A Linux you can read,
from the first line up.
SkyVision is a 64-bit GNU/Linux distribution for x86-64, built entirely from source in the Linux From Scratch tradition. Every package, every patch and every boot script is documented in the open — so the system you run is a system you understand.
Why build a distribution from scratch?
Because the best way to own a system is to have watched it come into being. SkyVision packages the result, and documents the journey.
src Source-first lineage
The whole distribution is bootstrapped from upstream sources — cross-toolchain, temporary tools, chroot, final system — following the same discipline as Linux From Scratch. Reproducible build recipes for every package ship in the tree.
pkg svpkg, hybrid by design
svpkg installs signed binary packages for
speed, and rebuilds any package from its recipe with one flag when you
want different USE-style options or local patches.
init A boot you can follow
SysV-style init with plain-shell SkyVision boot scripts. Every line of
the boot path is readable in /etc/rc.d —
no opaque service manager between you and PID 1.
x64 One architecture, done well
x86-64 only, compiled against the x86-64-v2 baseline with LTO. No multilib clutter, no 32-bit compatibility debt — a clean, modern 64-bit userland.
doc Documentation is a feature
The SkyVision Book walks through building the entire system by hand. The Install Handbook, svpkg manual and wiki are versioned with each release — docs never drift from the code.
cmty A small, real community
A Discourse forum, two IRC/Matrix channels and three mailing lists. Questions get answered by the people who wrote the build recipes — often the same day.
What ships in 1.0 “Firstborn”
| Component | Version |
|---|---|
| linux (LTS) | 6.12.30 |
| glibc | 2.41 |
| gcc | 14.2.0 |
| binutils | 2.43.1 |
| coreutils | 9.6 |
| openssl | 3.4.1 |
| Component | Version |
|---|---|
| svpkg | 1.0.2 |
| bash | 5.2.37 |
| xorg-server | 21.1.16 (desktop ISO) |
| xfce | 4.20 (desktop ISO) |
| grub | 2.12 (BIOS + UEFI) |
| repository | 1,842 binary packages |
Full package list and changelog: release notes →
From zero to login in three commands
# 1. fetch the image and checksums $ curl -LO https://dl.longervision.us/skyvision/1.0/skyvision-1.0-x86_64-base.iso $ curl -LO https://dl.longervision.us/skyvision/1.0/sha256sums.txt{,.sig} # 2. verify, then write to a USB stick (replace sdX!) $ sha256sum --check --ignore-missing sha256sums.txt $ sudo dd if=skyvision-1.0-x86_64-base.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress # 3. boot it, then run the guided installer # sky-install
The sky-install text installer handles
partitioning, base system extraction, GRUB and first user setup in
about ten minutes. Prefer to do it by hand? The
Install Handbook documents every step the
installer performs — nothing is hidden behind the curtain.
Latest from the project
Build it with us.
Package recipes, Book errata, mirrors, translations — every contribution is reviewed on the forum and credited in the release notes.