LnOS a Customized Arch Distro tailored to UTA Students

"A UTA flavored distro with all the applications and tools the different engineering majors use" - Professor Bakker

Overview

The-LN-Project is a custom Linux distribution based on Arch Linux, designed specifically for University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) students. It aims to provide a lightweight, flexible, and powerful environment tailored to the needs of engineering students.The distro supports both x86_64 and ARM architectures (e.g., Raspberry Pi), ensuring compatibility with a wide range of student hardware.

  • First focused discipline is Computer Science (CS).

Goals

  • Lightweight and minimal base, built from Arch Linux.
  • Pre-configured tools for CS students, with plans to expand to other engineering disciplines (e.g., EE).
  • Easy installation process for students new to Linux.
  • Rolling updates to keep software current. (tool to update easily TUI)

Todo

Click here to see items next to implement Todo

How to Contribute

We welcome contributions from UTA students and faculty!

Report Issues: Use GitHub Issues to report bugs or suggest features.

  • please format your issues like so: Issue Template Add Tools: Propose packages for CS or other disciplines. Improve Docs: Help write guides or improve this README.

Testing

Click here to see guide on testing: Testing (helpful when contributing)

Features

  • Target Architectures: x86_64 and ARM (Raspberry Pi compatible).
  • Base System: Minimal Arch Linux with a rolling release model. CS Tools: Includes VSCode, Vim, Git, GCC, GDB, Python, and more. Desktop Environment: Lightweight options like XFCE or i3 (configurable during install). Documentation: Guides and support for UTA students.

Installation Instructions

NOTE: This is highly experimental and not recommend to try on your dedicated machine yet since it hasn't been thoughrougly tested. please instead follow a real install guide from: [[https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide]]

  1. Download Arch Linux ISO:

Get the latest ISO from [[https://archlinux.org/download/]]

  1. Create Bootable Media:

Use tools like rufus or Balena Etcher to write the ISO to a USB drive or SD card.

  1. Boot and Install Base System:

clone our repo:

git clone https://github.com/uta-lug-nuts/LnOS.git

run:

./scripts/installer.sh --target=[x86_64 | arm]
  1. Add CS Tools:

After booting into the base system, clone our repo again:

git clone https://github.com/uta-lug-nuts/LnOS.git

run and follow the instructions in:

./scripts/LnOS-auto-setup.sh

Done!

Included Packages (CS Focus)

Here’s a preliminary list of tools for CS students:

  • Editors: VSCode (code), Vim
  • Version Control: Git
  • Compilers/Debuggers: GCC, GDB
  • Languages: Python, C/C++
  • Utilities: Bash, Make, OpenSSH
  • Optional: Docker (for containerization), Valgrind (for memory debugging)

More tools will be added based on student feedback.

Resources We’ve Looked At

Arch Linux Official Site Linux From Scratch Arch Linux ARM Arch linux install guide GUM

  • this has seriously been amazing

Known Issues

  • Manual installation is complex for beginners—custom installer in progress.
  • No testing done for ARM.
  • no iso specific to the repo

Credits

Inspired by Professor Bakker’s and UTA LUGNUTS Community of a vision for a UTA-specific distro. Built on the amazing work of the Arch Linux community.

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