About Jester Linux

Jester Linux is a custom NixOS-based Linux distribution built for desktop users, power users, and self-hosters who want a fully reproducible, tightly-integrated system without giving up flexibility or fun.

The project lives in the jester-linux/config repository - a NixOS flake that simultaneously defines the live ISO, a fleet of server machines, reusable modules, and this very website.

Goals

• Ship a polished GNOME desktop out of the box with Jester branding.
• Make NixOS approachable for users unfamiliar with the Nix language via the Calamares graphical installer.
• Provide first-class profiles for gaming, development, headless servers, and fediverse self-hosting.
• Keep everything declarative, reproducible, and auditable.

Technology

Jester Linux is built on Lix, a community fork of the Nix package manager with improved correctness and performance. Machines are managed with Colmena for remote deployments.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Open an issue or pull request on Codeberg.