2026

Announcing Xenite Linux 10.2 Genesis Alpha

The first public preview: a live EL10 machine running fully on Xenite branding, the new Rust xe tool and reproducible generations.

Get the alpha →
5 Nov 2026

Why xe installs fast

Parsing was never the slow part — dnf is. How probing, one transaction and two parallel lanes cut install time.

Read more →
5 Nov 2026

Keeping it clean: our trademark policy

What we keep from upstream, what we replace, and why proprietary vendor apps never ship on the image.

Read more →
FAQ

Questions, answered

Can't find what you need? Open an issue in the project repository.

Is Xenite Linux binary-compatible with RHEL 10 and AlmaLinux OS 10?

Yes. The enterprise core comes unchanged from upstream AlmaLinux OS 10 mirrors, so EL10 software and RPMs run as-is. Xenite only replaces branding packages and adds its own tools.

Why is the version 10.2 and not a date?

Xenite tracks the EL point release it is built on. 10.2 means "built on the EL 10.2 package set", so you always know which ABI you are running.

Can I still use Fedora or COPR packages?

Yes, through the @fedora tier. Packages are installed with an automatic include list and with glibc, systemd and kernel excluded, or run inside a rootless distrobox and exported to the host.

How do I roll back a bad change?

Every xe gen run stores a generation with its closure hash. Compare two generations to see exactly what changed and re-apply an earlier one.

Is Xenite affiliated with the AlmaLinux OS Foundation?

No. Xenite Linux is an independent community project that builds on AlmaLinux OS packages. It ships its own name and artwork and keeps upstream repositories so updates stay in sync.

When will the download mirrors go live?

With the 10.2 Beta, once the first ISO is built and passes xe iso-audit. Until then the download buttons on this page are previews.

Ready to try Xenite?

Boot the live Workstation image, or convert an existing AlmaLinux OS 10 machine in minutes.

Download 10.2