Diversity in the Linux ecosystem is one of its most wonderful features, leading to a category of distro-hopper users constantly looking for the next challenge in the form of a new Linux distro whose features they can try out and see if they meet their needs.
Just when you thought you’d explored all options, a fresh contender appeared, and we immediately reached out our hands eagerly. Please welcome Oreon Linux.
Oreon Linux: Key Features
Enterprise Linux has always been aimed primarily at business users and those looking for a reliable, secure, and long-lasting operating system for their server needs.
What I mean is that it’s not typically targeted at desktops as its main quality. However, a group of developers has identified this gap as an opportunity for innovation.
Oreon is a new AlmaLinux-based distribution launched in early 2024. Thus, as part of the RHEL family, it tries to reinvent Enterprise Linux by offering desktop users features typically found in cutting-edge distributions instead of the more conservative approach defaulted to in the Enterprise world.
Or, if you prefer, to refer to the official website:
โOreon isnโt just a customized clone of AlmaLinux. It is here to make the Enterprise Linux world better by making it more suitable for home and desktop purposes. This is done with the help of our development team and the way we โportโ the packages and dependencies that never were included in RHEL based OSes to Oreon. In simpler words, Oreon lies upon the Enterprise Linux world by making compatibility and usability more flexible for desktop use cases.โ
Desktop Usability
Out of the box, the distro offers a visually appealing and intuitive interface that simplifies the user experience.
The Oreon Lime (R2) edition’s desktop looks impressive. However, it’s important to note that it’s essentially the good old GNOME desktop enhanced with some extensions, such as Dash to Panel, Arc Menu, Blur my Shell, etc.
In other words, we’re not talking about something new, big, and groundbreaking, like the brand-new COSMIC desktop. Of course, I do not mean to belittle the developers’ work, as the aesthetic achieved is impressive.
Gaming Capability
Unlike other Enterprise Linux distributions, Oreon’s devs have approached it with gamers in mind by successfully porting necessary packages and dependencies to ensure full gaming support.
The distro supports various game launchers like Lutris, Steam, and Bottles, and although it sometimes requires WINE or Proton for compatibility, the system ensures that gamers have a satisfying experience.
Performance and Compatibility
Oreon is optimized for performance, making it suitable even for older hardware, which can help revitalize aging systems.
The continuous development and integration of new packages aim to provide compatibility not seen in other Enterprise Linux distros, addressing common issues like support for WINE 32-bit and 64-bit applications.
Stability and Security
Of course, reliability is the hallmark of every distribution in the RHEL family, and Oreon is no exception. Users can expect three years of feature updates and a commendable eight years of security patches and bug fixes, paralleling AlmaLinux’s support timeline.
This extensive support is a significant advantage for those looking for a reliable desktop system in the long run.
Applications & Tools
On the applications side, you’ll find a fairly limited set of default preinstalled ones, such as Firefox 115.7 ESR, LibreOffice 7.1.8, GNOME Videos, and others. Yes, I agree. They are quite old versions, typical for the Enterprise Linux distros.
Flatpak support, now standard in the Linux ecosystem, comes out of the box. An interesting decision is also including the Virtual Machine Manager application by default, which provides a graphical interface for managing KVM virtual machines.
I was also taken aback when I found that Docker had been preinstalled. It’s a great tool for developers and those into self-hosting, but I’m uncertain about its necessity for the typical desktop user. Oddly enough, despite being installed, it wasn’t running by default.
On the repository side, Oreon offers EPEL and RPM Fusion enabled by default, as well as a few of its own, giving you quite a variety of available software.
Conclusion
Let me start with full disclosureโI’m an addicted rolling guy, so give me Arch, Void, Tumbleweed, you name it, and I’ll be more than happy. That’s probably why, during my time exploring Oreon Linux, the feeling that I was using old software never left me, which, of course, isn’t a bad thing considering the foundation it’s built on.
It should also be mentioned that the Linux kernel version, 5.14.0-427.28.1.el9_4.x86_64, is the same as AlmaLinux’s. So, if you bet on Oreon as your daily driver and have very new hardware, you might face some challenges getting it to work.
So, the main question is, does Oreon succeed in making Enterprise Linux accessible for everyday desktop users? It does to an extent. From my experience, most of what Oreon offers could be accomplished with any other RHEL-based distributions. However, with the big exception – the packages available in Oreon’s own repositories that you won’t find ported to other EL distros.
Do we recommend its use? If you are a distro-hopper โ a must. Fans of RHEL, Alma, and Rocky should consider giving it a shot, too. However, Oreon might not be the best fit if you prefer the latest and greatest.
In any case, the distro is a breath of fresh air and a different take on Enterprise Linux from which the entire open-source community can only benefit. For more information, visit the official Oreon Linux website.
