Quick Start

What is LankeOS?

LankeOS is a Linux distribution built from scratch based on Linux From Scratch (LFS). It is not a derivative of any existing distribution — all packages are manually configured, compiled, and packaged.

Core features:

• Custom package manager lpkg (C++20)
• Native Wayland desktop (Sway tiling window manager)
• Extremely fast boot (~4 seconds to desktop as of v0.12)
• Built from source complete toolchain
• Chinese-first support (Fcitx5 + Noto CJK out of the box)

Quick Experience

1. Download the ISO

Get the latest Live ISO image from the Download page.

2. Write to USB Drive

sudo dd if=lankeos-0.09-live.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

3. Boot

Insert the USB drive, restart, and boot from it (select the USB drive in the BIOS/UEFI boot menu).

On first boot you'll see:

[    0.0] LankeOS 7.1.1-lanke kernel booting
[    1.2] initramfs: found LankeOS boot media
[    1.5] initramfs: mounting rootfs.sfs
[    1.8] initramfs: setting up OverlayFS
[    2.1] switching to systemd
[    2.8] Sway desktop ready

4. Login

Usernames and passwords (automatic login in Live mode):

Account	Live Mode	Persistence Mode
root	Auto-login	Password is empty
LankeOS	Auto-login	Password is empty

5. Explore the System

# View system information
fastfetch

# Check the package manager
sudo lpkg --help

# Query installed packages
lpkg query

# Check network status
nmcli device status

Install to Hard Disk

To install LankeOS to a hard disk:

1. Boot into the live environment
2. Run the installer:

sudo lanke_install

3. Follow the prompts to complete partitioning, installation, and GRUB configuration
4. Reboot and remove the USB drive, then boot from the hard disk

Package Management Basics

LankeOS uses the custom lpkg package manager. Common commands:

# Search and install a package
sudo lpkg install <package-name>

# Upgrade all installed packages
sudo lpkg upgrade

# Remove a package
sudo lpkg remove <package-name>

# Query file ownership
lpkg query /usr/bin/bash

# Scan for files not managed by any package
sudo lpkg scan

Next Steps

• Read the Installation Guide — detailed step-by-step installation tutorial
• Explore the lpkg Package Manager — LankeOS's core component
• Read Build from Source — if you want to build LankeOS yourself
• Check the Release History — learn about the project's development journey